Elmore bulletin. [volume] (Rocky Bar, Idaho) 1889-1906, 1900-01-04

grassy bank, placed his hands under
his head, and proceeded to leisurely
smoke in the sunshine.
These proceedings filled us with
great alarm; now that they had rob-
bed us of everything save our
clothes, what could their object be?
One of them produced two pieces of
rope, with which our hands were
tied. Dragged by some. and re" Giving
severe blows and bruises from the
clenched hands and musket-butts of
others-accompanied by the impreca-
tions and coarse laughter of alive
were conveyed through a low-roofed
grotto, or natural gallery in the rocks.
the echoes of which repeated their
voices with thousand reverberations.
The only light here was by the re-
Election of the sunshine at the en-
trance, where the basalt was coated by
a white substance, the debris of some
old volcanic eruption; for the slope
up which we had been ascending all
the morning formed portion OF the
great Peak. And now we became SEN
sible of a strange sound and strange
odor pervading all the place.
Through a rent in the rocky roof OF
the grotto there fell clear, bright
stream of sunlight that revealed the
terrors of the place toward which our
captors dragged us.
On one side there yawned a vast
black assure or chasm, in the somber
masses of obsidian and red blocks of
lava which composed the floor of that
horrid cavern; and from this assure
there assembled, and doubtless still as
cends at times, a hot sulphurous
steam, which rendered breathing diff
ficult and induced an inclination to
sneeze.
From the depth of that hideous
chasm, the profundity of which nc
mortal eye could measure, and no hui
| man being could contemplate without
awe and tel 1r, we heard a strange
buzzing sound, as If from the bowels
| OF the inner earth, far-heaven alone
knows how far-down below.
In fact, we were upon the verge OF
one of those natural spiracles which
the natives terra "the nostrils," or ave-
! nues through which the hot vapors OF
| that tremendous Piton ascend; and
the buzzing sound that made oul
! hearts shrink, we scarcely knew why
was caused by some volcanic throe al
! the bottom of the mountain, whose
base is many a mile below the waters
| of the sea.
The assure was also twelve fee
broad, and across 1t there lay a plank
forming a species of bridge
Two of our captors crossed. and theI
ordered us to follow them.
| followed like one in dream; bu
my heart was chilled by terror Sc
deadly that I had no power o.
thought of resistance. My first feal
was that the plank might be trundleC
from under our feet, and that We
would be launched into the black abyss
below; but such was not the object o
these Spaniards, as Tom and | were
permitted to pass in safety.
The remainder of the thieves fol
lowed, and we found ourselves in an
other grotto, the roof of which wal
covered by stalactites, that glittereC
like SOtuIS ptIudHlo VI diaDdoltl III lh
light that fell from the upper fissure
wh&h formed a natural window, ant
through it we could see the thin, whit
steam ascending and curling in thu
sunshine.
Now, supposing that they had US IL
perfect security, our captors proceed
4 ed to hold a consultation as to wha
they should do with us; and imagin
ing that we were both ignorant of thei
language, or, what is more probable
caring little whether we knew it o
not, they canvassed the most terribl
resolutions with perfect GOODNESS ant
freedom of speech.