The state herald. (Holyoke, Logan County, Colo.) 1887-1921, 1893-08-11

fooltn' we-uneP ne cried, smoking
Ills fist at the amazed and bewildered
revivalist. who hid risen to . sitting
posture.
..String him up!' cried o voice.
"Put er bullet through himr'
shouted another
The reyivalist lsapsd 10 his feet.
"FrlendE," he cried, ..t'you are mis-.
taken! l am no impostor.' There
has been given to me more than NOR
tai power for the salvation Of souls
I command the forces OF nature.
Not only can / break tho silence Of
heaven and he'll. but I eau make the
Very rocks sing the praises Of God"
hYdu lie!" cried Lem Wissell.
,,Blasphemer!'' exclaimed
The rsvivalist turned d look Of
whitening hatred, mingled with stil-
len appeal, upon me. "Comc," lie
cried; II VIII prove ii Come with
me among the rocks ! will make
them sing Gods praises for you"
i.HS sprang up the narrow patli
and the crowd followed him ] Won't
along with them, less out Of curiosity
to see what the man would do
though was not entirely devoid Of
that-than, to soc that he did not es-
cape. He lod us across the plstear'
where the village cows were pastured,
to the edge OF tho limestone piecl-
pice beyond. Terraced out-croppings
Of tho SAME pink.tinted stone broke
the surface Of the plateau .irto ridges
and hollows Advancing to the facd
OF one Of these great walls Of stone,
not more than thirty yards from tho
edge Of tho clin. tho revivalist
struck It with birch stick which
no had picked up on the way.
"Sing. Oh, rock. in Gods namew
he Dried. loudly, then turned to us
and raised his hand to command
silence.
An intense hush fell over the
crowd. Then was faiitly But dis
tinctly hoard. like tho majestic tone
Of an organ. q SOUND Of music, issd-
ing apparently from the ground at
the base OF the rock was never more
astounded in my life. It could not
be due to ventriloquisni, Tor no
human voice could produce all tho
harmonies. the sustained depth and
grandeur OF that orgsn-tone.
Furthermore, could distinctly feel a
slight vibration Of the ground be.
meath my feet as the music swellcd
and deepened. The revivalist fixed
his eyes upon mo with look OF OK
ultant triumph. What say you
now?" he cried to the people. "Am
/ an impostor or noP'
A deep. pcrplexed silence was the
only reply.
For fully fifteen minutes We stood
there listening to the grand and mys-
FERROUS music in that lonely spot I'm
dor tho sky. Then II suddenly
ceased and we turned back to tho VII
lage, some more than ever tho dupcs
OF this remarkable charlatan and one,
ut least. reluctantly confessing that
there are moro mysteries under
heaven than can be explained in our
philosophers"
Thirty years afterward found my
self again In the vicinity OF Milmont
and having Il day or two to spare I
determined to visit the place for cur
iosity's sake and sec how some OF tho
old time rcvivalist's miraculously
made converts stood the wear and
tear OF life. found that many OF
them had already crossed the dark
river. but OF those who remained few
remembered tho shaggy ventrilo-
quist and none seemed 10 havs any
recollection Of the fact that they had
onco boon converted.
took walk up to tho plateau
where stood tho mysterious singing
rock. Everything looked precisely
rs II did more than quarter Of a
century before. Vonturing nearer
tho edge OF the cliff than q man In
his senses ought TO havo done. my
weight broke Of AN ovcrhanging pro-
lection Of crumbling. moss covered
stone and In an instant was hurled
over the brink. l thought my day
OF reckoning had como. but about
forty feet down tho prccipicc fell
into the branches OF n stout dwarf
Pine. growing diagonally out from u
ledge that was hidden by the projcc-
tlon OF the rock above. I flung my
arms about tho trunk Of tho tree
with q grip Of desperation and ns
soon rs my senses were sufficiently
recovered made my way down care
fully to the ledge. Hero ] was as
tonishcd to find small opening In
tho face OF tho cliH. about largo
enough TO ndmit mans body.
Crawling through II found myself
In lofty cave, whose Interior was
dimly illuminated by fcw pencils OF
light from crcviccs In Its rocky roof
By this timc was prepared for al.
most any kind OF surprise. but Judge
OF my astonishmcnt when ! bchcld.
rising against the farther wall OF tho
cave, n large organ! Its pipes were
furnished and rustcd. Its case wat
ro,ting. its pedals had dropped from
their slots. and It's keys wcro black
with age and wcathcr-stnin. But q
these things mt first ! paid little
hood. for my eyes were fastened upon
u more grucsomc sight. Seated upon
tho organ'bcnch was u skeleton
figure. His head and breast had
fallen forward upon tho bank o.
keys. and his fingers still rested or
the lowe. keyboard. as they had
rested when his soul fed from hi,
wasted body ON tho wings Of music.
II was twcnty.four hours before
they came In search Of mo from the
vlllngc-n day In my iIfo never TO be
forgotten. Tho soarchcrs found the
place whore I had fallen over the
cliT. and though thoy could not sec
tho ledge whorv stood. thoy heard
my cries for help. and dropped q
rope into tho branches Of the pin,
trcc. ] climbed up II. and making
II fast about my waist. was drawn up.
A. soon rs foit able 10 speak
asked tho villagers II they Ind cvci
heard Of the hermit In tho cave.
a a a..