The Cairo bulletin., 1906-08-11
The Eye In the Wall

duty they went prospecting III the
mountains 10 the west of the fort. In
their ranlbles they entered a ravIne or
cauvnn and trayersed IL for half mile
before finding chance 10 climb out.
short while before climbing out
they discovered flaming eye in the
rocky wall on their left ana about
forty feet above their heads, 1t gar
ed and sclntilatei and flashed, anu
though the men were laboring nnder
considerable excitement over heinE
lost. they marked the curious thii'S
well and had much TO say about IL arr
err reaching the post in safety.
During the next three months Wheh
men we're searching every day some
of them no doubt struck the right ia
vine and followed it UP, but none
caught sight of the eye in the wall II
was the only thing talked about in bar
racks. IL was soon settled that II was
a diamond. and a monstrous large one
ar that and that the value could not
Ia u.nch less than half million dol
lars The tax and the hunt for 1t soon
hegar 10 tell on discipline, ana IN
general order the commandant loroaae
any one to search further,
The diScovererS of the eye III the
wall had TO abandon their search pat
they did not cease to talk and plot ana
/ man 4 month later, as both were on
sentry duty the same night they de-
serted
! Tho colonel realized that they must
he rccapturcd at once or their example
/ vaild be followed by others, and tie
fam was sent out and put in a week $
/ hard work. Then came news tl3t tLi'
Indians were again on the Warp3'h'
onj the detail was driven in. 1t brought
I IN Williams however. He had met
with a fall and lain for three days Win
a broken leg. and it was only by chance
that he had been discovered.
He said tie pair Of them hRd heeil
exploring rayiues for Il week or more
when Thomas began to act so strange
~ that his fellow descgter became
afraid Of him. He continually NUT
tnred and mumbled, thinking Of the
diamond and at last declared that Il
tho eve was found it should belong 10
him alone Two or three times he
seemed about to murder Williams, and
at length the latter lodged him ana
was irving to make his way back e
the fort when he met with his accident
lie could give no further Information
about Thomas.
After three weeks Of exploring Thorn
~ found the eye In the wall. Nhile i
was only forty or fifty feet above us
head. ii might as wrli nave been 4''
rba side of the canyon was solid ane
smooth and not to be climbed.
In this emergency Thomas attempt
on IN shoot the eye out OF It's bed Il
the wall. His firing attracted the ~
dams TO the spot They could not max
ont what be was firing at. but the rae
of his being alone in the mountain
and of firing at all where he must know
tb,t thcre were hostile Indians abou
made them suspect that he was no
right in his head.
His efforts to dslodge the stone WeF
futile. and after having fred about
/ dozen bullets he walked a few step
$ mn the canyon and sat down on sion
g and held his face in his hands
was midafternoou, and just where !
sat the sun gave his watchers llgi
!. enough to see everything that happe'
ed They had their eyes on nm "iAe''
& grizzly bear came sluuchlnS down u
J. CANYON from some point where be M
?. , don to investigate the firing. j
y stoned within ten feet of the desert
"a and shifted at him and srowled' VINE
p. Thomas looked up and saw his FisLV
a he did not seem in the least alarihe
"a ON tbo contrary. he leaned his back
tho wall. aud the Indians heard b.
talking BY and by lac got up al
offered his hand to the bear, "hefeuP
tho grizzly grovled mcnacingly ana
q. treated few feet.
Thomas sat down looking down y
canyo1 Instead Of at the bear ana u
w animal law down for 4 period oil ten
- drteeu minutes. Then as the M
Ie u,ada no move. the grizzly advance
-, again aud was presently 50 close u
EN- he seemed to put his nose on the maj
shoulder. Then he turned about a
started talking. and more than on
tbev saw him extend his band and 1
the fierce beast on the back. The
IN were Eve Indians watching and N
ny could have slain the bear with voll'
in l,ut the situation was such a strah
.ss one that they did not think OF firing
nj shot
-y The play between man and bear @
on tinnod for a long quarter Of an no
as So long as the soldier was quiet
n. bear did not seem inclined TO Ia
him. but by and by Thomas rose
and began to speak in excited toI
and to point fercely down the cany
AN Al this the bear began 70 erowl >
ere ageIy. and five minutes later he STR
for out with his great paw and stre'''
,,5 the man dead and then turned
IN went back 10 its lair.
n II was a year before peace came
the indians related what they
seen. Thea a searching party WIS
out under their guidance. and the 10
81 Thomas was found. II was b
good state Of preservation. and noth