The Coalville times. [volume] (Coalville, Utah) 1894-1923, 1900-01-05
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DICK RODNEY; /
Or. The Adventures of 5
An Eton Boy. 5
ev ny JAMES GRANT
4
az JAMES GRANT.

NNNeNAtH ~ - lred EfftE~
me As for poor vsu. 90 possessed
only a brass tobsc, .-sen short.
black pipe. and one sniiing and six.
pence yet he WINS speedily deprived
OF them by one who seemed TO be the
leader OF the gang.
You rascally Jack spaniard!" said
Tom shaking his olonched fst In the
robbers face. ~ ever haul alongside
oil you elsewhere look out for squallsl"
AZ this they an laughed. aud seized
us by the arms. dragged us into the
back part Of the cavern or fissure In
the rocks, leaving one Of their NUM-
Der, armed with muskct. as sentinel.
at the entrance. whore he III paper
cigar, and stretching himself on the
grassy bank. placed his hands under
his head. and proceeded to ielsureiy
smoke In the sunshine.
These proceedings hlled Ms with
great alarm; now that they had rob
bed us OF everything save our
clothes, what could their object BET
One OF them produced two pieces OF
rope, with which our hands were
tied. Dragged by some. and receiving
severe blows and bruises from the
clenched hands and muaket-butts OF
othors-accompanied by the impreca-
lions 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 a thousand reyerbcratlons.
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 n portion OF the
great Peak. And now We became SEN
slble Of strange sound and strange
odor peryading all the place.
Through a rent In the rocky roof OF
the grotto there fell a clear. bright
stream OF sunlight that revealed tho
tcrrors OF the place toward which our
captors dragged us.
on one side there yawned vast
black assure or chasm. In the aomber
masses OF obsldlan and red blocks OF
lava witch composed the floor OF that
horrld cavern: and from this fasurS
there assembled, and doubtless stih as
cends az times. hot. Eulphuroui
steam, which rendered breathing dit
Qenlt and induced an Inclination 4
IaAecze.
From the depth OF that hideor
chahm. the profundity OF which n
mortal eye could measure. and no HI
man being could contemplate withol
awe and terror, we heard q strang
buzzlng sound. az II from the bowe
OF the inner earth. far-heaven alor
knows how far-down below
In fact. we were upon the verge ,
one OF those natural splracles while
the natives term ''the nostrilH." or ayl
nues through which the hot vapora
that tremendous Plton ascend; an
the buzzing sound that made OF
hearth shrink, we scarcely knew VIII
was caused by some volcanic throe
the bottom OF the mountain. whol
base is many mile below the waite
OF the sea.
The assure was also twelve fe
broad. and across Il there lay a plan
forming n species OF bridge
Two OF our captors crossed. and IN,
ordered us TO follow them.
followed like one In a dream; bl
my heart was chilled by terror
deadly that had no power
thought OF resistance. My first fel
was that the plank might be trundl,
from under our feet. and that v
would be launched into the black ably
below; but such was not the object
these Spaniards. as Tom and wei
permitted TO pass in safety.
The remainder OF the thieves 10
lowed. and We found ourselves In al
other grotto, the roof OF which WI
covered by stalaetltes. that gllttert
Ike gothic pendants OF alabaster In n
hsht that fell from the upper flssur
which formed a natural window. an
through II we could see the thin. whit
steam ascending and curling in n
sunshine.
Now, supposlng that they had us
perfect security, our captors proceed
90 to hold a consultation as 10 whit
they should do with us; and lmaglI
ing that we were both Ignorant OF the
language, or. what Is more probabl
caring little whether we knew Il {
not they canvassed the most terrib
resolutions with perfect GOODNESS an
freedom Of speech.
CHAPTER Y.
The Ventana.
Tom Lambourne's face wore som,