Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1896-02-13
. very far awsy, and Hardrick states

of the rocks. twas evidently an Indian
token, representing a rattlesnal1e with
two heads. The entrance to "Ole Loon
ey cave" had this sign with others, and
Fardrick AYERS the idea struck him that
this might be another entrance to the
cave. He told his companion this, but
Kitsmiller thought it was impossible,
and declared his determination of GO
ing inside short distance. 1t has long
been tradition that the Looney cave
has an opening on the Elk river side
Of the mountain; Calling this to Kits
niiller's mind, Hardricle endeavored to
persuade him from entering the cave.
But Kitsmiller's blood was up, and
he started in. He tried to make the
dog follow him, but it ran away whin.
ing, and seemed frightened.
AS Kitsmiller started in that was the
last Hardrick saw of him until he and
the others found him Wednesday after
noon in the Gauley side of the mountain
in his changed condition. Hardrick
waited and waited for Kitsmiller to
come out, but there was no sign of him
his companion. He even mustered
enough courage to start in the cave
few feet. In describing his sensations
experienced in there he said:
'Along erbout 20 feet or more the
cave switched off sudden to the right
and wuz bigger. follered it, when [
began to feel sumthin' jest like ez if
it wuz tellin' me to come erlong. My
head growed dizzy, and 1 got so sick
I could hardly see. Ther wuz hissin'
sound, like ez # there were 100000
rattlers all rattljn' at wunst turned
aroun' with what strength wuz left
and stumbled out. / wuz sick for an
hour"
Bardrick waited until nightfall, and
then returned to the Kitsmiller cabin,
where he reported the affair to Mrs.
Kitsmiller, who was greatly worried.
Early the next morning Hardrick, with
Eph Cojar, Dave Duling and Pete Swad
ley, visited the Big Buck beds and the
entrance to the cave. The snow plainly
showed that Kitsmiller had not come
out, and two waited all day while Dull
ing and Cojar crossed the mountain
and went to the entrance of cole
Looney cave" itself, but there were no
footsteps leading out of it, and they
returned to the Big Buck beds. Not
one of them could be induced, after
the experience of Hardrick, to 60 inside
the mouth of the cave, and that night
they all returned to the Kitsmiller
cabin, where by this time the family
had become terribly alarmed. Mrs.
Kitsmiller grew hysterical, and it was
with difficulty that she was restrained
from going out and trying to find her
husband. .. .... ."...... ..
3 All night the party sat by the hem-
lock wood fire in the cabin, listening
to the wind in the pines alcng Elk river,
and trying to quiet the grief of the
wife and children.
"Ill bring Hanse back all right to-
morrow, SIS" Hardrick said to the
weeping woman in the little cabin.
Hes all right, and it pears ez eff he's
jest playin' trick on us. Eff / don't
bring him back tomorrow yer needn't
never claim me fer yer brother, and
don't want yer ter speak ter me no
more"
And the little chaps" as the chill
| dren are called in humble mountain
| phrase, were comforted and went to
sleep, while even the mother managed
to snatch little rest until the dawn
broke through the small rough panes
of glass in the cabin windows.
The party at the cabin next morn
ing added to by seven others, who came
from the village and nearby cabins,
held a consultation as to what course
to pursue. They finally decided to
split up, half going to the Big Buck
beds, and the other half to the entrance
of "Ole Looney cave" Hendrick was
in this party. 1t crossed the Panther
knob, went down Piney ridge until
the river was reached, and followed
| it until the mouth of the cave was
sighted, black against the perpendicu-
lar cliff of the mountain side, with
the dead bush and brush in front of it.
To their surprise, when they reached
it, they found tracks coming out of
it. This surprise was increased when
they found they were those of q man,
and Kitsmiller's beyond doubt. He
had worn a pair of home made mecca
sins, and the peculiar-shaped tracks
made by these were plainly visible in
the snow which had not been disturbed
at the place since it had fallen. The
tracks were run together, crossed and
recrossed on one another, as if the per-
son making them had been drunk or
crazy, and the mountaineers looked at
one another, nodded their heads, and
pitied the mans wife and children.
They followed the footprints, which
led up the river, showing uncertain in
the snow, as if one making them had
wandered along in a rambling. unde
termined manner.
1t was shortly after noon when they
met with the object of their search
He was heard singing the refrain of q
mountain song around bend in the
river before they saw him, and the
way in which it was rendered con
firmed suspicious. 1t was Kitsmiller
but he might as well have been a wilt
beast. When the party reached him hi
was backed up against point in the
cliff, with the broken-off stock of hi: