The Maryville times. (Maryville, Tenn.) 1884-1944, 1896-05-21
THE EAR or rlIE MOUNTAIN.

Ringbrand began the new day with
drink of water scooped up by hand
fuis from the pool in the crevice, and
then walked the length.of the cavern to
get glimpse of the sky. just beneath
the well-like opening he stumbled upon
small package wrapped in piece of
dirty paper. Opening it eagerly, as a
message from the outer world, he felt
like shouting upon finding that it con-
tanned a substantial meal of corn PONIES
and fried bacon. Hunger knows no
ceremony. and, so it be sharp enough,
has little regard for the quality and no
curiosity as to the source of that which
appeases its cravings. Ringbrand ate
ravenously and with the keen relish of
one who has labored fasting, but he was
thoughtful enough to save a portion of
the bread and meat for greater necessi-
ties, wrapping it carefully in the paper
and concealing it in niche in the rock.
Goodness knows where that came
FROM" he said, land goodness knows
when III get any more; therefore it
BELTS me to hoard it. I'll never be
afraid of making things too opportune
in story after this; nothing short of
a miracle could have been more timely
than this unaccountable breakfast.
And it asks for more guessing. Who
brought it? Who knows I'm here?
Clearly, no one but these murderous
Bynums. And why should they feed a
dead man? All, have it! it's the wom-
an-she knows I'm in here, and she
doesn't know the rest. And If that's
the explanation, l must. have been
wrong in my reckoning; the hammer
ing yesterday was in the McNabb tun-
mel, and that crack is the place where I
lost the pick; I'll take another look
and see if l can't find it,
Looking" for the implement in ques-
lion was mere figure of speech, since
The critical search was prosecuted
wholly through the sense of touch, pro-
jected into the end of divining rod
made of bits Of twigs splced together
by threads taken from the rope. 1t
was trial of patience, but patience
was rewarded in the end, us it usually
is; and when he had succeeded in locat-
ing the coveted object he set about de-
vis,ng some means of securing it. The
rope solved this problem, but no wild
horse of the prairies was ever harder
to lasso than was the inanimatc com.
-bination of wood and steel lying quietly
at the bottom of the assure. As in the
former case, however, patient effort
finally conquered, though the after
noon shadows were filing the cavern
with. warnings of the approach of night
before Ringbrand had added the picl
TO his available resources. He had
thought ofino definite plan for using il
in the struggle for freedom, hut the
first suggestion was that he might now
Jbe able to cut series of steps up the
wall like those in the adjoining cham
Der. A short half hour of arduous tot
convinced him of the futility of this
hope, and he stopped to rest his weary
arms. lNal isif {4l0t Al filtN
"Thats no co." he said, examining
The rude notch hewn out with such in
finite labor; Pm not a stonecutter
whatever else may be; and dull picl
isn't a mallet and chisel, by long odds
If that's the best can do with a goot
foothold and both hands to work with
il says itself that l couldn't dig out O
here in a week. / wonder if couldn't