Elmore bulletin. [volume] (Rocky Bar, Idaho) 1889-1906, 1893-08-19

.iti tWfttifil, hItl pushed hFhNclA on lie
Ny. nov beyond tAr reach 81 the current
- air. which De- tan to soil and moan ~ Il
WIS driven 10 and fro through the unseen
,ia-~ger by tbr rise AMI fall of the waves
trauk now paused. sitting down upon
Peg rock near ard extending his hands IN
order 10 aeniinint himself with the nhture
~ h,, immediate surroundings
lis HnBer- Ia, their search encountered
something be knew not what, but II
sepmpd 10 he u human foot incased In
shoe AZ the same time the horrible odor
Of putrefactinn greeted his nostrils II
took hit momeut for the hoy to assure
himself that his con lecture was true, and
an Involuntary cry burst from his lips.
Wrought up almost To madness he would
nave fled but for the mprisoning dark
ness
When with trembling fingers he sue.
ceeded In reightiug his candle be saw the
body OF a man lying before him, his feet
extending toward the saot where he snt
This man was dead His head was pill
lowed upon stone Beside him were the
remains OF burned ont candle, pick aud
a shovel The face was swollen aud dis
colored, aud dark spot that spread over
the floor beside him indicated that he had
died from some injury which had been at
NtUtlttl Win IiFhINNt tfHlbIFIstkt-
The dead man was we'll advanced In
years His hair was gray, vergiug to white.
His thin but muscular body was clothed In
threadbare garments, covered with dRrns
and patches lie presented every appear
ancc of extreme poverty.
/ Frank began 20 feel sense Of fellowship
with the unfortunate man who had TO all
appearances entered the cave on an errand
similar to his own, and for the moment
/ failed To discern the sinister lesson taught
/ by his CHASTITY discovery
Determined 10 know more Of his silent
neighbor. he proceeded TO examine his
pockets well filled purse, pocket
knife, small quantity Of tobacco and a
bunch Of keys rewarded his search
/ There was "A growing impression In the
mind Of the boy that he was about to I'm.
raye the mystery which had agitated and
perplexed the minds Of the good people Of
Rockport for the past two months.
Thus far he had discovered no clew TO
the identity of the dead man Jasper
Knrch he had never seen for this was his
first visit 20 Rockport since his mothers
removal when he was an infant n few
months old closer examination Of the
bunch Of keys brought 20 light small
brass check, which had engraved upon IL
the name of Jasper kaTch
So intense had been his interest In bis
search that Frank had forgotten every
thing but the mystery which was being re
solved under his hands When the flicker
ing light ~ the candle revealed the nam,
" the man for whose murder Jack Hast
ings was that day held responsible ut the
bar Of "a court Of justice. lac shouted aloud
his voice mingling with the strange sound.
that filled the cave
Il have found hint | have found him'
The sound OF his own voice recalled this
hoy to a sense ~ hts isolation, and raise,
the question with increased interest ~ /,
how he should effect his escape with thu
important information ne had so strangely
acquired
He could not grasp the matter III all IL
bearings, hut he felt that he held the kel
OF Jack Hastings prison cell Ia hts hands
lie looked down into the cave below
him II was filled with surging waters
He must whit until the tide fell Blu
when would that her He had been tol,
I that the sen rarely recedcd sufficiently 4
clear the mouth Of the cave Indeed, Il
remembered that il was matter OF com
mon report that for years the assure wa
! not seen at all II was then the mercst nc
, cident that enabled him and his unfnrtu
nate companion % enter at all lie knew
1 that, Ht best. the attempt was regarded a
So hazardous thar no living inhabitant 9
the village had ever undertaken 10 yisi
2 the cave
The horror Of the situation, intensitie
by the presence ~ the dead man, who Ia
among the shadows like an ciiigy carve
out 81 the rock burst upon the mind " I'll
young treasure hunter
As u last resort he Thought OF the aper
ture through which tho current II air flow
! ell, and had but little difficulty in indtn
I the place
2 Ills ligh; was cxtinsuished as he can
; before the opening, but lie was able TO "a
isfy himself TINT II WAS sufficiently G.
| paciuus to admit tie passage Of two h0di,
! as large as his own
Carefully placing In his pockets the art
cles taken from the body II the dead ma
he entered the opening and began his pc
: ilnus Journey
The creytee through which he Was craw
: Ing Frank found to he a natural drain {,
the surface above, leading M through Il
strata Ia most toriaons manner.
, The 10y had no means Of judging II
i flighr Of time hut days seemed 10 pa
a while he worked his way lahosinusly alon
q His hands We're torn and bleeding, h
l
rocks and his clothes hung about him
\ rags
Al The wind howled and whistied Hrout
lie him a. IL was drawn INTO the cave aud =
II PEELED again hy the waves
:, When hunger aud thirst Nude thrmsrly
y FELT he remembered the remains Of b
IL luncheon, AMI drawing il from his pock
le stresr IL EFT
ii Somewhat refreshed, Frank renewed i
snakelike eourst, feeling that flesh Al
n blood could hear hut little more
i Al last. 10 6i, iaeSpressinie Joy, a fat
IA light appeared IA the distance whleh J
c creased In volume and intensity a. he u
yaneed. until he beiIelj tine end Of q
ia passage aud the blue SIS BEYOND
Ia When the hoy nj length stood In {
Of upper world Of light aud liberty he knt
to not where hr WIS He was a: the hottd
Of natural caIdrou inelo-ed by a wall
OF rock and oyerarchca by the sky
al A. he stood there vaguely wpndert
IA xha. his next move would he "a loud shri
ID followed by Al grean aHd ending in peal
he demuniacal laughter broke upon hts ear
ly All, surely he rceosn led thai soundt
lis was Tue rush ~ the wind through |
n wHtercourse from which he bad u
ad emerged
Of rs. aud heard from without he knew
to be The NOISE which had given a spot l
of far from his uncles cabin the name of !
rs Devils Patch.
&C Guided by his discovery. the boy ella
n bertd over the edge % the eHldrun a
e saw neaf Al hand the dwellings Of
frfpsFtIz