Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1892-12-21
A RACE FOR LIFE.

Talking about hairhresdth escapes
and looking over the back fence into
eternity, said the man from Kentucky.
when the applause which had followed
the Arksnsas drunnncrs bear story had
enbsded. Wei. 1t didn't turn my hair
white, but time has since. You all
know, he continued, that am Ken
tuckian BY right Of birth, but you are
not all awato Plat was born and reared
within n mile of this very SPOT In which
we now sit. Such is tho fact, however.
What am going TO toll you happcred
away back in the sixties. l was Just
grown up, as straight and tough as
hickory sapling.
We lived ut the base of considerable
hill which rose toward the east and
stretched its narrow ridge onward for
mile or two. Not 200 yards from our
door old Isaac johnson built a modest
cabin and brought his family down frou.
Illinois. Dudley, their only boy, was
just about my age. although not en-.
dowed with like endurance and strength.
A warm friendship soon sprang up DO.
tween us, however, and we spent many
hours together In the woods with our
rifles.
1t was near the end of May, romcm.
Der. had been idle for some weeks,
and idleness. you know, just at that sea
son, breeds rcstlessness in supcrabun-
dance.
L had often heard Of tho great Nam.
moth cave, few dozen miles distant,
and became convinced that the gcolog-
ical formation Of tho hill In the rear OF
our homo indicated that another huge
cave must surely exist under tho green
turfcd mound, for in the valleys which
lay at its feet fonnd numerous sinks
from which gurgling brooks usually
burst, or from which tho warm breath
the internal cavorns floa'cd up like the
smoke from some mountain wigwam.
soon confded my conjecture TO Dud
johnson. We talked the matter over
and decided that on the following day
we would begin series OF systematic
explorations. Tho succeeding day. which
was bright and clear, though unusually
warm, found us setting out with all
the necessary paraphornalia-candles.
matches. u rope, etc. We had poked
around In every crack and Granny, and
near noon, having lost all hope. was
about TO call to bud. who had wandered
oil up into litilo skirt OF wood, when u
faint shout reached my ears. hurried
or In the direction whence the voice
seemed TO come, and was soon stand
ing on the brink OF what appeared TO DO
the mouth Of our much sought after
cavern.
Away down Ia tho bowels OF the earth
j could SEQ the yellow faro OF buds can.
die and family discern his outline as he
bent forward, peering out into tho dark.
ness before him. Tho descent 90 his po-
sition was easy, and filed with joy was
soon beside him. Tho sweet dampness,
the scpnlchral stiffness and the con-
stantly trickling drops that fell from tho
beaded ceiling thrilled me with strange
delight. Wesoon scrambled down from
tho precipitous ledge on which we stood |
and began to gropo forward. our candles
aickering fitfully, Us IL in danger OF DO.
Ing blown out Mt every step.
We hud not proceeded twenty PAGES. |
however. In the black winged darkness,
when we came upon solid adnmantine
wall barring our way and seemingly
ending our journey. However. after
looking around for some time, we de-
cided that we could pass under the OBJ.
struction just over tho brook, which
flowed serenely from beneath its firm
breast. The place was very narrow,
aud to accomplish this resolve we had |
to get down on our hands and knees In
tho water. We didn't mind that some
how, and were soon elated to find our
selves in I'm opening Ms large as II not
larger than tho first chamber that we
entered, although not nearly no high.
From this room we pressed ON through
u smaller aperture. which gradually us.
sumed the proportion Of passage, dan
gerous with jutting rocks and dubious
windings.
On we hurried, following tho tortu-
bus stream that ran pure and pollucid
from the immense cave which wo as
sured ourselves must be just ahead. /
can never forget the effect of the low,
sweet murmuring of that little brook,
loudly audible for the very absence OF
other sounds. We found II terribly
warm work crawling over rough faced
rocks and squeezing through narrow
openings; consequently we every now
and then halted TO rest.
i can't say how long we had been
houndering about In tho sand and
water--for we still held the course of
the stream-whon low, roaring reached
our ears. A waterfall we at once sur.
missed, certain that miniature but
beautiful Niagara was lust before Ms.
Gathering new energy we pushed rand.
ly forward, and had gone dozen rods
perhaps when the roar, which percep.
tibly gathered volume. seemed to curl.
ously shift itself into position imme.
diatcly overhead, but we did not EXPECT
sounds to obey the laws of nature here.
After trayersing another dozen rods
or so we. suddenly noticed that the
swelling brook was running muddy and
bore few twigs and dead leaves ON its
hurrying surface. Strangely enough.
we were not in the least alarmed, for
we thought 1t was merely landslide
ahead, and concluded to push on toward
the goal OF our hopes. But us the water
grew rapidly deeper and muddier sug.
gested that we should halt moment
and forcing small stick In the bank
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