Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1891-05-02
CHATTER Y
THE SECRET OF THE CAVE.

For minute aiter the disappearance
Charles Brinkley lay as if petrified; and
indeed, he was altogether lost in won.
der What had happened? Had al
earthquake swallowed the mysteriou.
one, or had he tumbled down in a fit
Brinkley waited and watched; five min,
utes had passed, ten minutes, and still
the light did not re-emerge. At last
overcome by his curiosity, Brinkley
rose, and, STOPPING close to the ground,
crept from the rock behind which he
had lain concealed, and crawled across
the summit Of the sand-hill. Suddenly
he stopped short and went down on
hands and knees, for he now clearly dis
cerned, coming out of the solid earth or
sand, the glimmer of the light.
1t glimmered, then disappeared again.
Just then the moon slipped out Of her
clouds, illuminating the hillocks with
virtuous rays; and he perceived, close
by him, dark hole, opening into the
very heart of the hilloek.
lie crept closer and looked down, but
could see nothing. lie held his head
over the hole and listened; all he heard
was dull. hollow moaning, like the
sound of the sea. The light of the moon,
however, enabled him to perceive that
the hole had been covered with loose
piece of wood, or lid, about four feet
square. and with an iron ring-bolt in
the center; which lid was now lying by
the side of the opening, ready to be re-
placed. A number Of large pieces OF
stone, such as were strewed everywhere
about the sand-hills, lay piled close by.
He lay for some time waiting and
listening. All at once, far beneath him,
the light glimmered again. Quick as
thought he rose and crept away, only
just in time; for he had no sooner re-
gained the shelter of the rock, and
crouched there watching, than he saw
the light re-emerge, accompanied by q
human head; human body followed,
and then he clearly discerned William
Jones, standing in the moonlight with
out the burden he had previously car
ried, and holding In his hand lantern.
Setting the lantern down, William
busted himself for several minutes, and
finally, having concluded the work OH
which he was engaged, extinguished
the light. Then, after glancing suspi-
ciously round him ON every side, he
walked rapidly down the sand-hill, and
disappeared in the direction of the sea.
Not until he distinctly heard the plash
of oars, and saw the black silhouette of
the boat pass out from the shadow of
the rock on to the moonlit sea, did
Brinkley again begin to stir; and even
then he did so very cautiously, lest his
figure should be perceived against the
moonlight by the lynx-eyed rover.
Creeping on hands and knees, he again
crawled to the mysterious spot, and
found, as he had indeed anticipated,
that the hole was covered with stones
and loose sand as to be completely hid
den.
His first impulse was to displace the
debris, and at once to explore the mys-
terious place; but rejecting that he was
unprovided with lights of any kind, and
that the cavity below, would most GER
tainly be In total darkness, he determin-
cd to postpone his visit Of inspection
until daylight. by this time there was
no sight or sound Of the boat. Rising
to his feet, he mused. 1t was all very
well to talk Of returning another time,
but how was he to find the spotY The
sea Of sandy hillocks stretched on nevery
side, and he knew by experience how
diflicult it was to distinguish one hill
lock from another. As to the cairns Of
loose stones, such cairns were nearly as
numerous rs the hillocks themselves.
AT last he thought Of the rock where
he had first concealed himself. Such
rocks were numerous too; but pulling
out his case OF crayons, he marked the