Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-09-23

round. facing us. Well said he sharply,
what | do for your
1 was conscious of biushing fearfully, and
of twirling my hat idiotically, but 1 man
aged to blurt out that we had come to tell
him about the railroad.
THE railroad, hey? What about it? I'm
pretty well sick of that railroad, so, unless
you have something particularly important
to tell, 1 must ask you to cut it very
short"
He didn't appear to be overstocked with
either patience good humor, and L
heartily wished we had stayed away, for,
with his cold gray eye looking right
through me, / felt that news
tremely frivolous. However, / was in for
it, and, rapidly as l could I told of our
trip the night before, and of what We had
discovered. grimly incredulous smile
| CLEANED cynically across his stern features
as he interrupted with:
"Quicksand. hey? | never heard of quick
sand in ledge of rock before. However
go on"
When I finished he asked, well, why do
you tell this to me?'
l discouraged that I was about
to admit that l didn't know, when Tommy
piped up with
because we thought you wanted to get
the railroad through here an we know
how it can be done
do you, indeed? I assure you you are
not alone In that respect. Hundreds of
people have told me how to do that, but
all their plans are impracticable"
Did any of 'em know about our cayeo"
"Your cave?"
Yes sir; our cave under the ridge, right
| where the tunnel would have to go"
He began to show some interest now
and asked questions rapidly noting our
answers on a pad. He asked If we would
pc wiling TO pilot party into the cave
1or hlm' and we told him we would. He
then admitted that we had made a couple
OF very important discoveries.
N II Is true said he. excitedly. that
tney nave encountered large pocket of
| mr. and nc
thing like what you have described II
may yet thwart Jasen. I may yet thwart
MIN, he repeated apparently forgetful of
| our presence.
We learned long afterward that Jndee
Davis had been instrumental in preventing
Mr.. Jasens election to Congress MANY
years before. A bitter feeling still existed
between them, and, SO far, Mr.. Jasen held
I, the whip hand.
Before we left the Judge said he would
let us know when he wanted us. He eau
toned us to keep our own counsel. and
promised that If. in consequence Of the
Information we had just given him, Mel
! ton got the road he would give each of
us his personal check for $1,000 the day
| the first train entered Melton
We danced all the way home. ct guess
! gleefully ii''
Yes, and SO does the judge. Say, didn't
| through with him?" e''
| You bet he did: had a good mind to nu+
US Out nrst, though we were a couple of
chumps." f "
| Yes. but he don't now. A thousand dol
lars apiece! Whew! That's more money
| than anybody on the ridge has had in a
thousand years; we'll be rich!'
Bet yer boots. Say how Won eo,n, n
keep this ter yourself?"
Il dunno; that's the hardest part II II
think I'll wear a muzzle"
| A week-a week Of doubts and rniseivinps
passed before we heard from the fudge.
| one day stranger stopped me in the mid
| die OF the road and handed me a note r.
contained an order for Tommy and ma tn
| evening. You may be sure we were on
| time He introduced US to two Young man
| whom he wished us to take through the
| cave. '"e
told him doubted II we could find our
way TO the falls again. but one Of the young
men told me not to worry; IL the wav was
| there they could find it. They took IN to
within half mile Of the entrance In a
buggy. Here we found two more wagons.
containing eight men, with Kerosene
| torches, civil engineers level, comnass
| stakes. chains. crowbars, shoyels and 81;
! the paraphernalia Of surveying marty
| We had no trouble now in moving about
| IN the cave; the torches made It almost &c
| light as day. I found the croonet hen
| which led to the discovery Of the cave The
| judge gave 80 gold piece for It, He has
| It on his desk yet. I gave Tommy hair
with which he bought two calves. the first
| property he ever owned.
| The young men went as directly to the
| falls tunnel as though there had been a
road to 1t. They paid but little attention
| to the Indian skeletons. Later an old ren
| tleman. with gold-bowed glasses came from
the Smithsonian Institution In Washington.