The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1898-01-06

of life. Then he breathed regularly,
and his eyes opened YEARLY.
1t took some time for him, strong man
though he was, to recover his fuls
strength. / did not ask him about the
cause of his trouble until he saw fit to
tell me.
81 don't think it is difficult to solve
the mystery of your Devils Hole" he;
then said, with 6 smile. "Your evil
spirits are nothing but poisonous gases
that have settled at the bottom of the
pit. When l got half way down l
felt a queer sensation, and then my,
lantern fiickered, and the light vent
out. In moment my muscles grew'
weak and my head swan around. l
tried to call to you, but it was too late.
My senses were overcome, and I
dropped into the pit. That was the
last l knew until you revived me-"
Thank God we were wise enough
to tie the rope around you," l ex-
claimed
Eyes, for the mystery would have
been greater than ever if 1 had never
returned" he replied.
"And l should have been a convert
to the general superstition regardine
the Devils Hole
We spent several days in boating and
fishing after that to recover our eqdi-
librium, but week later Arthur re-
turned to the subject.
Il believe that we could get the poi
sonous gases out of the DEVILS Hole
If we tried,' he said, ref1ectively, one
night. by blasting away the rocks
and exploding dynamite down in the
hole we could make the gases ascend"
But for what good?" l asked.
WELL" he answered, little sheep
ishly, that map you have appears to
be genuine enough, and l think it must
have been made for some purpose.
Now, should like to know what is at
the bottom of that pit"
AS this experiment was less danger
ou-s than the former, l agreed to the
proposition, and forthwith ordered
quantity of dynamite and gunpowder.
The rocks on one side of the pit were
shattered and broken to pieces by the
explosions of the dynamite, until
enough sunlight was admitted into the
hole TO enable US to explore half way
down.
Then new scheme was adopted. A
huge air pump was obtained, and by
means of long tube we pumped fresh
air into the bottom of the pit until we
could lower a light to the very lowest
depths.
where light can burn I can live,"
Arthur said, land 1 shall descend
again"
truth l did not try much. l watched
his light Pickering about at the bottom
of the pit for some time. Then he re-
turned.
Its regular charnel house there"
he said, with CHASTITY look. II counted
different positions. II was enough to
make the hair stand up on ones head"
But was that all?' asked.
mo, there are several rotten chests,
with silver plate and money in them.
found this piece of paper protruding
from the broken top OF one of the chests.
Probably it will throw some light on
the discovery"
The paper was yellow and rotten
with age, and the writing nearly unde-
cipherable. After infinite study and PSI
thence we made out the following sen
fences:
''In these troublesome times mans
wealth is never safe from robbers and
pirates, and extraordinary precautions
have to be taken to preserve it. Nature
has provided storehouse at Hollis
Point that will battle the shrewdest.
Years ago l discovered the Black Pit
and its strange surroundings. Poison
Gus vapors and gases accumulate in it,
and bring death to all who venture
over the precipice. But there is an
other opening to the pit that none but
myself knows Of Near the outer end of
the promontory, where the sea waves
roll at high tide, is a long, narrow cav
ern. When the wind blows hard from
the sea it rushes through this OPEN
ing at low tide and escapes into the
Black Pit. A regular funnel is thus
formed by nature, and the foul vapors
in the bottom of the pit are blown up
ward, so that any man can live in it.
When the Eind does not blow through
the cavern instant death awaits any liv-
ing creature that descends into the pit.
By rolling big bowlder at the mouth
of the cavern at low tide, the wind is
shut out completely, and the Black Pit
is made a safe storage place for any
amount of wealth. BY removing the
bowlder I can obtain what need from
the pit when the wind and tide are ia
vorable.
"For years I have kept most of my
wealth stored in this dark hole. Should
pirates or land robbers attack me in
the night, they will receive little as
reward. l expect such an attack at any
time, for it is rumored about that l.
have great wealth in the mansion. But
the finder of this chest will know that
it has never been in the mansion, but
in the Black Pit.
81 leave a map, which anyone with
fair intelligence will decipher. 1t shows
where my treasures are hidden 1t