The Pioche weekly record. [volume] (Pioche, Nev.) 1877-1900, 1894-09-13
A RACE FOR LIFE.

Talking about hairbreadth escapes
and looking over the back fence into
eternity, said the man from Kentucky,
when the applause which had followed
the Arkansas drummer's bear story had
subsidized Well, it didn't turn my hair
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 mile of this very spot in which
we now sit. Such is the fact, however.
What l am going to tell you happened
away back in the sixties. was just
grown up, as straight and tough as a
hickory sapling.
We lived at the base of considerable
hill which rose toward the east and
stretched it's narrow ridge onward for d
mile or two. Not 200 yards from our
door old Isaac johnson built a modest
cabin and brought his family down from.
Illinois. Dudley, their only boy, was
just about my age, although not ell
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 our
rifles.
1t was near the end of May, remem'
Der. had been idle for some weeks,
and idleness, you know, just at that sea
son, breeds restlessness in superabun-
dance
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 l found numerous sinks
from which gurgling brooks usually
burst, or from which the warm breath
the internal caverns foated up like tn'
smoke from some mountain wigwam.
soon confided my conjecture to Duo
johnson. We talked the matter owe
and decided that on the following da.
we would begin a series of systemat;
explorations. The succeeding day. whicl
was bright and clear, though UNUSUAL,
warm, found us setting out with al
the necessary paraphernalia-candles
matches, rope, etc. We had poke
around in every crack and Granny, an
near noon, having lost all hope, wa
about to call to bud, who had wandere
off up into little skirt of wood, when
faint shout reached my ears. hurrie
off in the direction whence the volc
seemed to come, and was soon stano
ing on the brink of what appeared to b
the mouth of our much sought afte
cavern.
Away down in the bowels of the cart
could see the yellow flare of buds cal
die and family discern his outline as
bent forward, peering out into the darl
ness before him. The descent to his p'
sition was easy, and filled with JOY | WI
soon beside him. The sweet dampnes
the sepulchral stiffness and the col
stantly trickling drops that fell from tt
beaded ceiling thrilled me with strant
delight. We soon scrambled down fro
the precipitous ledge on which we stot
and began to grope forward, our candl
Pickering titfully, as If in danger OF .
ing blown out at every step.
We had not proceeded twenty pace
however, in the black winged darknet
when we came upon solid adamanti
wall barring our way and seeming
ending our journey. However, ait
looking around for some time, we
cided that we could pass under the
struction just over the brook, viii
flowed serenely from beneath Its III
breast. The place was very mario
and to accomplish this resolve we h
to get down on our hands and knees
the water. We didn't mind that son
how, and were soon elated to find o.
selves in an opening as large as II
larger than the first chamber that
entered, although not nearly so mi
From-this room we pressed on throu
smaller aperture, which gradually
sumed the proportion of a passage, q
gerous with jutting rocks and dubi
WindipRs,