The Carbon advocate. [volume] (Lehighton, Pa.) 1872-1924, 1892-11-12
A RACE FOR LIFE.

when the applause which had followed
the Arkansas drummer's bear story had
subsidized. Wen, it didn't turn my haii
white, but time has since. You all
know, he continued, that am Ken
tuckian by right Of birth, but you are
not all aware that was born and reared
within a mile of this very spot in which
now sit. Such is the fact, however.
lat 1 am going TO tell you happened
way back in the sixties. l was jud
grown up, as straight and tough as
hickory sapling
We lived at the base of considerable
hill which rose toward the east and
stretched its narrow ridge onward for d
mile or two. Not 200 yards from om
door old Isaac johnson built modest
cabin and brought his family down from,
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 be.
tween us, however, and we spent many
hours together in the woods with oW
rifles.
It was near the end of May, remem.
Der. l 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, few dozen miles distant,
and became convinced that the geolog
ical formation Of the hill in the rear Of
our home indicated that another huge
cave must surely exist under the green
turfed mound. for in the valleys which
lay at its feet found numerous sinks
from which gurgling brooks usually
burst, or from which the warm breath
the internal caverns tloated up like tine
smoke from some mountain wigwam.
soon conhded my conjecture to Dud
Johnson We talked the matter oveI
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
the necessary paraphernalia-candles
matches, rope, etc. We had poked
around in every crack and Granny, and
near noon, having lost all hope, was
about to call to Dud, who had wandered
off up into little skirt of wood, when a
faint shout reached my ears. hurried
off in the direction whence the voice
seemed to come, and was soon stand
ing on the brink of what appeared to be
the mouth of our much sought aftei
cavern,
Away down in the bowels of the eartf
l could see the yellow flare of Dud's can
die and family discern his outline as h'
bent forward, peering ont into the dark
ness before him. The descent to his po
sition was easy, and filled with JOY Wai
soon beside him The sweet dampness
the sepulchral stiffness and the con
stantly trickling drops that fell from TIN
, beaded ceiling thrilled me with strang
delight, We soon scrambled down from
= the precipitOus ledge on which we stoo'
and began to grope forward, our candle
Pickering fitfully, as if in danger of be
ing blown out at every step.
We had not proceeded twenty PAGES
however, in the black winged darkness
when we came upon solid adamantin
wall barring our way and seemingl
ending our journey. However, afte
1 looking around for some time, we dc
cided that we could pass under the OF
Q struction just over the brook, whic
a flowed serenely from beneath its fri
breast. The place was very narrow
{ and to accomplish this resolve we ha
to get down on our hands and knees i
L the water. We didn't mind that somC
9 how, and were soon elated to find oui
> selves in an opening as large as If nC
larger than the first chamber that W
e entered, although not nearly so hiSl
From this room we pressed on throug
a smaller aperture, which gradually a
sumed the proportion cd n passage, dan
gerous with juttiug rocks and dubior
70 windings,
T. On we hurried, following the tortl
: Gus stream that ran pure and pelluci
III from the immense cave which we a
sured ourselves must be inst ahead.
can never forget the effect of the 10y
sweet murmuring of that little broo
a loudly audible for the very absence
ig other sounds. We found it terrib
'e warm work crawling over rough fac,
Mt rocks and squeezing through narro
a. openings; consequently we every no
Cd and then halted to rest.
'l- l can't say how long we had be-
foundering about in the sand al
water--for we still held the course
the stream-when a low, roaring reach
sl our ears. A waterfall we at once 81
!" missed, certain that miniature b
p- beautiful Niagara was just before I
lu Gathering new energy we pushed rap
ol ly forward, and had gone dozen re
as perhaps when the roar, which perez
ny tibly gathered volume, seemed to Gu
u ousiy shift itself into position INN
IN diately overhead, but we did not exp
"a sounds TO obey the laws Of nature her
After traversing another dozen rC
or so we suddenly noticed that
e. swelling brook was running muddy a
bore a few twigs and dead leaves on
lot hurrying surface. Strangely enoui
we were not in the least alarmed,
we thought it was merely a landsl
ioh ahead, and concluded TO push on tow'
the goal Of our hopes But rs the wa
'ar- grew rapidly deeper and muddier | 81
gested that we should halt a nome
am and forcing a small stick in the ba
lust at the waters edge we watched
eeu rising floods creep up, up about and o
lon it, an inch perhaps in four or five N
utes.
Dud looked up at me. Its rain
lin outside" he said, and his face was
.so,, white as a sheet
The horlifying truth burst upon
simultaneously Our alright was I
~ tual and our flight precipitous. II
t,e a race for life-we must reach the ol
,,ot ing before the stream could fill it
.tl, cut of our only exit All along, as
1,o retreated, l noticed ON the low CELL
-, trash and leaves deposited, even
\ y, highest points bearing this positive
dence that at times the whole cave
completely overhowed. Pellmell
~ rocks in water we tore; but hurr
oin we would, the muddy, angry wa
still preceded ms, swelling and sur
'le between its narrow banks. Now
',ei' came to an unusually low point
found the water about our necks a
a. stopped TO pass along. / was in
7 - lead, and though 1 set telling
'.ll'e .l Dud in his fright managed TO keep
-" Those few hundred yards seeme
10 ." Vulnerable miles. with the floods e
ing behind us and the ominous
- overhead gathering volume. Now
-. then one Of our candles would go
-. and we were forced 10 stop and re
Nv it from the one that still burned, a
, ;,,, matches were all wet and useless,
" last / stood in the chamber mex
A. fatal barrier.
What moment OF suspense OF d
IL, / suffered while waiting FOR Du
,;tl,.t come up! hastily scanned the wa
-. this the highest ceiling available
- my heart sank as / saw the unmi