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


that rope like rats except one. Bob
Jones stayed behind, an when he didn't
hear anythin' of his comrades he con-
cluded not to go in search of them He
went back to the village an told his
story.
"They sent one or two men down
after the missin' fishermen but not one
of 'em ever came back. Then everybody
knew that it was the work of the devil,
an the black hole was called the DEVILS
Hole, an no man has dared to go down
il since. There amt any doubt but the
pirates treasures are in that hole, but
they are guarded by some evil spirits,
that you have in the house is the piece
of paper that the crow dropped out of
the window that night. Don't think
that we blamed the poor old murdered
master for all this. He intended right,
but the devil got ahead of him."
The great yawning fssure in the
rocks 100 feet back of the old mansion
naturally assumed more Importance in
my eyes after listening to this strange
tale. studied the old map carefully,
and found that it accurately pointed to
the DEVILS Hole as the hiding place of
the treasure. But who had made the
map? Was it some trick of lunatic
to entice superstitious people into a
death-trap?
had no particular desire to descend
into the hole after learning Of the fate
of so many good men, but the story
worked upon my mind so much that
determinedto make an effort to solve the
mystery. I had no fear of meeting
ghosts or evil spirits in the Devils Hole,
but I was sufficiently impressed with
the tale to believe that some trouble
awaited anyone at the bottom of the
pit.
The mystery of the DEVILS Hole re-
manned unsolved for nearly two years
after l first heard the story of the pi-
rates treasure from Barney, the old
fisherman. I had concocted all sorts
of stories in my imagination to explain
the strange death of the fishermen
who had descended into the hole and
never returned. Barney explained
that they had crawled down the rope.
and the latter had been drawn up
after them, but there was nothing pc
culiar about the other end of the rope
to suggest foul play. If the evil spir-
its dwelt in the grewsome pit they had
snatched the victims away from the
rope, silently and pitilessly. Not even
a shrek or groan had reached the ears
of the listeners above ground.
In the summer of 1889 Arthur Hal
ford accompanied me to Hollis Point
to spend a few weeks in hunting and
fishing. Arthur had been favorite
college chum of mine, and to him I re-
lated the strange story of the Devils
Hole one dark night when the wind
was bowling around the old mansion
and shrieking through the caverns and
assures of the rock.
''Let us explore the place to-mor-
row." was his exclamation, when had
finished. at will be exciting enough
TO pay for visit up in these old rocks"
| shook my head. The old supersti-
ton of the fishermen had partly intim-
idated me, and I was afraid to venture
into the black pit.
81 wouldn't go down for consider
able" replied, slowly.
But I will" Arthur answered firm
ly. at would suit me to explode an old
superstition by little athletic exer-
else. l can crawl down and up a rope
as easily as a cat"
"You are my guestn, and don't want
to send your corpse home"
But according to your story, the
corpse is never recovered, and So you
will be saved the trouble" he laughed.
was not satisfied with this pro-
posal, but the following morning he
prepared for the venture. He secured a
long coil of stout rope, and together we
started toward the DEVILS Hole.
Fastening the rope to big bowlder
he threw the other into the hole, and
with his lantern slung over his back
he began to descend.
Zone moment" 1 said, feeling at the
last moment that some precaution was
needed. "Tie the lower end of the rope
securely around your body, and then
if anything happens, 1 can haul your
corpse up"
This proposition pleased him, and he
returned to the top of the rocks and
adjusted the rope under his arm
pits.
"Now, 1 shall solve the mystery,
even if you do lose your life. If the
rope is cut, 1 shall know that some hui
man agency has been at work down
there"
/ watched him slowly descend the
rope, working his way downward,
hand over hand, the light from the
lantern growing feebler every min
ute. 1t was deeper than we antici-
pated, and in a short time the lantern
cast only feeble ray from the black
ness below. Then suddenly, without
warning, the Eight disappeared entire
y. A projecting ledge of rock might
have obscured it, and waited a mo-
ment to see it reappear, but it did not
come, and / shouted loudly:
SIS everything all right, Arthur"
If any response was made to my
question, it was too inaudible for me
10 ~ 4 col CT;