The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1899-09-18

the wall. Come here Tommy, said /;
lets see what this is
! Looking Straight ahead. we entered the
! place 1t seemed to be great ROOM
/ Tommy stumbled over something that
ratified. and l fell against stack of bones
and rags. A smothering cloud OF DUST
| from the pile enyeloped us at once.
My land, Frank, what's that? asked
Tommy, as he picked up what looked ike
whitish cannon ball. We were nearly
thrown into fits when, on holding it to the
torch, we found ourselves gazing into the
empty eye sockets of a grinning human
( skull
Tommy dropped it as though it had
| been red hot. and l had no desire to pick
1 it up. Gracious, Frank. said he, some
body's been murdered; we backed away way
\ the torch aloft we saw that the pile OF
! bones was fairly studded with skulls. ribs
1 and fieshless feet and hands poked the
mass gingerly with my gun. Bits or
leather, colored rags and bones came
| tumbling down.
It's an old Indian graveyard, I re-
marked; must have fallen through some
That's 1t. that's it," cried Tommy, ex-
citedly.
holder and told Tommy we would have to
return now
All right said he, come on-oh.
Frank He looked in my face, with eyes
like saucers and held up the ball of twine.
I'VE forgot TO unwind the string.
We stood and stared at each other like
couple of idiots for a minute.
How'll We ever get out now! asked
Tommy, his chin beginning TO culver.
''Tl give it up" l replied, almost as
ready to cry as himself.
Tommy lit his torch and held 1t above
his head 1t Illuminated discouragngly
small circle well, we've got to make
start" said he with a poor attempt at
bravado. Come on; 1 guess We can fine
the way. We didn't come so very Tar.
We scrutinized the ground for tracks;
but there were none. I'VE better start,
said 1; there's no use standing here and
letting the torch burn out. l guess we
can find it all right. We've got TO.
We turned our backs to the pile OF In
dian bones and walked along in silence
for five minutes, Tommy ahead with the
row Suddenly Tommy cried:
"Hooray, Frank, We're all right now now
See this rock that looks like windmill!
Don't you remember that?
No.. said l, gloomily' Il never sa" IL
.'Weil. 1 did, just after we got out of
the narrow part of the tunnel wen De
out now in short order.
Sure enough, the cave began to narrow
rapidly, but instead of the ground rising,
as it should have done, 1t began TO faiI
away / called his attention to, the fact,
but he said we had not noticed the change
of grade when we came in. that was all.
We stumbled and blundered along an
other five or ten minutes. | thought the
place was unfamiliar, but Tommy INSIST
ed that he was continually hndlns lanu-
marks.
I'VE amt in the tunnel at all, said |,
noticing that the sides had again receded,
leaving US in a large open space. Tommy
took look around and reluctantly admit
ted that | was right.
back we went, thoroughly alarmed Where
we went to don't know, for we neltner
found the tunnel nor the 1ndian bones
from which we had just come we econ
omzed our splints, only using Two al
time. but in spite of all we could do the
bundle dwindled with alarming rapidly.
Tommy stumbled over black stone,
which. on account of its being of the
same color as the floor, he hau not seen,
and put the light out A moment later ne
declared he had lost the matches, ana
began to cry. l was on the point OF join
ing him, but happily L remembered that
after using them the last time hao put
them in my own pocket;; we soon on n Etora
to look at his bruised SHIN.
why. Tom" 1 exclaimed that looks
for ali the world like lump OF coal;
He glanced at the block on which he
sal. tRen picked up small piece from
the floor. and replied: '''Tis coal, ami
it?'' We pounded it to pieces. and were
sure We'll now, how in the world 90
you suppose that got in here? 'Spose the
Indians brought it"
A short survey showed the whole floor
covered with It,, 50 suggested tnaI II
cation proved the correctness OF my sur
mise: the whole side of this part of the
cave was a solid wall of shining black
.That'u be worth something, ] re-
marked, IF the railroad goes through
here ..,,,+
it proves that we are away out OF our
reckoning; there was no coal the way we
come.
wood was getting alarmingly low. we
pushed on with heavy hearts. Han an
hour later after having .tramped wearliy
over miles, as it seemed, OF the uneven
floor of the cave, humping ana orulsns
ourselves severely, we lit our last Two
I'm most starved to death Tommy
complained, and as | was too, ,,, we sag
the torch for economy's sake. Our mouths
were parched and the food nearly chokea
US. could hear poor tommy ehok g ut tf,a
the sobs as he munched away in the
darkness. and / dared not attempt TO
speak lest / should blubber outright.
Are We through, Frank?
Yes; i wasn't as hungry as thought
Wei then. gimme a match. We may
as well travel on while the light lasts,
Il amt got the matches.
why, / give EN- to you.
NO you dldn l.
Eyes. / did. too"
We both searched all of our pockets,
with the result that Tommy found one
half of a match-the head halt. Ut
has never been agreed between US from
that day to this who lost the matcnes.)
Much depended on that half match
Though there was no perceptiVe breath
of air. we held our caps close together
for shelter while he struck it. The blue
sulnhurous fame sputtered and sized,
the wood ignited and we applied 1t to
the torch. We had watched 1t in breath
less silence AS the fat pitch pine
blazed up, there came Wnlrrlhg a pusd-
but too late The great cave bat, lured
by the light, and rendered bold by, our
silence. swept the torch from his hand
and out it went.
For a moment we sat in perfect 81
lence. Our loss stunned us. Then, SIM
ultaneously we burst into tears. II was
impossible to any longer keep up a SEM
blance of bravery, and then Tommy
DO you ever expect to get out of here.
4 don't know, Tommy. 1 don't see
how we can; we've got no light now,
and when we had we didn't make any
more to do.
we might pray to Goo to help u.s.
Yes, l thought o. that; can you pray,
Frank?"
anything only my reg lar now lay me,
but we got to try.
IAN right, go ahead. and if your pray
er don't help Us, III try.
We kneeled down by the great block
of coal and ] prayed as well as / could.
asking our heavenly father to deliver
us from that horrible place. When
finished we both. said amen" AS we
were completely tired out, we did not
arise at once but continued kneeling,
resting our heads on the cool block.