The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1898-01-16

TO lac sure, | heard louder reports be-
fore ! got out of the Wretched place.
After some time. being agan awake.
made the Captain lie down while 7
stood watch. For what I thought o. be
three or four hours ] sat at the mouth
OF the little tunnel leading back and
M to Robins Ntst. II you have ever
sat alone I'm cave then you know what
silence is. nor will you ever know
tin you do. But YOU may well pray that
you shall never know IL lorg. for H. with
the darkness. is so black ard awful and
presses iron your brain 50 hard that Aiter
20 little you feel as n you should go mad;
thus ! felt that time standing watch
once IN v hat I thought 20 be- hlteen min
utcs "a drop of water fell some WHO'RE into
a pool [ Judged and it sounded like the
rouorf OF a uistol would obt ON the earth
uhsre IL is never dark. no. not on the
thickest right. nor where there rs no such
thing as silence anywhere For lht SUN
ness d. such that the least noise SOUNDS OUT
tenfold and goes Gathering along the tuh-
nsis as ii II would never stop The very
bats. black imps OF darkness that ! say
they are. make faint flap with their
wings when they turn in the air, though
these wings 20 which they have no rlsh'
at all seem made Of the sOitt 81 ana thln-
nest india rubber
Indeed. / thought ! had gone quite mao
after some hours when suddenly a fright
ful sound came to my ears. all mixed
with echoes / rushed back and wakened
the Captain. lie came out ana we
waited till we heard IT again.
THAT sounds 10 me as If 1t might be
somebody laughing" he whispered. ne
outlaws may be stirring about tnIhh
I'll creep over toward the pits ana may
get some sight OF them.
He started and in half an forr was
back. Il was right" Ia said, and
though I got no look at them ! saw the
gleam of their torches down FIRE M ana
heard their voices
Gould YOU make out what they said?"
/ asked.
.Very little. though once | thought |
caught my own name; If So they recog-
nized me- and / am sure / heard Them
speak of Dauphn. They are looking Tor
us. but / don't think it will do them
much good
When at last Dauphin awoke or
clear conscience makes sound sleep theh
must this great rogue have felt innoceLt
as a bahe) we had what we called break
fast. being some six mouthfuls oil hsh
apiece. .e,.
this or maybe the last one may be
little lighter
.WilI the torches last as lone?' ask
ed
II think longer by burning no more
than one at a time he answered.
"And what then Capn-tel US what
them" said Dauphin.
"Then we'll see. ~roturncd tho Captain
in no way excited. Il think we had best
wait here a few hours and then make
another trip TO Sink Hole Dome. 1t can
do no harm as ] think there is little dam
ger of these fellows finding their way up
the Gopher Hole.
This trim was accordingly made, but
with no more To- show for it than usual.
we found the throbbing stronger man
ever and filling the whole cave so lhat
Won might hear It. or feel IL, whichever
il was for half mile. while IN the Bed
room itself it was as it a giant was
knocking on the wall with stone ham
Toer as big az a house. stiil' we knew
NO more what il could be and Dauphin
vas SO terror-stricken that he vowed we
should never get him in that part OF the
cave again.
10 be Concluded)