Cameron County press. [volume] (Emporium, Cameron County, Pa.) 1866-1922, 1907-08-22
The Mystery
Carney-Croft
Copyright. 1907, by Story Press CorporatIon)
CHAPTER Xxll.-Continued.
BY
JOSEPH BROWN COOKE

and weather worn, but apparently per-
fectly strong and secure, was attached
to one side of this shaft, and, after
waiting for a few minutes until my
eyes had become accustomed to the
blackness of the hole, l could see that
it was about IL feet deep and opened
into the arched roof of a tunnel of
some kind. the floor of which, as well
as the sides and top, was constructed
of massive masonry.
At times the most level-headed and
evenly balanced man is tempted to
do some foolhardy thing, and, while
l make no claim to any unusual de-
gree of personal bravery, and have
not daredevil trait in my disposi-
lion. l was suddenly seized with an
irresistible desire to descend into this
forbidding looking pit and investigate
1t for myself, then and there.
My revolver was fully loaded and
also carried small pocket-lamp which
had been given me some time before
and which l had found useful on sew
eral occasions; less strenuous how
ever, than the one at hand
With these thoughts in my mind
and, it must be confessed, with many
misgivings which l strove to keep
down and ignore, l propped open the
lid of the manhole and descended
boldly into the underground passage,
holding my revolver firmly in my hand
and ready to light my little lamp as
soon as | reached the bottom of the
ladder
Once in the tunnel l stepped to one
side in the direction of the river,
where | could not be seen by anyone
looking in from above, and tried to
accommodate my eyes to the darkness
of the place and avoid, if possible, the
use of my lamp.
After a time / found that | could
see fairly well and that | was in a
long, narrow tunnel of brick and stone,
about six feet wide and seven in
height, which sloped gradually down
to the river, where 1t ended in the
flight of stone steps that | had seen
and which were entirely under the
Surface of the water. There was a
damp, noisome odor to the place and
soon recognized in it the same
graveyard smell that l now knew so
well and dreaded so much.
| had, however, expected something
of this sort, and nerving myself to al
most anything that might be disclosed
in my search, | proceeded cautiously
and stealthily along toward the steps,
thinking l would explore that part of
the tunnel first, before going in the
other direction.
| saw nothing of interest until / got
near the water, where found heavy
warm coat neatly folded and, on it, a
whisky flask with the cork loosened
evidently awaiting their owner and in
dicating clearly that he purposed re.
turning by the route he had taken
when he left.
Leaving these as they lay, 1 re.
traced my steps and passed once more
under the open shaft and on up the
gentle Slope of the passage-way, hold
ing my pistol well in front of me and
wondering at what moment some
ghastly sight would meet my gaze and
account for the constantly increasing
fetidness of the place. l had not
lighted my lamp, for the faint glimmer
that filtered in th.s;ugh the river
water and the illumination from the
shaft enabled NE TO see with reason
able distinctness.
AS | proceeded up the tunnel, how
ever, objects began to grow DINNER
and DINNER and was on the point of
striking light when | heard a sudden
crash and saw, to my horror, that the
lid of the manhole had fallen shut
with bang, leaving me in total dark.
ness.
Before | could ignite my lamp or
even collect my thoughts, there was a
rush of foul air from the upper end of
the tunnel and then some heavy, lum-
bering creature brushed past me-
breathing into my face a hot breath
OF unspeakable suggestiveness and
wheeling and mumbling like fretful
lion just after generous meal.
| shrank close to the wall of nv
prison, for such it now was, not know.
ing what to do or which way to turn
when, to my great relief, the beast, OF
whatever it was, shuffled awkwardly
past me again, still making horrid gut
tural sounds and breathing deeply as
before.
rat, or some similar little animal
scuttled over my feet at the same mo
ment stopping long enough to bite my
ankle sharply, but ! made no sound
and held my breath until the more
formidable creature was we'll beyond
me and left me a free course to the
river.
AS soon as | felt that the coast was
clear and that | could not be over
taken, | sped down the incline toward
the steps and plunged headlong into
the water, which glimmered faintly
green before me. Striking out unde,
the surface, swami as far away from
the entrance as l could, and, cominf