Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1899-02-07
claimed, e~xcitedly. "see where Il has
been rubbed by use. BY Jove, 1 have

claimed, excitedly. "See where It has
been rubbed by use. BY Jove, 1 have
It'll"
Grasping the head in his hands, Hen
bricks gave it a powerful wrench, and 1T
began to turn. In q moment it came
off, and they saw, %protruding from a
hollow tube in the neck of the dragon,
q steel rod with a ring on its end. Hen
bricks tried to push the rod downward,
but it resisted his efforts. Then, as
cending the steps till he was above the
ring, he pulled it steadily upward. A
little bell inside the dragon rang. This
was followed by a creaking sound I'M
der the hall floor, and a tall gilt-framed
p%late-glass mirror in the brick wall
lei by leaned outward on one side.
Running to it, Lampkin pulled it out
and found that it turned on hidden
hinges And behind the mirror was re-
vealed a doorway and a narrow flight
of stairs leading downward into the
darkness. There was a lantern on the
first step, and Hendricks lighted it, and
holding it above his head he hurried
down the stairs. AT first the steps were
Of wood, but deeper down they were of
unhewn stone.
Perhaps 40 feet from the surface of
the earth, they found themselves in a
long, narrow cavern, which wound
abount like aserpent's trail. And when
they had gone perhaps 200 yards from
their starting point they found them
selves stopped by u brick wall in which
was a rusty iron door. The door was
locked, but a bunch of keys hung on a
hook near by.
1--WE have found him." said Lampkin.
Hendricks nodded as he began to try
the keys in the lock. After many fail
ures, the door was finally opened, and,
in the combined light of the lantern
and a streak of daylight that came in
at q tiny crack in the rock, they saw,
crouching in a corner, a ~white-faced
creature with walling eyes and dis
heveled hair.
"Who is it?" came from his lips in q
rasping whisper.
Friends" said Hendricks.
Gielow tried to rise, but fell back
ward.
"In Gods name-water!" he gasped.
"Here, drink this first" said Lampkin,
kneeling and drawing out from his
pocket a flask of brandy. Gielow tried
to take the bottle in his hands, but his
fingers were too stiff from cold. DR..
Lampkin placed the bottle to his lips,
and Gielow drank.
ooh, thank Godl" he said. lis it true,
are you f~riends?"
"This is Mr.. Minard Hendricks" an
swered Lampkin, with a glance at the
holder of the lantern, "and Miss Hunt
ington is outside in a carriage waiting
to take you home"
ooh, nc, really?" cried the prisoner,
and then he lowered his head to his
knees and laughed like a happy child.
ut seems like years since I came here"
He tried again to rise, but Lampkin
stopped him.
"You must first drink some of this
liquid food" he said.
AS he opened the bottle, Gielow eyed
1t like a famished beast. AS he was
taking it from a spoon from the doc
tors hands, Hendricks peered out
through the crack.
81 have the solution now" he re-
marked. "In cutting the new road
along here, they came within a few
feet of chopping the End off this cav
ern. The blasting caused the crack.
he must have thrust his message
through it."
Gielow nodded as he ate, but he made
no comment.
Now, that is enough for the pres
emit" said Lampkin. "We must get you
out of here and warm you up before we
do anything else"
They raised the artist to his feet, and
bore him slowly between them along