The Neihart herald. [volume] (Neihart, Mont.) 1890-1901, 1892-11-19
A RACE FOR LIFE.

Talking about hairbreadth escapes
and looking ever the back fence into
eternity, said the man from Kentucky,
when the applause whic3had followed
the Arkansas drummer's bear story had
subsidized. Wei, it didn't turn mysnair
white. but time has since. You sill
know. he continued, that AIN a Ken
tuckian BY right OF birth. but you are
not all aware that | WAS born and reared
within q mile Of this very spot in which
we now sit. Such ia the fact, however.
What / am going - !e,i you happened
away back in the sixties. | was just
grown up, as straight and tough AZ a
hickory sapling.
We lived at the base OF e considerable
hill which rose toward the east tsad
stretched It's narrow ridge onward for ii
mile or two. Not eco yards from oul
door old Isaac johnson bnilt a modest
cabin and brought his family down from.
Illinois. Dudley, their only boy, was
just about my age, although not ell
dowed with like endurance and strength
A warm friendship o % sprang up be-
tween us. however, and We spent many
hours together in the woods with CIR
rifles.
It was near the end OF May, l remenl-
Der. ] had been idle for some weeks.
and idleness. you know, just at that sea
son, breeds restlessness in superabun-
dance.
1 had often heard of the great Nam
moth cave, q few dozen miles distant,
and | became convinced that the geolog-
zeal formation Of the hill in the rear OF
our home indicated that another huge
cave must surely exist under the green
turfed mound. tor in the valleys which
Law at its feet ! found numerous slnks
from which gurgling. brooks usually
burst, or from which tile warm breath
the internal caverns fioated up like the
smoke from some mountain wlgwam.
Isoon confided my conjecture to bud
Johnson. We talked the matter over
and decided that on the following day
we would begin a series Of systematic
explorations. The succeeding day, which
was bright and clear, though unusually
warm, found us setting out with all
tho necessary paraphernalia-candles
matches. a rope, etc. We had poked
around in every crack and Granny, and
near neon. having lost all hope, was
about to call to bud, who had wandered
off up into Il little skirt Of wood, when a
faint shout reached my ears. hurried
off III the direction whence the voice
! seemed to come, and was soon stand
ing on tho brink Of what appeared to be
the mouth Of our much sought after
avern
Away down i'll the bowels Of the earth
| could see the yellow flare Of buds cali
Gle and family discern his outline as he
bent forward, peering out into the dark
ness before him. The descent TO his po-
sition was $ and filled with JOY | was
soon beside BIN. The sweet dampness,
the sepulchral stiffness and the con-
stantly ~t.ickling drops that fell from the
beaded ceiling thrilled me with strange
delight. We soon scrambled down from
the precipitous ledge on which we stood
and began to grope forward, u candles
Pickering htfully, as if in danger OF be-
ing blown ont at every step.
We had not proceeded twenty PAGES
however. in the black winged darkness
when we came upon a solid adamantine
wal, barring our way and seemingly
ending orr Journey. However, after
looking around for some time, we de-
cided that we could pass under the OBJ
~struction Just over the brook, which
flowed sereneiy from beneath its firm:
breast. The place was very narrow,
and TO accomplish This resolve we had
TO get down Oh hands and knees IN
The water. We didn't mind that some
how, and were soon elated to find our
selves in an opening az large as il not
larger than the first chamber that we
entered, although not nearly so high.
From this room ave pressed Oh through
q smaller aperture. which gradually as
sumed the proportion Of a passage, dan
eerous with jutting rocks and dubious
indings.
On we hurried, following the tortu-
Gus stream that ran pure and pellucid
from the ~imnlspse q which we as
srred ourselves mnst be just ahead. !
IAN never forget the effect OF the low,
sweet murluuring Of thar little brook,
loudly audible for the very absence OF
other sounds. We found 1t terribly
warm work crawling over rough faced
rocks and squeezing through narrow
onanings; consequently Ws every now
and then hsl,ed TO rest.
J can't say how long we had been
laundering about in the sand and
waterloo. we still held the course OF
the stream-wnsH low, roaring reached
OFT ears. A waterfall we at once sur.
missed. certain that a miniabdr6 but
beautiful Niagara was just before ss.
Gathering new energy we pushed rapid
" forward, and had gone a dozen rods
perl,aps when the roar, which percep.
tibly gathered volume, seemed to curl
ously shift itself into a position iRFme.
diately overhead, but we did not expec!
sounds to obey the laws of nature here.
After trayersing another dozen rods
or 80 We st.ddenly noticed that the
swelling brock was Running muddy and
bore q few twigs and dead leaves on its
hurrying surface. Strangely enough,
we were not in the least alarmed. fol-
We thought it was merely a landslide
shead. AMI concluded to push on toward
the goal Of our hopes. But rs the water
grew rapidly deeper and mnddier l sug
qested that we ahonld halt y moment
and forcing T. small stick in the bank
Just at the waters edge we watched tbs
rising foods creep up, up about and Oyel
, it, an inch perhaps in four or five min
utes.
bud looked up at me. ATS raining
outside he said, and his face was A.
white as a sheet.
The horrifying truth burst upon u'
simultaneously. Our alright was mu
tual and our fight PERCEPTIONS. 1t was
A race for life-we must reach the open
ing before tie stream could ill 1t ape
!, crt OF, our only exit. All along. as W.
retreated, / noticed or the low ceiling
rash and leaves deposited, even the
highest points bearing this positive evl
iencs that at times the whole csye WA