Owingsville outlook. [volume] (Owingsville, Ky.) 1879-192?, 1896-04-16
HEART OF THE WORLD.
BY II. RIDER HAooARp.
4 ssrs.ee ssssy, fskss Fro. . Manuscript De-
sscsfhet b. N 0ld Aexican Indian 10 Els
FriesS and Cearade, an English
naa Named Jose&.
Copyrighted. ia bv Il Rider Hasg.rd.
CHATTER xu-ooSTrSuEp


Maya halted on the brink 10 strip her
possible TO impede her movements in
climbing the stair, and twisted her
hair into q knot Next she tied the
cord about her middle and the water
skin, TO which she fastened the flint
and steel, upon her shoulders. Light
ing two Of the largest torches she fixed
them slantingwise In crevices of the
rock, so that their flames 'shone over
the mouth of the shaft, down which she
threw, first q bundle of unlit torches,
and lastly one on FIRE. This torch did
not go out, as she bad expected that il
would, for presently looking down the
pit she saw q spark of light shining
one hundred and fifty feet or more be-
meath her.
Now all her preparations were CON-
plete, and nothing remained to be done
except 20 descend and search for the
water.
By the time that she was a third of
the way down the shaft her courage re-
Gar ned TO her, and the only fear she
80 was lest some of the inches should
yAsRroken. Fortunately this was not
- although one of them was so
-. tbat her toes slipped out of
rQ second or two she hung by
her nL- To- Recovering herself, she
went on from step to step TIL at length
she stood at the bottom of the shaft.
After q few minutes pause to get her
breath, Maya found one of the dry aloe
stems and lii II at the embers of the
torch, which she had thrown down the
pit. Then she looked round her to find
herself In q large. natural cavern of nc
great height, which sloped gently
downward furthe: than she could see.
Turning her eyes to the floor she
searched for and found the pats that
Lad been followed out by the feet of
the ancicnfs, but now wss half hidden
In sand and dust
II ran straight down the cave and she
followed IL for fifty PAGES or more,
holding the light in one hand and
some spare torches under her arm.
Suddenly the passage took . turn,
and there In the center of q wonderful
place, such rs she had never seen be-
fore, CLEANED the water which she had
risl<ed her life to reach.
This water. though clear as crystal,
was not still, for once In every two sec.
ondss great bubble rose in the center Of
the pool to burst on it's surface and send
= lux Vi IlRfttIr W tnC IO(hl ctatc- ~
beautiful was this bubble, and so regu-
lar its appearance, that for some min.
utes Maya watched II, then, remember.
ing that she had no time to spare, set
herself to get 70 the water, only to find
that she was confronted by q 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 rteeply TO the water that
81 was quite impossible for anyone to
keep footing on IL.
The ancient had overcome the
trouble by means OF . wooden stair
case, ~ was evident from the places
followed In the rock to receive the up
rights, but this structure had long since
rotted away. At the head of where
this staircase had stood q hole was
bored In the rock, doubtless to receive
. rope by which the water bearers sup
ported themselves while they filled
their -jars, and the sight of this hole
gave Maya an idea
Untying the cord which she had
brought with her, she made Il fast
through the hole, and having fixed the
torch into ore of the spaces followed e
hold the timbers of the stairway, she
elid down the bank TIL she stood breast
hteh in the water. For q minute Oh
more she remained thus drinking hel
ga and enjoying the GOODNESS OF he,
bn4h, then, first having taken care te
romove the finder that was tied to It
she slipped the water skin from her
shoulder. washed 1t out. filed and re
placed It.
Next she dragged herself up the bank
and by the light of new torch started
lor The foot Of the shaft. Here Mays
re1ted awhile, gathering mp her euer
gice. then she commenced the ascent.
There were l01 Of the notches. for sh,
hnd counted them as she came down
and now again she began to count 81
ttn4 she might know her exact position
- the shaft. Of which she could sc,
nofhing because Of the intense DARK
nemL Before she had assembled fft,
sep she was damaged to find q feeling
Il veariness taking possession Of her
Inx 70 the face Of the shaft Then shl
wsut on again, and with great effort
4 roochod the seventy-ffth step.
Thea Il seemed that q voice calle,
1uor, and she struggled ,writhing forwar'
HE . wounded snake, TIL darkness
G3oncd In upon her mind.
1IZA 1AA|8 tGI0*CAS4 - low AuAhatC
1n1er abe found that she was lying upol
~ edge Of the pit, over which her fee
n6nl hang. Instantly she remembers
- 80 with little scream of terro
VElEE1sd forward along the floor. The
- ~ 70 her feet, and picking up he
Nnon ma, crept toward the entranc
- ~ onVo. where she put on her gar
1rrn1s 81 walked slowly toward th
- tan<ing the precious water wit
oenuhile, knowing nothing Of a
~. 1 alpo he'd been thinking. n
- rp1 bow, when lay crushed b
800 ~ ro6l<s, the senior had yer
~ ~ 70 ave ne. Should no!
- olDs 70 save hisf