The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1900-04-13
MOLOCH
OF NICK a JACK
A Tale Of the Lest People Of the
Sand Mountain Caves.
By FRANCIS LYNDE.

and was spending his vacation in the
Tennessee mountains, with my eyrie
on historic Lookout as a rallying point
We had been speaking of the cavern
In Lookout mountain, and Hargreaves
had asked me to explore it with him.
replied that l would give him a few
days IL he would make it Nick-a-iack
instead of Lookout.
Make it anything you like. But why
Nick "a jack ?" he queried.
For curiosity's sake. In '63 de
tachment of Confederate soldiers, hard
pressed, disappeared in the depths OF
Nick-a-j jack. I'd like to know how and
where they got out"
Hargreayes laughed. eff it's historic
you'll dig for it; IL it's prehistoric,
you're not interested"
Precisely, but it's prehistoric story
which makes me curious When Rob-
ertson cleaned up the Chickamaugas in
1874, the battle was at Nick-a-jack. In
the hot part of it a few of the warriors,
with their women, retreated to the
cave and disappeared
"Humph! That isn't prehistoric"
mot wholly; but the puzzle goes still
further back. The Indians say they
were not the aborigines hereabouts;
that they were preceded by a race of
light skinned people called Astu-
cas-
whats that? Astucas-Aztecs? That
can't be. But go on
'These people We're driven out at the
spear point, and at the last few of
them were penned up in Nick-a- jack.
This remnant, like the Chickamaugas
and the soldiers, was never seen OF
heard of afterward."
''That's enough" said Hargreaves
eagerly. ''When do we startT'
whenever you're ready. Tomorrow
If you like" And so it was settled OF
hand.
1t was in the hottest third Of blaz-
ing July afternoon that we trudged
across the plowed fields from Shell
mound to Nick-a-jack. We carried pro-
visions for three days and a light kit
Of miners tools, and Hargreaves, to
whom the southern sun was unwonted,
mopped his brow.
.'Whew! This sun is simply terrifcr'
he said. "It makes one envy the ante
diluvians.'
ssWhyy
Science says the sun wasn't visible
till after the flood. The earth was sur
rounded by nimbus of yapor which
filtered the SUMS light and heat and
maintained a steady temperature. That
accounts for the gigantic vegetable
growths found in the carboniferous
measures
"Ohv said /. MY field is not the
scientific.
1t was o'clock when we reached the
gaping fissure at the foot of Sand
mountain. 1t is in shape like the
mouth awry of some fabulous monster,
with clear stream trickling from its
underlip, and cold wind, like the ex-
haling breath of the creature, came
belching forth into the hot stiffness of
the afternoon. We hastened in to es-
cape the chill of the pouring blast. 1t
is popularity of the "blowing caves
that the air at the depth of a few yards
is as still as that of a sealed chamber.
Skirting the basin in the epiglottis of
the monster, known. to picnickers from
Chattanooga as 1.-The icebox," we halt
ed to adjust the packs and light the
miners lamps.
"Well," said Hargreaves when the
lamps were flaring smokily, whats
the programmed"
s'To go on till we're stopped, sup
pose. You're hunting for prehistoric
rellcs-which you won't find-and I'm
nursing the equally unhopeful hope OF
accounting for those disappearers of
three races"
For hours we pushed steadily on
through the gloomy vault, hearing no
sounds save the echoes of our own
voices and footballs. the plashing of
the stream or the humming murmur
of velvet wings when we disturbed a
colony of bats. There was little to
break the monotony OF the silent march
until we reached a point where the
lofty gallery contracted suddenly to a
mere tunnel, with a cash In one wall
through which issued the stream.
We paused to examine the cash. 1t
was a vertical slit a few inches wide.
but the regurgitant murmur Of the
stream told of vaulted chambers be-
yond. Hargreaves thrust his lamp
arms length into the slit.
''No thoroughfare there" he said.
'.Your runaways didn't escape that
way"
Hargreaves was passing the fame Of
his lamp slowly over the face Of the
rock.
"If you don't mind, wen 60 on" he
said. Look here"
I looked and saw a rnde picture Of an
arrow on the smooth face of the lime
stone. 1t pointed down the black tun-
mel toward the heart of the mountain.
"What Of it?'' demanded.
Don't you see? It's the Toltec ar
row. That picture is older than Amer
lean historyr'
Fudge! That's one Of your harmless
little insanities." broke in. 1.-THE man
who discovered the bottom Of the bag
drew that to point out the way"
Hargreaves turned without a void
and led or at top speed through the
tunnel. came up with him In the
cul-de-sac. He was on his knees, pass
ing the flame Of the lamp painstakingly
over every inch of the barrier.
More Toltec arrowsp / querled,
trying to laugh on the uncanniness of
the thing.