Morris tribune., 1892-04-13

"We can do few miles of the cave by
noon," said the captain as they went down;
"then We'll get lunch and return in time
to get back to camp before sunset"
Faith, that'll be as aisy as fallin off a
log," said Mike Finn. "Shure I was down
in Diamond cave for more'n six hours, wild
on'y niger fur a guide, and I knew it
that well before I came out that I'd not be
skart to go through from ind to ind blind
folded. Thin caves is like iv'rythin else
it's all in bein used to their ways"
This confidence encouraged the captain
greatly, for as the cold air beat into his
face and he saw the light of his torch fore
ing a thin pathway through the awful
blackness that rose before him like wall,
his curiosity was not so keen nor his conf
dence in himself so great as when he started
out that morning.
They passed the anteroom, with its
smoked walls and it's floor Uttered with the
debris of thousand convivial parties who
had preceded them in the good old days
before the war.
Then they started down the grand ave
nue., but before doing SO Captain Poe, who
was noted in the army for his prudence and
forethought, tied the end of a big ball Of
wrapping twine to rock and paid it out
as he went on.
''It was by just such contrivance as
that string" he replied to Mike Finn,
"that the mysteries and intricate convolu-
tions of the famous Labyrinth of Crete were
discovered"
"You don't tell me so, sor," cried Mike,
with all the earnestness of man just in
receipt of thrilling item of news.
Down the grand avenue the black
shadows fled from their front to settle be-
hind them in blacker wall
The fall OF their feet woke up the sleep
ing echoes. Bats dropped from the roof
and their cold, clammy wings brushed the
bronzed faces of the troopers and made
them pallid.
On to the Great Hail. whose ceiling was
lifted too high to be reached by the light
of their torches, save where here and there
from the dropping ends of snowy stalac-
tites the light flashed back as if refracted
into prismatic lines by mighty diamonds.
On again to the Bridal Chamber, the
ball of twine growing less in size, but the
trail still well defined by fragments of ex-
hausted torches and an occasional empty
bottle.
Wonder banished anxiety from the hearts
of captain end man, and they spoke i'll
whispers, as If afraid to wake up the sleep
ing genius Of this sunless palace.
They crept through Fat Mans Misery,
of which the captain had often heard; then
they rested their torches against rock,
and as it was high noon in the upper world
they ate their lunch, ate everything-for
as they were going back Immediately it
would be foolish to burden themselves
with what was left.
At length they reached the Star Cham
Der, at least that was what the captain
called it, and here they came literally to
''the end of their rope"
The string was fastened to rock in
place which they agreed they could find
very easily and then they started in to ex-
plore this wonderful chamber. AT length
the captain looked at his watch.
'"Three o'clock, FinnH' he exclaimed.
"By Jove, we must be getting back or
night will catch us!"
'Sure it's always and forever and day
night down here" said Mike.
But now to find the string They
searched and they searched and they
searched without success, till there were
only two candles left Then filled with des-
avenue that "looked as if it might lead in
the right direction"
Up a mountain of sharp rocks they
clambered; then down the'other side, till
they came to sudden halt and drew back
with their hair on end, for the awful black
depths of the bottomless pit yawned be-
fore them.
AT this juncture the last quarter inch OF