The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1898-07-27
AS we proceeded the path grew steen.

AS we proceeded the path grew steep
er and sleeper, and presently we found
ourselves on the top of the mountain,
ready to begin the more difficult de-
scent along the face of the cliff. Here
l cut stout pole with which to assist
Bessie in the most dangerous places;
and with true childrens luck we
crawled and edged along in safety I'M
til we stood together on the wide shelf
in front of the cave. In we crawled.
and with bit of candle which I had
brought lit up the glistening interior.
Bessie fairly screamed with delight.
She had heard so much talk about
caves; and here we were making a
playhouse of a real one-and Jasper
cave, at that Then we rummaged
At last the candle went out, and as we
were beginning to feel hungry, we
came out to eat our lunch on the shelf.
AS we finished / glanced up at the sky,
and saw that black clouds were gath
ering.
'It's going to rain, "Iexclaimed. eve
must hurry home"
| At that moment a strange object
caught my eye. 1t was face peering
down from the cliff above-a face dis
torted with rage and rum-the face of
Indian Joe. AS he saw that had de-
tected him he uttered a savage yell;
| then his face vanished, and heard him
scrambling down the path.
Quick, Bessie! get into the cave!"
I cried. and snatching up my pole crept
a little way up the trail to meet him.
And luckily l encountered him as he
was rounding the narrowest, dizziest
part, with only few inches of foot
hold and sheer precipice below. !
thrust at him desperately with my pole,
using it like a spear; and for some
minutes was able to keep him back,
Then he managed to seize the pole and
jerled it from my grasp.
At that 1 turned and fed to the
cave. The rising wind almost swept
me from my feet, but I got in safely;
yet had scarcely time to face about
before the head of the Indian was
thrust through the cramped opening,
skinning knife clenched between his
teeth. l prodded him with the point of
my jackknife until he drew back, CIV
ing vent to such ferocious yells that
Bessie became hysterical with terror.
The second time he tried it, succeed
ed in wrenching away his knife.
Then he disappeared for time, and
I lay face downward, watching at the
opening. The suspense was even
worse than the actual struggle. He
soon returned, however, and began to
push in dry leaves and brush, which
I vainly strove to thrust back.
"He is going to smoke us out!" I
screamed, completely unnerved.
But at the very crisis, even as the
| drunken savage was fumbling for his
matches, that Providence which
guards the helpless interposed to save
us. There was "a jar of thunder, and
the storm cloud burst in a torrent OF
rain which flooded the bottom of the
shelf and even trickled into the cave,
drenching both fuel and matches until
they were quite useless.
Yet still the vindictive Indian
watched by the entrance; and there
was small room for doubt that his en-
durance would outlast ours. Indeed,
even if my strength and vigilance did
not fail, it would be much harder to
keep effective guard after nightfall.
Slowly the afternoon was waning and
the shadows deepening. Already
was nearly worn out by the awful and
unceasing strain-for L was only boy
and our enemy, crouched outside like
a fierce beast sure of his quarry, gave
no sign of relenting.
But again Providence interposed.
believe that | was actually nodding
from utter WEAKNESS and over tension,
when was reused by heavy grinding
and Earring, followed by prolonged
roar and crashing that shook the hill
to its center. The last CLEAN of light
was suddenly euenched and mass of
pebbles poured into the throat of the
| cave, some rebounding with such force
that they struck my face with singing
impact. l knew then what had hap
| pened. The violent rainfall, aided, per-
haps, bya disintegrating bolt of light
ming, had so loosened the earth and
gravel on the overhanging brow of the
mountain that landslide had descend
ed across the face of the precipice.
We, snugly hidden in the cave, were
safe. But the Indian
Of course, only small portion of the
avalanche had lodged on the shelf, and
| it didn't take me long to work a small
hole through the gravelly obstruction.
For that night, however, we were pris-
oners. In the morning, by patient and
cautious work on the crumbling mass,
we succeeded in emerging; but it was
| nearly noon before we were finally
brought off by the rescue party which
had been anxiously securing the valley
to find us ever since the previous even
ing-with our grieving father at its
| head.
We're we punished for our reckless
disObedienceo Not at home not by