The Fulton County news. [volume] (McConnellsburg, Pa.) 1899-current, 1900-09-06

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hands and knees and crawl through
the shallow water. Then the roof be.
gan to rise. and soon afterw0rd he
could stand upon his feet again.
For some time he had been hearing
n sound that differed in character and
volume from that made by the shoal
water. The further he went, the loud.
er this sound grew, until 1t roared like
some great cataract. At first he was
filed with awe and dread; but little
reflection told him that n very small
waterfall down here would make all
the sound he heard. SO he kept on
until he was only few feet from
where the stream plunged down.
He stood and listened to the deafen.
ing roar trying to find how far the
water was falling. At last he picked
up stone and threw 1t over the cliff.
1t struck in rather deep water. four
or five feet down. as nearly as he
could Judge from the sound. He threw
several more stones, which confirmed
his belief that the water was not fall
| ing far.
Here again he was tempted to turn
| back. but the thought of all the dis
tance he had come, and of the danger
of losing his way, as well as of the
long waiting after he got back, made
him decide to keep on his course.
He got down on his hands and knees
and felt the ledge over which the shall
low water was tumblng. Finally,
with some hesitation, he put his fin.
gers In crevice in the rock and began
TO let himself over the ledge. Lower
and lower he went, and the water
pouring over him.
Suddenly his fingers slipped out OF
the Shiny crevice and he fell back.
wardl
Down he plunged into a pool, with
n great splash that echoed and kept
echOlng strangely in the cave. His
! head went under, but lie quickly got
upon his feet in water little more than
waist deep.
When he recovered from his surprise
he approached the fall, and while the
water poured on him, put up his hand
and tried in vain to reach the ledge.
Then he leaped upward with all his
might, but still could not reach high
| enough.
Fear and weakness seized him. Now
lie regretted that he had attempted to
find his way out of the cave; for now
he could not go back II he wanted to
do so. True his friends might come
here in search of him; but also they
might give up the search, concluding
that lie had been drowned. If they
did. he must either find way out
or remain in these rayless caverns un.
til he died.
This thought so frightened him that
he turned and started on more rap
idly than he had yet gone. Now and
then he slipped on the Shiny stones
and fell; but always he scrambled to
his feet and hurried on. Sometimes
he would put up his hand and try
to brush the darkness away from his
face. The intense, awful night that
prevailed here envelOped him so close
ly as to seem oppressive. If he re-
mained in 1t long, he believed 1t would
penetrate TO his very brain and drive
him mad.
The more excited he became the fast
er he went, in spite of his slipping
and falling. At almost every step
he strained his eyes in the hope oil
discovering light anead, only to be
disappointed. He had nearly conclud
ed that there was no outlet TO the
cave. Perhaps the stream flowed on
downtown and far below the sur.
face of the earth plunged into some
subterranean lake!
At last he gave a start, believing
that he could detect faint ray OF
light ahead. For little while he was
half afraid that it might be an optical
Illusion. But on going a few yards
farther he saw, with a feeling of un
utterable relief, that he had made nc
mistake. 1t was light!
He soon came to Il place where the
roof of the cave dropped nearly to the
3 floor; and again he had to crawl. A
last he emerged into larger part OF
the cave, at the farther end of whicl
dim light was shining in. Eagerly
he started for the light, but stumbled
: over something and heard a crash
Feeling about, he found the pieces o
|, a broken crock. Now he knew tina
he had come out into somebody
I, 'mllk-house."
Avoiding other crooks, he made hi
: way to the open air. 1t was night
but the stars We're shining. A hous
: stood on a hill near by He receg
nlzed it, and knew that he had COM
out of the cave nearly mile iron
where he had fallen in, and more thai
"A mile from where he had expecte,
) TO come out.
: Without stopping to apologize for tn
!, injury done in the milk S-house, he tool
the road and hurried home. Tn
young wife was badly frightene,
= when her bareheaded, bedraggled hus
: band made his appearance at the door
for she did not recognize him unit
II he spoke.
The horses had come home at tn
. usual time, about dusk. dragging tn
j. plow, and she had gone to the bac
; field to look for Lem. but wlthou
discovering the bottomless sink. Sh
y was much alarmed at his mysterlou
absence, and was on the point of tai
. ing the baby and starting to nelgl
II bor's
- For long time Lem intended to el