The age-herald., 1900-03-04
CHAPTER Tx.

CHAPTER K.
 There had been several meetings of the
 M M. M. club during the week of rest.
 Great plans for school in September were
 uscussed. The cave trip was intended to be the continuation of good times and summer
 frohics, for there was now but a short time
 perore school would begin, and the boys
 who had remained at home, though having
 studied well and persevering9y felt that it
 would be wise to review with those who had done the work of the preceding year those studies in which they must be examined in
 order to be classed together.
 some of the boys had been again to see
 the old man of the woods, and he had inn
 parted to them many interesting items of
 Information concerning the cavern they
 wish to explore. As their friendship grew he
 had also given them some other irrforna-
 tfon that had aroused all of the nine to a
 state of intense excitement. and anticipa- ton of the discoveries awaiting them in that world of eternal night
 The Indian woman also had received two or three visits from the harm-scarr young gentlemen, and had been induced to divulge, or rather wheedled into uncon- sciously betraying more of the knowledge cesses.
 They considered themselves quite well prepared for the excursion of discovery. not so much to examine its geological forma-
 tion. or to appreciate the beauty and grand
 ure Of It's wierd scenery. but to explore it's hitherto unknown apartments.
 At a very early hour they started, and before the sun had climbed more than half it's journey to the zenith of the clou1less canopy, the nine boys bade 1t farewell for some long hours of underground darkness.
 How much they enjoyed the expedition we shall leave to the imagination of those who
 have explored caverns. It is needless to
 that these dariOo and
 sters were by no means satisfied to tamely follow pathc formerly trod by the few par ties of individuals who had visited the cave. Neither were they da1rted at the | tales of terrible deeds 5enre by the spirits of darkness to the few foolish ones who
 had wandered further than the opened way
 or into newly discovered chambers, but de- ternftned to learn all that could be of this wondrous place, which they could almost believe to be the home of genf or gnomes. It was said that several mountaineers at
 various times had been tempted by the de-
 sire to find the hidden treasure reputed to
 be buried fin some remote corner some
 where in the cave to enter 1t alone or ac-
 companied by only one other person. It was
 said moreover they never returned. and one
 poor fellow who thought to discover the
 whereabouts of the wealth he coveted had
 been seen to enter the cave plentfully sup piled with lamps and matches, pick axe. and shovel, and food sufficient for two or more days, but he was never heard from again. nDless. as was generally credited to be true, a poor half-starved man maniac who had been found in the vicinity of the mouth of a small cavern some dozen miles away, was the same man.
 He told that his lights had some way given out, and being left in utter darkness | he attempted to grope his way back over the dangerous road but managed instead | to go the opposite direction, and found this rf5 avda rfncr in tyr which no one had previously dreampt of as connected with the large cave he had entered. Nor had any one thought of testing the truth or falsity of his wild account. but
 looked upon the result as a warning to
 others not to undertake similar foolhardy
 venture. Few indeed believed in the story
 of the mans getting lost or that there
 really existed treasure which was the incentive that caused him to enter lonely cave without companions.
 The boys had heard all the various ac- counts and their imagination had supplied much which the simple people would never | have conceived, and further they had won | the confidence of the two persons of the | locality, who knew anything of the subter- ranean world.
 Whether they made discoveries of impor- | tant nature or not, no one had opportunity | to learn from them that day, and the next | morning as soon as an early breakfast was | finished the entire nine, including Fred, | who managed to secure a holiday from l the hotel work, went directly to visit the | old man of the woods.
 For several days in succession some of the | boys visited their aged friend, explaining | when questioned about 1t, that he was sick | and needed attention. His hermit life had l long ceased to occasion comment from the 1 natives, being a people disposed to con- | cern themselves little in the affairs of | others, they had left him as severely alone
 as he had shown @ disposition to be, and he | was rarely seen by any of the villagers save | on his occasional visits to the postoffiee or | the store for supplies of food.
 One evening about this time the boys were | talking as they walked to Uncle Dicks of | the possibility, now becoming probability, | of completing the college course together. Fred turned to Jim with the eager ques- | tion:
 Jim, what about Dorothy's entering school this fall? She told me before left home Christmas that she hoped to do so." Jim replied that her father had consented at last for her to do as she wished. and that she probably would be there by the time the boys were.
 Some of the others exchanged significant smiles and winks, to which Fred paid not the slightest attention, being not at all ashamed of his very perceptible admiration l for his friends sister whom he looked upon | as a superior being, wondrous kind to degn J smile or kind word occasionally to | hfo rot mi 1rfia ho