The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1892-06-12
THE SECRET CHAMBER
BY w. II H O NJ S Q N.

W O. Edf. 10 lie tHofll tOkttuer III palTc ana
drive them as best we could.
IL was past noon. when, steering directly
across the country by compass, We started
for campfire refractory conduct of the
youngsters making it exceedingly doubt-
ful whether Wa should reach it that light.
Sometimes the little Villains would 60
quietly, straight ahead for awhile then,
suddenly, bolt TO one side. or. per-
haps, lower their big heads, stick
their stumpy tails in the DIR and
nearest borsemaD. Quickly learning that
they were not TO be hurt, they took mean
advantage of the knowledge. and for the
first hour proved well nigh unnaneReable.
the seven hunters riding In n semi-circle,
with the captive bisons in the hollow of
the crescent.
Our odd looking cavalcade was toiling
lp long hill In q particularly wild dis
trict when Ferris. riding in the lead, OK
claimed: What in thunder is that half
breed girl doing up there with her signal
mgr
We looked in the direction pointed out
by Will and saw a tail yOung woman stand
Ing on rock at the turn % the hill and
rapidly gesticulating. Her back was
toward us and she seemed TO be engaged in
warning of our approach some one or some
thing In the valley beyond.
There's some develtry going on, sure"
said the guide. w atch the critter. She
makes just seven moves of her hand, then
stops and starts AGAIN. There's something
down in the bottom we're not to see, and
the girl daren't go ahead for fear of lead
ing us onto It."
Withholding, unkempt creature, but with
an extremely handsome face and magnifi-
cent eyes. Ferris tried her with English,
Spanish, Mexican patois. and half dozen
Indian dialects In turn, but she would not
answer. and stood twirling her thumbs
with an assumed air of idiocT.
Halt alarmed and wholly amazed at the
strange beings conduct, we looked appre-
henslvely down into the valley. Nothing
unusual was 10 he seen there. except
light wreath of smoke rising laZily from
out n thick grove of pecan trees
What do you think, Ferris! Is there not
something here that ought TO be looked
intOs inquired Colonel Eastlake.
Il reckon there Is. Colonel. MOOnshine
whisky, maybe. Let's tie the butfaloes up
and 20 prospecting"
Taking the old guides advice, We So
cured the calves 10 o couple of saplings
of the slope-the girl sullenIy following.
Seeing that we made straight for the
smoke she suddenly started past US and,
running like q deer. disappeared in the
grove. We reached 1t q moment after
wards, but found 1t impervious to horses.
Hastily dismounting. we pushed through
a tangled mass Of trees and creepers and
presently came upon cleared space less
than One-half of an acre in area. In the
midst of this stood big 1Og-cabin. and be-
fore its open door the self-same girl, look
Ing now qnite bril- ht and fearless.
The tricks done, whatever 1t was. The
critter aIn's mite scared any more" OBJ
served Will.
gently put the young woman aside and en-
tered the cabin. The interior seemed to
consist OF q single roOm only, which, how
over, was much smaller than outside APP
visible occupants were an old Mexican
greaser and q withcred. hag-like Apache
squaw, both of whom sat curled up In the
chimney corner over the embers of an ex-
pirIng tire. We acco5ted them civilly. but
they appeared TO be deaf and dumb, and
DID not even look at us.
The guide then spoke to the girl again.
askin. her in spanish to explain the mean
ing OF her strange signals. 10 our utter
establishment she answered In English:
why, stranger. L didn't mean nothin' in
peTtielrr. The old folks is mighty scared
OF white men. an Jest wanted to let 'em
know you was comm. sO's they wouldn't
be took by surprise. That's ALL"
''BuL why are they afraid OF white peO-
plci' asked Rowland.
20 man, she used 10 live out West, an
she's seen lots of lnjuns killed by soldiers.
/ s'pose that's the reason. She's gittin'
kind of foolish. any how"
And is this all the familyf Have you
no brothers or sister5?'
Marry one There's inst the old folks
an me-" jauntIly replied the girl.
INT how do you live! see no fields for
crops
go: some clearn's 't0ther side of the bush,
an all TO tshe caught her breathl all three
of rs works into them. Dad an MAINS q
good deal ADLER nor they looks"
glran "f intelligence flashed from one
10 the other of our party.
"Enur fnlIs fharaW nuffarad mi
Ferns. Tvs sly whisky. plain enough"
Colonel Eastlake nodded. Now tell ME.
girl," he sternly said, whether this is tho
only room In the houseP
Cant you SEQ that for yOurself?' she
pertly rejoined. But there was q curious
hIckering of the dark eyes which confirmed
our suspicious OF some secret.
Presently. Jack Townley backed quietly
against the inside of the front wall and
thence walked carelessly across the floor.
There was nothing in this to attract at
tentI0n. but We saw in moment that he
was really measuring the width of the
room. With some casual remark about the
horses, he then stTOlled ont OF doors.
In a few seconds he returned and said:
boys. there's q secret chamber in the
shanty ewhere. The inside of this room
measures only fifteen feet from front TO
rear, but the outer wall is close upon TWEEN
ty-four feet! Allowing for the space occu-
pied by the front and back walls and one
PARTITION there must be q bind room six
feet wide reaching clear across the rear end
of the house"
AS Jack spoke the girls swarthy face
palcd TO q CHASTITY yellow and tho old wom-
al shutlled uneasiiy in her seat. But no
move WAS made, until Gus Rowland SAID:
Let's take I'D the back part of the floor.
There may be trap-door under it,"
Then, In the twinkling OF an eye, the
whole scene changed.
The apparently decrepit pair each one
gra5plng pistol, sprang to their feet. The
girl, drawing similar weapon from her
bosom, ranged herself beside them, her
glorious eyes flashing omnously.
Quick. men. QuIckw shouted Eastlake
ana before any one of the three dared to
fire. all were Overpowered. disarmed and
bound, while torrrnt of hlood-curdhnx
curses poured from tho lips of the old
Mexican.
Guess it's something W orse than whisky
Coming bogus dollars, fuay De-" c0olly OBJ
served the guide.
This seemed q probable superstition, but
yet was far from the truth.
Strcwn about the floor lay q number of
undressrd deer. bear ami wolf skins We
kicked TO one side several of those neares {
the back WALL but saw nothing suspicious.
Evidently the pianks had never been dis
turbed since first laid down.
TOwniry and l then stepped outside and
went quite around the cabin. and found n
trace oil an opening other than those in L.
gitimate use.
Its mighty queer" said Jack, as we en-
tered the 'front.' door again. There's an
underground passage somew here, and we're
bound 10 find it,
Ho stood, while speaking upon O big
oOrn-shuck mat, spread just within the
doorway, ant L noticed that the girl
watched HIM narrowly.
m n mat I.ssE . aai1