The times., 1898-01-16
IN FRONTENAC CAVE
As Told by One Who Was There, and
Edited by Hayden Carruth.
CONTINUED from last sunday.)

and | thought he was not far from
ready to fall to again and see VINO
should go down the pit
II didn't mean o'fense, capn-that
what I didn't" broke out the man. Il
know you now-you're Cap'n ArchWaF'
which used to be master OF the New
Madrid | know you, capn. When
Gil Dauphin run on the river he never
meant no o'fense to the cap H. never
nor the mate, neither.
..You knew it wouldn't be well lof
you if YOU did. Why didn't you keep on
leading an honest life?" The captain
saf down on stone by the pillar Nhlle
the man stood before him and i held
the torch at one side.
Bad luck, cap'n; bad luck L conidh
with my luck g..
You couldn't with your appeei'e ioi
whisky you mean.
.,Cap'n." said the man, gianclnS at
me and then edging step nearer,
.'Cap'n. Gil Dauphin means wen pS YOU
and by everybody barring Ike London:
Cam. it's cold in this here cave, ana
amt none too well and hearty You
Amt got a drop about you at YOU
could give a feller, i s'pose, now,
.No, / haven't: and if 1 had l
shouldn't give it TO you. Where's the
rest of the gang?
He drew a long breath, as IL deepls
disappointed, and said, over at 'he
Fort / reckon
WHY aren't you there
cam" he said, sinking down on ms
knees in the sand, you know thaV 1he
Ioudon. YOU"
No. don't know him and 1 don't
want to-" ,5o,
is-that's what he is. he $
..Did you ever know any good men
in his gang a..
deny it-I never did deny IT. bul ne
I.andon was meaner'n the rest OF US
q iittle. He throwed me down the PIT
that's what Ike London done.
Why"
that's it. Cap'n: why? Cause /
stood up for my rights, that's why. he
wouldn't divide fair that's what ne
wouldn't He bullyragged the resi- oI
'eu. but he couldn't come II on OLD Ga
Dauphln. Old Gil Dauphin says to nm,
Give me my sharei' and then he grab
ted NE and fore 1 saw his game throw
ed me down the pit His game was
to kill me. that's what his game WAS.
Cam. But was tough, and I'm alive
Vel and if you'd been Ike London, as
lowed you was. you'd a gone down
a pit even if I'd "a gone, too.
Did you quarrel over the hawk 5
Landing bank robbery. asked the
CAPTAIN.
..Tre Hawks-never heard of 1t,
Cam. I'VE been down here month
What is it?" he asked, eagerly.
Nothing. except that they robbed
the Lumberman's Bank and got
large sum" answered the Captain, ana
I thought / could see that he was re-
lieved 10 find that Dauphiu had not
been along on that occasion
..Thav did. did they? I ought to wait
ed fore | stood up for my rights.
was too fast-just my luck. Told you
my luck was always ag'in me. l heard
talk of doing it, but ] got too fast
about my old rights, and was throwed
down the pitt
'.W eli. why don't you go back?
Cant Cap'n. There's only one way
to get between the part of the cave
where they are and this, and that's up
and down that there pit where they
throwed me. It's fifty feet. and YOU
can't go up it 'thout a rope. though
Won can come down-that's what you
cam" and the man chuchled; but L
thought his laughter was about as
cheerful as a bats squeaking.
Isn't there any way to get out of this
part of the cave?"
Not a way, Cap'n.
And the pit is too high to get up
TOO high to get up Cap 'n-though
you can get down.
Where is il?
First YOU get down here and go over
there till you come to straight tun-
mel running down hill a little. and
III comes out in the bottom of a
dome. doesn't it?'' broke in the Captain.
Yes. that's it. There / was throwed
down seventy-five feet if / was an inch,
SO | was. Capn."
But that dome is higher than that
as | believe. You couldn't have been
thrown down it.
i were, Cap'n. There's TUNNEL
comes in part way up and they throwed
me from that. 1t may be hundred
feet-When / come down / didn't stop
to measure it,
We'll, the three of US might be able
to get up that pit somehow" said the
Captain thoughtfully.
Not without a berloon, Cap'n," put
in Dauphin.
You don't know what we can do
answered the Captain, rather impa-
tiently. If you fell down it without
having your neck broken it cannot be
so extremely high
MY neck was broke, Cap'n. 1t
was
Come. l can't listen to that kind of
talk When your neck is broken it will
be when you're well hanged. Wen go
and have look at that pit" and the
Captain arose. You know the way out
beyond there. do your
Just like a book. There's two ways
out. but they're both beyond the Fort.
The Forts where Ike and the boys is.
Cap'n. If / ever get him by the throat
TIL
No matter about that. There's a
way to get around the Fort ! sup
pose?"
That's what there amt, Cap'n No
way at all. It's a big room, and there
they set with their fire and their guns,
and their big jugs of liquor, Cap'n-
their big. elegant jugs Of liquor. Cap'n."
Come, We'll go to the pit, said Capt.
Archway
IAN right-you're the cap'n,' answer
ed DaUphin. Go down my rope or
round through the Rat Hole?''
Your rope? Our rope, YOU mean"
WAS it yourn. Cap'n. / found it and
Just borrowed it to save going trough
the Rat Hole. You know the Rat Hole,
Cap'n2''
Il think so. We call it the Pocket
Gopher Hole"
That's better. 1 couldn't think of
nothing except Rat Hole. But L amt
used il much or the rope, neither
lately, cause the boys have been down
in that part of the cave and I've been
afraid to show myself. / seen their
tracks and their FIRE, and / have only
gone down when / got starved out and
had to get some fish or wood i used
to keep my fire down there to save
bringing the stuff up, but I've been
afeared TO lately. They got up here
I