The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1894-01-21
Copyright New York Musical Echo Co., 1893,

"'All the same, this shaft was cut by
human beings persisted Sharp. Look
here, man; here you can see where the
pickaxe, or Whatever the fellow had,
slipped. Sure's you're alive, somebody
that knew thing or two about mining
was once at work here, though l can't
say how long ago May be they were at
it when old Columbus landed in this coun-
try
" Harold here seemed to give in, and
leaning over the side of the well-like
thing, said in a sort of speculative tone
Wonder if there's any gold down there
yetl What do you say to one o. us goin'
down to seer
1--WE both assented, and Sharp volun-
teered TO be the one, but Harold stopped
him. No; Blank, here, had better go;
he's the Highest, and me and you, Sharp,
can haul him up
$50 ropes were united from about the
baggage and knitted into one long length,
and attached to my waist. AS l stepped
to the opening Harold caught me: You'd
better leave your belt, hadn't youl You
will be heavy enough without that extra
fifty pounds, and kick off your boots, too
$50, with the Jest that l thought
might trust the money with them, l put
of the belt and boots, and, with only my
knife in the band of my trousers, was
dropped over. had got within seven or
GlE NJ l5Cb VI bllC DObbOAl W hClA viz LOHS dAA
at once parted, and fell headlong into a
pool Of dirty water and mud.
"'What did you do that for2' 1 heard
Sharp cry, and Harold answered some
thing which did not hear, but Sharp
shouted again quite angrily: Pm not
going to kill and rob him in no such
way
Then Harold talked awhile, but still I
could hear nothing, though could i'm
agine the argument that was going on
above. / was actually on the trial for
my life. Would Sharp be firm in his
friendship for me, true to his manhood
But, even as asked myself this question
with a beating heart, there sounded from
above pistol shot, and | felt sharp
! sting in my shoulder, just below the col
| larbone Another and another came, one
| splintering the rock over my head and
| the other burying itself in the mud at the
| bottom. could make out ledge projec-
ting few feet out from the perpendicular
wall, and under this | ran for shelter
| from the murderous rain that was falling
! down that old shaft. Here / was safe,
and, after several more shots, there was
! silence, and the two villains must have
| gone on, thinking lay dead there, where
/ no man might bury me and where only a
withered skeleton might be found in fut-
ure years for some one TO marvel over for
a moment and then to leave.
1T had been late in the afternoon when
/ descended, but was already dark as
! could be down there, and even if | had
had anything with which to have kindled
light every match had had been de-
! stroyed by the water into which l had
fallen. walked round and round my
| prison, longing in vain for the torch, at
| least, that Sharp and the other rascal
were TO have lowered after me; but leav-
| ing my hat to mark my starting point, 1
felt my way about until l came back to il
and calculated that the shaft was five by
FIVE feet, But could discover no outlet
save that far above my head.
Then l reconnoitered to see what was
in the pit besides water, mud and me.
On one side away from the little pool
came across a heap of bones of various
animals, as near as l could judge, and
handling these ! discovered something
that sent the delicious iutoxication Of
hope once more thrilling through my
veins, and this was that while many Of
these bones were brittle with age and had
! long been bare there were others that
still had fragments of flesh hanging 70
! them in way as If some animal had
| eaten a meal here.
Reflection came then whispering that