The Prince George's enquirer and southern Maryland advertiser., 1906-11-23
Eelect Misrellany.
Caught in a Cave.
BY HUGH F. GR1NsTEAD.

1t has been said that after all the
surface of the earth has been explored
there will yet remain many vast un
derground c.verns shat will furnis q
field of research for the scientist and
the adventurer. While the short
space Of one day was as long as | ever
spent. un !er ground, the conditions
under wh:c', this enforced and unpleas
ant journey was taken has suificed to
satisfy ary Ion yiny | may have other
wise had for subterranean eKplora'
tions. The circumstances which l am
about to ralate occurred in Southern
Kentucky, near the head waters Of
Barren river, twenty miles south Of
Mammoth Cave.
In 1854 my father moved from Vir
ginia to X ntucky, where with the
help OF myself and brother, aged res
pecttully seventeen and fifteen years
he had bull u two room log house anG
cleared several acres OF land prepara
tory to planting crop. The spring
following our removal to the new home
was character zed bv a great amour,
of rain, and consequently much time
was allowed us for bunting. Wilo
turkeys were numerous, as were ais,
deer and other large al d m ,re danger
oun game.
One morning about the lst of May
| awoke early and decided to go tur
key shooting before daylight, while
the wary gobbler was still on the roost
Quietly taking the trusty muske'
from the rack over the door l made
my way out of the house without dis
turbng the members of the family
Outdoors the moon was shining
brightly, and without difficulty founc
and followed the path that led dowr
to the spring and across the bottom
to Barren River. Midway between
the spring and river was a narrow
strip of ''hog wallow' land, so called
from a series of short undulations re
sembling the holes rooted out by hogs
in search of roots.
On nearing the "hog wallow" my at
tention was attracted to what appear
ed to be black spot on the grouno
and almost directly in the path. Hav
ing been along the road the evening
previous i was at a loss to understand
the cause of this phenomenon, which
IN the uncertain moonlight looked for
all the world like an immense splotel
of ink. l approached cautiously ano
was almost on the verge of what prov
ed to be an all but bottomlcss pit
when, without warning and before
could recede a step to safer footing
the point of the earth on which stood
gave way and | was precipitated feet
foremost down an inclined plane.
Would | never stop? | was not fall =
ing, but sliding and rolling down s
mud-lined passage which dipped at an
angle OF forty,f five degrees. However
such was the impetus gained by my
first plunge that l was shot down as
from a catapult. CIutching wildly
for some means to ctay my mad flight
my hands would touch the sides Of the
narrow shaft, and once SO small was
the opening that | stopped for an in
stant, but the loose earth giving away
| dropped sheer downward tweenty
feet into a shallow pool of water.
D. zed and half stunned by the fal
| sat or rather lay there several min
utes before my scattered senses coulC
grasp all that had betallen me Wher'
was | and how far had | fallen? Fo
a few seconds | could hear the rumble
of dislodged earth as it followed me
but was caught in the small passage
finally shutting out all souLd from
above, barring escape by that way
Then | did what might have been ex
pected Of boy Of my age. Frantic