Tazewell Republican. [volume] (Tazewell, Va.) 1892-1919, 1897-05-13

with explosives up a dangerous ascent
in the darkness prompted me more
strongly to leave him where he was
however, and I contented myself with
slipping down to him and ascertain
ing that he was securely tied.
The atmosphere had been very heavy
and sult4y all the afternoon. and | was
not surprised to see the heavens giving
every Indication of storm before md
night, which augured i'll for the securi-
ty of our position, as it would enable
the Apaches to scale the mound with
but little danger of detection.
The advent of the tempest WAS soon
after heralded by vivid flash that
illuminated the basin beneath as
though an enormous arc light had sud
denly been turned upon it, followed
by a chorus of reverberations that
voiced the intentions of the murly
heavens. I took advantage of the light
to search the ground beneath nc, and
I was sure that I detected several dark
figures about midway of the slope.
In q few minutes the rain began to
descend in q saturating torrent that
resembled a. miniature cloudburst, and
the side of the crater was converted
into watershed, down which innumer-
able tiny streams trickled to the lake
below. Flashes Of lightning of daz-
cling brilliancy were followed by crash
ing peals of thunder that seemed to
shake the universe, while the impact
of the raindrops on the lale resembled
the steady roar of some mighty cat
araot.
Suddenly that intuitive consciousness
as certain as ocular knowledge itself
of the presence of some other human
being near me warned me to be on my
guard. Rising slowly to my feet, /
waited for the next flash rs double
medium of enlightenment.
1t came, and with it a singing pain in
my shoulder and the bear-like hug OF
q pair of sinewy arms about my body
that told only too plainly the nature of
the crisis.
Instantly recovering from the eff
fects of the knife thrust and the sur
prise, made a. mighty effort that freed
me from the grasp of my y. and,
springipg backward, I grasped my
heavy rife by the barrel and endeav-
ored to beat him to the earth with it.
Round and round we circled in the
darkness, the constantly recurring
flashes revealing to me the denounced
visage of bruwny Apache brave as
he danced just without the deadly
sweep of the gun. The blood was flow
ing from the wound in my shoulder,
and q creeping numbness began to in
wade my entire body, warning me that
my powers of defense were rapidly
waning.
Suddenly volume of light seemed
to leap out of the heart of the little
lake at the bottom of the funnel-shaped
hole: the mass of lava beneath my feet
trembled and shook as though stirred
by an earthquake. all accompanied by
deafening roar that flushed even the
tumult of the storm. l was hurled to
the ground as though Frustrated by
the hand of a giant, my head coming
into violent contact with lump of lava
in the fail, which deprived me of con-
seriousness.
When my senses returned another
day had dawned, and found myself the
center of an anxious group, from which
none seemed to be lacking. was
lying beside the little spring, and from
the surfeit of moisture in my hair l
concluded that some of it's product had
been recently applied to my aching
Uranium.
We've been waiting for you to wake
up, so you could help US to hunt up the
fragments of old Barney" said Hin
man, as Iopened my eyes.
"Where al, the Apaches?" 1 asked.
Gone! The evil spirit, in the shape
of our blasting outfit, spit thunder an
lightnin' at 'em, an they pulled it. for
the hills as fast as their ponies could
travel"
AS nearly as we could ascertain the
facts the FESTIVE Barney had at last
broken the rope with which he was teth-
cred, and, in endeavoring to ascend or
descend the crater, had missed his foot
ing and been precipitated down the
slope, exploding his load in the fall
just in time to save me from the knife
Of the Apache.
The knife wound in my shoulder soon
healed, but I never see the-scar with
out being reminded how OPPORTUNITY
the spirit of the crater spoke to pre-
serve me from more deadly applica-
ton of the steel-Frank Leslie's Week