The Butte inter mountain. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1901-1912, 1901-11-16

was enabled to see about me. The air
was warm, even hot, at one side Of the
cave, and this was caused, I discovered,
| by the presence of a large number. OF
boiling springs close to the ~edeasof the
lake. The water here was so hot I
could scarcely hold my hands in it for
even moment.
"Near these springs were a group of
stalactites, hanging from the ceiling of
the cave, and a. pretty sight They pre-.
scented, their sharp points coming to
within few feet Of the water.
Almost under them were several white
objects, which, upon examination, I found
to be human bones. They were probably
the bones of a man who had been
drowned in the river and whose body had
been carried into the underground lake.
1.-The finding of them gave me a de-
cided shock for a few minutes, and If 1t
had been possible for me to have run
away think I should have done SO. but
as I saw no way of getting out just.
then I sensibly concluded to remain an
LEGATIONS. -*s1
Blind Fish Caught.
while wading around big rock that
projected out into the lake I felt some<
thing strike my foot, and on reaching
down grasped smooth. slippery object.
that twisted and turned in my hand as
it tried to free itself.
1T was fish, probably six inches in
length. of the same variety, as near an
I could judge, as the one caught some
time ago, when I sent a piece of timber
to which had tied fish line, through
the underground passage. Had 1T been
possible, would have brought the Ash
out with me. but all wanted to do was
"a
thing with me.
after trying in vain to walk clear
around the lake I was forced to quit,
because in several places there was no
beach at all-the water came close up
to the walls of the cave. and seemed to
be of great depth. Just how it was
cannot, of course, say, as had no means
of measuring it, but 1t was SO forbid
ding looking that kept out of it.
ION a little rocky ledge near the inlet
of the lake, where the water was ice
cold, I found a big plank that had evi-
IDENTIFY foated into the cave in high
water and which had been left high and
dry for my especial benefit, it seemed to
me. Using this plank as a support, I
ferried myself, half swimming, across the
lake, to what seemed to me to be the
outlet.
Carried by Current.
"There was but little expenditure OF
muscle needed in crossing the lake, as
the current bore me along almost as
fast as I wanted to go. and when I
neared the southern wall Of the cavern
could hear the roaring OF the water
as it forced itself out.
There was but little light at this side
| Of the lake, and several times my cour-
age failed me, for I realized that II the
outlet were too small for me to escape
through I would die where I was. as IL
was manifestly impossible for me to ge<
! out the same way I came H.
II cannot tell you Just how it was,
but somehow or other the current caught
me right when I neared the hole through
| which the water. now warm and pleas
| ant, was issuing from the big cave,
and before I could do anything to help
myself was slammed up against a. wall
of rock and hard earth in way that
made my teeth rattle. For a moment I
thought I was lost for sure.
| while the upper half of my body waa
on the plank. my legs were deep in thu
water. and the suction Of the stream al
it poured through the opening in the
wall almost dragged me down. By hard