Bennington semi-weekly banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 1894-1902, 1895-05-03

for many days afterward, but found no
trace of entrance to the regions beneath.
And then took to ponchcr prowlings by
night, but many II weary black hour pass
ed before moon threw the pixies shadow
on the waterfall.
Yet at last a chance was given me- The
night was windy and full of noise; cold
besides, and clouds were riding in the
heavens at racing pace. The walk was
long and rough one, and sat down I'M
der the Ice of n rock to wait. AT times the
ring of the moon glarcd out with crisp dis
tinctncss, crawling along low in the sky
below the Wild Bears haunch. Moro often
the drift of cloud banks eclipsed it, Then
in its creeping progress it drew behind the
upward slope of the Bears back, and l
lost sight of it altogether. knew only Of
it's presence from now and then a reflected
glow from an upper stratum. But as it
drew ahead fan of light stole out from
the vertical wall of the pike and spread
up the valley and as the moon swept on
the edge of this light fan drifted backward
down the valley driving the black swathe
of shadow before it,
At last the creeping shadow of the pike,
with the first moon ray on its heels swung
into the little gorge of the waterfall, and
the valley floor was ruled in half by
clean line of inky black. l glanced up.
One of the jagged stone monuments"
was brilliant in moonlight. The other
bristlcd through the gloom behind me like
some great uncOuth beast. l was stand
ing in the direct line between the two.
The mark of the shadow cut this not
score of yards from my feet in the center
of a patch of ooZy green.
A cloud drifted over the moon then, and
the moorland was filled with cold, rus
Ting gloom. But l had learned enough to
find out if old Chaucer d'Evlin's words
were true. 1 had marked down the spot
and ran to it, with the dark bog water
squelching over my boots But in the
middle of the patch the water drained
away; and, listening, l could hear sill
very tinkle which came to my ears be-
tween the gusts of the gale
With growing excitement, l tore the
moss away eager handed. Beneath was
wet, shining rock, cleft with 2 foot cash
that was floorod with pebbles. Dropping
down upon these, away from the draft of
the gale, lit my lantern and found before
me gallery, sloping gently downward
with the strata. 1t was partly earth 1is-
sure partly water worm and it led me
along for 40 yards. Then l stopped and
saw before me evidence Of those who had
been before.
In the rock floor was u shaft, flutcd and
smOOthcd, descending vertically downward
toward knew not what abysscs. 1t was
a formation common enough in limestone
and known as pot
Across the mouth of this was new cut
beam laid, and from the beam depended n
knottcd rope which hung lankly and wet
ly down till my lanterns glow could trace
it no farther in the heavy darkness Down
that rope Godcfroy Dcvlin had met his fate.
Down other similar ropes three of his fore
bears had preceded him into eternity
Shall l be written coward if l confess
that, standing there in that still, black
silence, heavy chill came over me as l
ga2ed downward which not even the cold
of the cave would account for?
Now it seemed to me that if waited my
courage would ooze still further away. So
l made a dash at the attempt with all the
blind haste of fright. / had with me u
rope and tied that fast to the beam along
side tho lnottcd rope of Godcfroy Devlin,
Watching with q shuddcr, the snaky coils
as they disappeared in the blackness Of
the pot. Then | seized the two. l had de-
seconded two man lengths when l rcmcm-
bcrcd the light. In my hurry and scare l
had left it behind. Ascending once more,
l tied it to my neck, but, finding it incon-
venient there slung it by a string round
my ankle The change saved my life.
Fathom after fathom l descended, the
smooth stone sides of the shaft keeping
their precise distancc-and then vague
drcamincss crcpt over mc--and the candle
in the lantern burned dimmcr-ard drew
nearer toward slccp-and then the candle
went out.
The loss of light reused me- l stopped
my descent, sagging the twin ropes back
and forward like man of lead. My hands
weighed tons; my feet and head hundreds
of tons. Instinctivcly hauled myself up
ward again, with perlous slowness at first,
faster aftcrward, with the speed of terror
when nearing the top.
did not faint when my feet were once
moro on the solid rock. should have been
happier if ! had done, for, as it was, my
heart was like to have burst an alley
through my ribs Heavy poisonous gas
carbon diOXidc-lay in n layer at tho
bottom of the shaft. If it had not been
for the warning lantern, I should have de-
seconded among it and dropped into death,
even as had done those four others who
preceded me.
You can be sure was fit for little else
that night besides lettering homeward as
best l was able, and thought never to
visit the horrid spot again. But a day or
two's rest changed this view, and trans
ported to the moor small rotary blower
from portable blacksmith's forge and a
long length of rubber tubing, and exor-
cised the heavy gas from below till a can
die would burn there as clearly as it would
in the open. Then descended again, and
instead Of the few shattered bones and 9TH
or poor relics of humanity which expect
ed to find saw as wonderful sight as
mans eyes have fallen on through all the
ages. Water fell in small spray from all
around, and the lime in it had been de-
posted on the bodies of the four Devlins
who had fallen there. Decay had never
commenced. The shell of stone had begun
to grow from the very moment of their ar
rival The undcrmost man was n shape
less heap. The next was but vague out
line, OF the third l could but make out
that he had once been human, nothing
more. But the last conner had fallen on
his back resting against this ghostly pile,
md the thin layer of stone which crusted
him was transparent as glass l could
trace every fiber of his clothes; every line
r,fl Ii.