Martinsburg statesman-democrat. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1906-1921, 1907-12-23
nere qulte a spell. all wlnt

over, ana then ne advanced 70 IHe
other canoe. That was. as he assert
ed. bottom up, and also lay half hid
back of a jutting ledge of slate. Two
paddles leaned against this ledge, and
near by was another setting pole. All
three of these familiar objects were
brown Nth damp lould and evidently
had rested ter my months
"Curis, taris." muttered Old Cy
again 81 callated I'd find nothiu here,
n here's two canoes left to rot, n
been here all winter"
Then with a vague sense of need. he
returned to his canoe, seized his rife,
looked all around, over the lake, up
into the green tangle above the lodges,
and finally followed the narrow pas
sage leading to where he had once
watched smoke arise. Here ON top of
this ledge he again halted and looked
about.
Back Of 1t was the same V-shaped
cleft across which a cord had held
drying pelts, the cord was still there,
and below 1t he could see the dark
skins amid the confusion of jagged
stones.
Turning, he stepped from this ledge
to the lower one nearer the lake,
walked down its slope, and looked
about again. At its foot was a long,
narrow, she'f-like projection. ending
at the corne~ Of the ledge Old Cy fol
lowed this tc its cad and stepped down
into narrow crevasse.
Great Scott" he exclaimed, taking
a backward step as he did SO.
And we'll he might for there at his
feet lay rifle coated with rust beside
a brown felt hat.
Had a grinning skull met his eyes
he would not have been more astound-
ed. In fact, that was the next object
he expected to see, and he glanced up
and down the crevasse for 1t. None
leered at him, however, and picking
up the rusted weapon, he continued
+ his search.
Two rods or so below where he had
climbed the upper ledge. he was halt
ed again for there, at his hand almost,
was a curious doorlike opening some
three feet high and one foot wide, back
of an outstanding slab of slate.
The two abandoned canoes had sur
prised him, the rusty rife astonished
him, but this a self-evident cave en-
trance, almost took his breath away
For one instant he glanced at 1t,
stepped back step, dropped the rusty
rife and cooked his own, as If expect
ing q ghost or panther to emerge.
None came, however, and once more
Old Cy advanced and peered into this
opening. A faint light illumined its
interior-a weird slant of sunlight. yet
enough to show a roomy cavern.
The mystery was solved This sure
ly was the hiding spot of the strange
trapper!
Cant see why I missed it afore,"
Old Cy muttered, kneeling that he
might better look within, and smiling
at the peculiar odor Wonder II the
cuss is dead In thar, or what smells
SOL"
Then he arose and grasped the slab
of slate. One slight pull and 1t fell
aside
"A nat'ral door, by hokey." eS-
claimed Old Cy. and once more he
knelt and looked in.
The bravest man will hesitate mo-
ment before entering such a cavern,
prefaced, so 10 speak, by two aban-
doned canoes, rusty rife, human
head covering, each and all bespeaR-
ing something tragic, and Old Cy was
no exception. That he had come upon
some grewsome mystery was apparent.
Canoes were not left to rot in the viii
derness or rifles dropped without
cause.
And then, that hat
Surely here, or 'hereabouts, had
been enacted drama of murderous
nature, and inside this cavern might
repose its blood-stained sequel
But the filtering beams of light en-,
couraged Old Cy, and he entered. No
CHASTITY corpse confronted him, but in
stead human. if cramped, abode.
fireplace deity fashioned of slate or
cupied one side of this cave; in from,
low table of the same fiat stone, resi-
ing upon small ones; and upon the
table We're rusty tin dishes, few
mouldy bareback, a knife, fork. and
scraps Of meat, eXhaling the odor OF
decay. smell of smoke from the
charred wood in the fireplace mingled
with it all. In one corner was a bed
Of brown fir twigs, also mouldy,
blanket, and tanned deerskins.
The cave was of oval, irregular
shape barely high enough for Old Cy
to stand upright. Across it's roof, on
either side of the rude chimney, mar
row crack admitted light, and as he
looked about, he saw in the dim light
another doorlike opening into still an
other cave. Into this he peered but
could see nothing
A queer Twin spot" he muttered
at last, "a regular human panther den.
An twas out O. this seen the smoke
come. An here's his gun" he added,