The state herald. (Holyoke, Logan County, Colo.) 1887-1921, 1892-09-09
grant and the regiment was again on

garden one night and crept through
the shadows OF tho trees into tho pal
ace itself. There were secret UNDER
ground rooms in that old pile which
we felt would give us some insight in.
to tho mystery. and. nerved to 20 to
/ the end OF the puzzle we actually
swore never to come out until we had
solved all.
Tho raiah's palace was as silent as
the tomb Here and there q snake.
sometimes a cobra showed himself
in the pale moonbeams and nov and
then lizard ran before US for sec.
ond. showing us its chameleon hues
in the light.
All at once Danford. our leader
picked up a bit OF cord which he do.
clared was the property OF someone
OF the present hour. We gathered
round the finder and examined the
girdle end with suppressed emotions
We were In u long room which was
said to have been the execution chum-
Der OF the dead ra..ah. Suddenly Dan.
ford stopped and picked up coin
The next moment no fell back ind
pointed ut the floor
"A dOor?' he said. Hero Is q
trapdoor Look! 1t has been opened
recently"
1t was true. What we had not seen
before was now plain. for tho moon.
light stealing into the chamber showed
us the cracks in the floor A short
consultation took place. Danford. who
was the AJAX of the regiment lifted
the door u dark, cavernous opening.
from ono side OF which hung rope
which was lost In uttor darkness
He lowered himself over the edge OF
the pit and We saw him descend and
one inter one no matter how uncanny
we felt went down after him. We
landed one by one in a dark corridor
many foot below tho top OF tn, pit
and stood for some time in dense
darkness Instead OF smelling like II
charnol house or like u subtcrranean
pit a strange odor almost overpower.
Ing. though not disgusting, pervnded
the gloomy place US we advanced.
Daniord led the way.
For sometime We saw and heard
nothing. bat us Danlori moved on
again caught low sound suggest.
Two OF tho whine OF fawning tiger.
There is door in tho wall here"
whispered Danford. lit leads or
seems to. 10 place beneath us My
hand is on the button which seems to
operate it Let no man utter cry.
no matter what he might SEQ, Our
lives depend on our silence"
heard slight noise which
thought was made when Danford
opened the door. Sure enough we
looked down into chamber which
SCENE d forty feet beneath us
sb all not attempt to describe this
cham,o Dor though every detail is us
fresh in my mind to-day as then.
will o ally tell what saw living there
The room. which was large was
occup led by three men and tiger
The men wore the slight garments OF
the rativc and all were tall. white.
beard ed and terrible OF aspect They
locke d to me like tho old priests OF
tho Indian temples and the tiger
lolling Mt tho feet OF one OF the trio
was itterlng tho singular cries had
hear d.
In an instant thought OF tho mp.
parii ion along the raJah's wall
sciZed Danford's arm and whispered:
Wonder is the man who strnnglcd
SANE lers and that IN the same tgor!"
ID ,nford said nothing. could 500
by no light that came up to us that
he was actually pinch NJ himself TO
SEQ whether ho was awake.
+ inally he said:
Tho mystery Is solved. No matter
whi.t Sergeant Casey saw. those arc
livi ng men down there Tho old
RAFT IN and his compan ons did not die.
but have inhabited this place ever
sin, 70 Its apparent dcser,ion. We
dnr not march those men above
gro ind and attempt to try them in
the present state OF tho country. We
mun II kill them where they nrel'
That we had found tho strangers
OF I ho soldiers there was no doubt
and when we leaned forward md
COW ,red tho MS yet unsuspecting thugs
witt our revolvers, l felt my blood
lear hot through my veins
We waited Danford's whispered
com mand with cagcrncss and mercl.
less ness
o-threer'
i our revolvors spoke us n single
weu pom. The three men lcapod into
tho alr and fell back dead. The tiger
wou nded by Hicks bullet spun round
and round. uttcrlng cries Of agony.
aud catching sight OF us made des-
pora 10 attempt TO get up TO where wo
were. Another vollcy finished him
and no rolled across tho body OF his
mast or where he stretched his striped
lcng tn and died.
w went back from that scene with
wild ly-bea,lng hearts and sworn TO
siion CO
II was against orders TO enter tho
pnla 20. But ms wo reached tho top OF
the hit We heard tho roar OF flames
and ooklng down. saw tho whole In.
terio r OF tho place on fire. A light
must have allen In tho thugs cham
Der ind tho inilnmmnblo material was
bein.g destroyed.
Wa made our escape from tho pal.
aco ust In Tina for II seemed to mo
that II was built OF paper. so quickly
did II fnll victim 10 tho lire. lar
and wllo tho flames lighted up tho
country and tho soldiers cheercd when
they saw tho demon palace In tho fro
fcnd's grip Tho next day tho ruins
were searched by tho colonies orders
and tho subierranoan chambers wcro
found.
In ono were tho blnckcncd remains
OF three native, and n tiger and tho
rcgimentnl surgeon shook his head
when no found n bullct.hole In each
About tho neck OF ono corpse was dis
covered nm amulet which was rccog.
nlaod ~ tho ono worn by tho old rn.
ah who NJ va have slnco believed.
instead Of dying shut himself up In
tho underground chamber, Of tho old
uilo for IN , ptrnoae nj itiliing Tho man