Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1896-02-06

followed 1t for fifty PAGES or more,
holding the light in one hand and
some spare torches under her arm.
Suddenly the passage took n turn,
and there in the center Of a wonderful
place, such as she had never seen be-
fore, CLEANED the water which she had
risked her life to reach.
This water, though clear us crystal,
was not still, for once in every two sec
ondsa great bubble rose in the center OF
the pool to burst on its surface and send
ring of ripplcs to the rocky sides So
beautiful was this bubble, and SO regu-
lar its appearance, that for some min
utes Maya watched it, then, remember
ing that she had no time to spare, set
herself to get to the water, only to find
that she was confronted by new diff
Guilty, and one that but for her fore
sight might have proved insuperable.
The rock bank of the pool was so smooth
and sloped so stecply to the water that
1t was quite impossible for anyone to
keep footing on 1t.
The ancient had overcome the
trouble by means of n wooden stair.
case, as was evident from the places
followed in the rock to receive the up
rights. but this structure Ind lonr since
rotted AWAY Al the bend Of where
this staircase had stood n hole was
bored in the rock, doubtless to receive
n rome bv which the water hearers SIM
ported themselves while thev Allied
their iars and tbe sirht ~ tI;s hole
gave MAYA an idea
IJntyinp the cord which she bad
brought with her. she made 1t inst
through the hole. and having fixed the
torch into one of The spaces followed to
hold the timbers of the stairway. She
slid down the bank till she stood breast
high in the water For n minute or
more she remained thus drinking her
All and enioying The GOODNESS Of her
bath. then. first having takcn care to
remove the finder that was tied to it.
she slipped the water skin from her
shoulder. washed II out, filed and re-.
placed It
Next she draooed berselfu tho bonk
and NV tho l;rSt ~ n nav toreh stortod
for thc foo, NJ The sbnf. jIere MAYA
rested awh;le gatbcring IN hcr aner.
cios then she com,nenced tba ascent
Tbern vera tot Of tbs Matches for She
Ind connted them No she CANA d., down S
and now aeain she began IN CONT 81
tba+ sha r,;,rht i,nnrv her ~ nas;,;a ~
in the shaft Of which She could see
nothing because OF the intense dark.
ness. Before she had assembled fifty
stems she was dismnved to And feeling
nj WEAKNESS taking nossession ~ ber
which forced her TO pause awhile hang.
inc 10 the face Of the shaft Then she
went ON again. md with Ureat efYorts
reached the seycntv.i,fth stan
Then Il seemed that vnlce oa,lod
her and she STRUGGLED writh;ng for,.ard
like a wounded snake Xii darkness
closed in mon her mind e''
When Mava racovered fey m,rrtos
,otar cha fnnnd thot she wos T ,,,,, 49,,
the EDGE of the MI over whicI her lat
still hnno jnet,ntlv Che ronar,hosa u
all and With n little scream NJ terror
wriggled forward along tho Aoor Tber
s s, rose , 70 ner lee'' anu picking up her
.in ~ 'oue, crepu .oMuru 'ne entrance
ments and walked slowly toward The
I 'e"''hs '"e precious wafer win
he'
Meahwhlie' knowing nothing OF all
tms' ! also had been thinking. ] re-
memoercd now, when lay crushed be-
meath the rocks the senior had ven
tl1rpu his lie To S1 We mo Nnnu1I | not