The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1904-11-09

battlemented tower, or, better, Of
some vast fantastic crown. To the
east there was a cleft, where willows
and underb; ush grew thickly on
steep slope; and amid them issued
tiny spring.
could hear barking and splitting
from somewhere in the rock, and de-
termined to Chamber up and see how
my dogs were faring. struggled up
through the tangled underground,
then, with knees and fingernails up a
slippery slope of sandstone, and
checked myself at the top just in time
to avoid a breaknecll fall
For the great rock was hollow. Just
as the sheer walls rose on the outside,
so they fell within, enclosing a great
pit, perhaps 80 yards in length and Is
broad In one corner were the bull
pups, actively assailing the cat. How
had they come there? Examining the
pit more carefully, saw that on one
side there was a difficult entrance,
where the rock sloped down, and the
sheer drop was only about seven feet,
though there was no unaided exit for
man or beast. l fetched lariat from
my horse, made a dangerous scramble
among the mushroom-headed rocks,
and, securing my rope round the stem
of one of them, let myself down just
in time to assist at the obsequies of
the cat.
The field of battle had conferred near
a small hole in the rocky wall, which
pack rat had partly filled with brush
and various rubbish. This had been
disturbed by the cat and dog encoun-
ter and further in the hole saw what
looked like brown leather. Brown
leather it proved to be-a check book
of the kind that folds over, and serves
for holding other documents.
The checks had been used, and the
counterfoils were scrubbed over in pen
Gil. The pencil writing was hard to
decipher, but a very short inspection
satisfied me that it was diary kept
by Archie Sparks.
This is what he wrote:
October 1S-Pain in my foot is awful,
but must write, as do not expect to
get out of here alive. Why did he do
it? But you do not know yet what he
did, so will tell. Yesterday we came
here and camped at the little spring.
Started TO explore the rocks about sun
set. Found the way into the hollow
and let myself down by rope. Left
both rifles at the top, and Clark Fen
ton was to follow me down. Instead of
doing so, he pulled up the rope, saying:
''This place will do as well as any,"
and shot me through the right foot
Shock must have made me faint, as
heard him saying things / didn't I'M
derstand. Finally wished me pleas
ant evening; said I should see him to-
morrow, and went away. Fenton must
be mad, to attack me like this, and
doubt if help arrives in time.
October 19-Fenton is worse than
mad-he is Minnie's brother. Minnie
was my Chicago girl, you know. Was
mining in Oregon then, and never
saw him. Now he tells me he is going
to watch me starve to death, and hopes
will enjoy it. Pain in foot worse,
and leg swollen. He let me down wa
ter in tin bucket; says he wants me
to have plenty of time. see no hope
October 20-Screamed all day, but
Fenton, or Johnson, as his real name
is, told me to go ahead and scream
Pain in foot less, but awful cramps in
stomach. He eats his meals in full
view of me. ate gooseberry leaves.
October 21-Minnie came to SIZE me
to-day with baby in her arms; opened
way for me out of the rock; started
to follow, but fell down. down, down.
October 22-Poor Minnie.
After this there were only few fee
BILE scrawls.
We have turned over all tho loose
sand in the hollow, and have had large
gangs of men examine the ground in
all directions, but have come on no
other evidence that would support the
idea that poor Archie was buried in the
neighborhood.
Up to date there has been NO news
of Johnson, alias Fenton.
He is thickset, speaks with q nasal
accent and never swears.