Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1896-11-27
AN INVISIBLE THIN

Somo years ago, in company with
Captain Hill of the Union army. de.
termin-d TO take a trip through the
northwestern part Of South America and
spend few months in visiting the
country where dozen volcanoes may
| be seen at one time.
We visited Chimborazo, Cotopaxi,
Pinchincha and Others and then went
ON TO see the wonderful lava bed of Cay
ambi, 10 miles long and at least 800
feet deep.
While at the latter place we learned
of an old monastery which, so tradition
has it, was deserted at the eruption Of
Cayambi in 1891. We determined 70 see
il. 1t lies way up the mountain side,
IA, 900 feet above sea level, and was &c
eessible only by the most tortuous OF
bride paths it had ever been my fortune
TO travel over However with the as
sistance of n guide secured at the small
mountain village at which we were
staying, the ascent was successfully
made.
At the close of the second day our
tired mules turned the last bend IN the
steep mountain path, and there before
US lay the ruins of the old convent TO
ward which we had been climbing for
two days, hardly distinguishable from
the rough and rugged cliffs and roch
heaps appearing on every hand.
We dismounted and sent the guide
forward with the beasts and luggage.
! When we reached the convent gate, the
! guide was talking 20 an old man. who
at once made IL place for us. The old
fellow was bent and wrinkled, the skin
of his face looking like an old piece of
crumpled parchment which had been
put aside after fruitlcss attempt 10
smooth it out He must have been at
least 100 years old.
We asked if we might spend the night
there, after telling him the object with
which the journey had been made.
From his reply we made ont that no
one had lived III the convent for nearly
200 years, but that about 20 years be-
fore party of travellers had visited
there and had remained few weeks
sketching and hunting, and that they
had occupied the rooms at the south
|
than the others. All the rooms had long
! since become roofiess except these, which
were directly underneath the low tower
On our signifying our willingness to
be shown the rooms in the old convent
the old man went into his hut and
brought out "a rude wax taper and with
out a word led the way TO the north end
of the ruin, where | made out "a massive
black door which opened inward. En-
tering, he lighted his primitive candle,
turned TO the left and led the way down
stone foored corridor which the cob
webs made almost impossible.
AT last our pilot came TO "a standstill
at the last doorway, the door, remark
ably well preserved, standing half open.
AS we entered, a monster bat whisked
by my head, then another and another.
Doubtless they bad been interrupted In
their nocturnal forage.
Inside the little room there was a
rude rustic cot frame made Of poles
with the bark still on-the only furni-
ture of any description. The window
"A small square hole, was closed with
iron bars almost'rusted away. Instead
Of panes of glass the spiders had substi-
tuted network which almost shut out
the stars
Communicating with this cell by
means of a short passageway, nearly
closed up with rubbish was another
room differing in no essential point
from the first, except, perhaps, that 1t
was if possible, more dusty and cob
webby.
We informed the old man that we
would spend the night in these old
rooms. He looked at us a moment as if
astoniShed; then shook his head and
muttered something which l took to
mean God keep you safe " He set tho
candle down on the floor and left US TO
ourselves
We lit our cigars and sat down on the
pile of blankets, ETC., which we had
brought in with us and carried into the
inner room, and entered into conversa-
ton. But "a strange perversitv domi
mated the current of our thoughts Tn
sensibly we yielded TO the occult force
that Swayed us and INDUCED in gloomy
speculation.
After some time spent in this sort Of
conversation we retired TO rest, the cap
tain going out into the outer room and
l remaining where l was. after an I'M
successful attempt to remove the cot
frame from the inner room 10 the outer.
| spread my blankets on the cot frame
and closed the door Of my cell, which
creaked on its old rusty hinges with
noise uncarthly. II would not entirely
close, SO | worked il back and forth un.
til all the rust dropped off and it shut
quite easily, making scarcely sound
shot the bolt, taking no notice in the
feeble light whether or not there was
hoop 10 receive it,
For time felt much easier that tho
door was fast and lay down and drew
che blankets up around me- l had Just