Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1892-12-15
SPIRITED AWAY.
BY j. A. BoLLEs.

The principal dry goods store hau oecn
broken into and five hundred dollars
worth of silks taken from the shelves
and two hundred dollars i'll specie and III
bills stolen from the safe; the post office
had been robbed; and even the vault OF
a bank had been blown open, and not
less than twenty thousand dollars In
money and forty thousand dollars in cou-
non bonds had been secured by the mis-
creants. In not one instance were any OF
the fellows captured, and no clew as to
their hiding place or rendezvous Tor the
planning of their robberies could be Cd
tanned.
Alarming as 'yas the continuation OF
the robberies, it was surpassed by an oc-
currence that proved to be the culmina-
tion of the work of the desperadoes.
One night the beautiful daughter OF Col
onel Blocker, the richest citizen of the
CITY, was kidnapped. That the deed had
been done by the robbers for the purpose
of keeping the maiden captive until they
could obtain liberal ransom from the
distracted father there could scarcely be
q doubt. The circumstantial evidence
showed that Helen Blocker had been
chloroformed while sleeping in her bed,
after which blanket had been wrapped
about her, she bal been borne from the
house and spirited away.
Helen had lover named Malcolm Mac
Donald, shrewd young lawyer, who
was confident that the headquarters oil
the kidnappers were in the crater oil
lava beds about twenty miles southwest
of Albuquerque. This belief was not
shared by many people, however, for
the cave had often been visited by hunt
ers. contained no hidden recesses, and
was not adapted to purposes OF conceal
ment or defence. But suffice 1t TO say
that Macdonald knew what he was
about when he resolved to attempt the
rescue of the dear girl to whom he was
bethrothed, by organizing party tc
search for her captors among the lava
beds. Five Of his friends, all of them
shouted hearted and adventurous young
fellows, agreed to aid him. Armed tt
the teeth, and mounted on good horses
the party quietly left Albuquerque three
hours after the abduction of Helen be-
came known. When they arrived with
in sight of the lava beds they placed
their horses in the care of a trustworthy
rauchman, and with watchful eye
walked toward their destination.
The lava beds were several acres in ex
tent. aud were in the shape of low anc
broken cone the top of which was hol
lowed out so as to resemble a huge bowl
, The latter was all that remained of tn
, crater of an extinct volcano, and so Ion;
had destroying influences been mt wori
] that the sides had considerably falle
away and crumbled until the once deel
bowl was now so shallow that It was cas-
to walk into and out of it.
The young men, holding their rifles II
readiness in case of an attack, descende
into the great bowl and advanced unit
. they came to the mouth of the cave. In
! opening was large enough, and from 1t
4 good sized passage wound downward
' distance of ten feet to the cave, whic
was about rod long and shaped like
ripht-angled triangle. The adventurel
satisfied themselves by cautious el
ploration that the robbers were not
the cavity. A little later, while, tore
in hand. they were examining the bottol
{ of the hollow, they discovered a squal
section of the lava floor which WI
slightly separated from the surroundin
lava. The excited men pounded on Il
y = slab of lava until they broke it sufficien
- ly to enable them to grasp the pieces al
= remove them A deep hole was n
vealed, except where narrow shelves e.
tending on four sides had served to su
d port the edges of the block. 1t w
20 probable that the party was at the G
n trance of the hiding place Of the robber
at the mouth of second cave lying b
meath the one they were in. The supp
Is sition was that one of the robbers HI
accidentally broken through the floor
the first cave at point where it WI
thin, and had thus discovered the el
trance to the second cavern. 1t w
further surmised that in order to ke
their valuable discovery secret the on
laws had Immediately cut block of la
from the extensive beds outside OF I
cave and had fitted it above the hole
the manner already described.
" Macdonald determined TO make
+, descent of the shelving sides of the he
He argued that the robbers were u
doubtedly asleep at that hour, and IL
the chance of coming upon them befC
~ reaching the main cave was small. -
" ing that they could not dissuade nj
and admiring his boldness, the you
men discontinued their objections; q
after they did assured him that II
would defend him should be come fo
pursued, and would revenge his dei
, should he be killed, they babe him e
speed as he entered the cavity. He
~ armed with long hunting knife ant
brace of pistols, and carried in his Ia
~ a dark lantern. Closing the slide OF
lantern so as to conceal the light,
Q crept in darkness down the passage.
last he stood upright and moved o
{ level. He was in the cave. The sol
of washing waters came to his start
ears. and he inferred that he stood NJ
az the edge of subterranean lake. Al
sjs considerable hesitation he ventured
. turn ON the light. A weird spectacle
O presented TO his view. Above was
$ roof of the cave, composed of shat
~ lava, from which small rocks protru,
so much of themselves that 1t seemed
az if they might fall at any moment.
9 sides of the cavern were equally rou
2 and with the exception of the shelf
o lava on which Macdonald stood the
n tom of the cave was covered with
Q gloomy waste Of waters.
8 Soon MacDonald's attention was
Y rested by singular sight. A huge n
9 appeared from the gloom beyond
3 reach of the lanterns rays and slowly