St. Landry democrat., 1893-01-14
SPIRITED AWAY.
BY J. A. BOLLES.

BY j. A. BoLLEs.
The inhabitants or Albuquerque, New
Mexico, had become greatly excited on
account of series of daring robbelies
that had been perpctrated in their midst.
The principal dry goods store had been
broken into and five hundred dollars
worth of silks taken from the shelves
and two hundred dollars in specie and in
bills stolen from the safe; the post office
had been robbed; and even the vault of
bank had been blown open, and not
less than twenty thousand dollars in
money and forty thousand dollars in cou-
pom 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 for the
planning Of their robberies could be OBJ
tanned.
Alarming as was the continuation of
the robberies, it was surpassed by an &C.
currence that proved to be the culmina-
ton 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 had been borne from the
house and spirited away.
Helen had lover named Malcolm Mac
Donald, shrewd young lawyer, who
was confident that the headquarters Of
the kidnappers were in the crater of
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 recesscs, and
was not adapted to purposes of conceal
ment or defence. But suffice it 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 to
search for her captors among the lava
beds Five of his friends, all of them
stouted hearted and adventurous young
fellows, agreed to aid him. Armed to
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 Il trustworthy
ranchman, and with watchful eyes
walked toward their destination.
The lava beds were several acres in cN
tent, and were in the shape of low and
broken cone, the top of which was hol-
lowed out so as to resemble huge bowl.
The latter was all that remained of the
Crater of an extinct volcano, and so long
u 'ssSS' So iaauenees been at work
Z. ssaTablEa fallen
The Yong : Z nj rlfles =
readiness in case of an attack, descesfhd1serh
into the great bowl and advanced until
they came to the mouth of the cave, The
opening was large enough, and from it
good-slzed passage wound downward a
distance of ten feet to the cave. which
was about rod long and shaped like a
rlght-angled triangle. The adventures
satisfied themselves by cautious cx-
ploration that the robbers were not in
the cavity. A little later, while. torch
IN hand, they were examining the bottom
OF the hollow, they discovered q square
section of the lava floor which was
slightly separated from the surrounding
lava. The excited men pounded on the
slab of lava until they broke it sufficient
ly to enable them to grasp the pieces and
remove them. A deep hole was re-
vealed, except where narrow shelves ex-
tending on four sides had served to sup
port the edges of the block. 1t was
probable that the party was at the en-
trance OF the hiding place of the robbers,
at the mouth of second cave lying be.
meath the one they were in. The suppo-
sltlon was that one of the robbers had
accidentally broken through the floor of
me hrst cave at a point where it was
hin, and had thus discovered the en-
rance to the second cavern. It was
urther surmised that in order to keen
heir valuable discovery a secret the out
avs had Immediately cut block of lava
rom the extensive beds outside of the
ave and had fitted it above the hole in
ne manner already described.
macdonald determined to make tn
iescent OF the shelving sides of the hole
1e argued that the robbers were I'm
!oubtedly asleep at that hour. and that
ne chance of coming upon them before
eachlng the main cave was small. See
1g that they could not dissuadc him.
nd admlring his boldness, the Young
len discontinued their oh icctions: and :
tier they did assured him that thew
ould defend him should he come forth
ursued, and would revenge his death r
lonld he be killed, they babe him god
'eed as he entered the cavity. He was +
med with long hunting knife and 6
ace Of pistols, and carried in his hand =
dark lantern. Closing the slide of the :,
ntern so as to conceal the light he =
ept In darkness down the passage. At ~
IT ne stood upright and moved on a y
vel. He was in the cave. The sound II
washing waters came to his startled 6,
rs, and he inferred that he stood upon A.
edge OF subterranean lake. After r.
nslderable hesitation he ventured to b,
m on the light. A weird spectacle was q
ssented to his view. Above was the No
u OF the cave, composed of shaggy
o. from which small rocks protruded f.,
much OF themselves that it seemed as ~
'ney might fall at any moment. The Oh Oh
es OF the cavern were equally rouob u.
with the exception of the shelf Of ~
q on winch Macdonald stood the bot ae
OF the cave was covered with co