Catoctin clarion. [volume] (Mechanicstown, Md.) 1871-1940, 1907-10-24
CHAPTER XIX.
Continued.

the dull roar of the water as 1t struck
the bottom of the canon some thou
sands Of feet below.
Braces voice was startlingly dis
tinct when he spoke.
"You tell me the thing is on the other
side of the ropes, my GEL" he said.
She answered yes, and we went slow
" forward and downward along the
narrow and jagged ledge, our faces
toward the glttering quartz. seeking
interstices and projections for hold to
our hands.
We were passing away from the fall,
but at certain point the natural path
returned toward it in zigzag along a
lower projection. At the angle which
offered little wider standing space
We stopped.
This here hole was fust showed me
by the Kids mother" said Brace;
ut bad served her father for cachette
in quite the early days Of this country's
glory"
"a cachette," he explained. lis a
place where you keep things snug.
Almost every miner before the Vigil.
ance Committee nomenated me judge,
had q cachette. This was mine, and
many a ounce I've brought down here;
fur you see. barrin accidents, it's
wonderful safe. You will allow that
no one could find his way down here
in the dark" Il shuddered at the
thought of any one attempting such
fearful venture). and from here right
up to the hole is fair straight line,
so that no light could come down with.
out its bein' seen; but that amt the
only safeguard. as YOU shall see.
Come sir"
We made our way foot by foot along
the narrow ledge for some distance.
still descending. When Brace again
halted the light Of his torch revealed
the yellow stream falling silently
through space, a few feet before him.
That silent fall impressed me with a
sense of the awful depth Of the gulf
beside us.
The ledge ended abruptly where
Brace Stood recess in the wall al.
lowed ample standing room for us
three.
THE greaser never got no furder
down than this; but it weren't fur
enough for me-" said Brace. II had my
idea of gettin' right down to the bot
tom Of this hole, where these waters
must have carried tons of gold"
''But the ledge ends here
at do; but" he added, lifting his
torch, ut goes on again over there"
The light fell on the jutting projec-
ton of quartz upon the opposite side
of the chasm, distant at least twenty
feet.
"But you cannot leap that"
Correct, and l amt going to try"
He laid upon his face, and stretched
his arm down the chasm; when he rose
he had cord In his hand. Pulling
this in, he drew up two coils of stout
rope.
AS he drew them in I saw that their
other ends We're attached to rocks upon
tuC OppOoltC lCuSC, ohC tboNN thc wa
er, with about four feet between.
1--WE must hitch 'em tight-give us
a hand, sir" he said.
helped him to make the ropes taut
and fasten their loose ends upon the
projecting crags that he had long en-
ployed for that purpose.
"There, sir" he said, taking his
torch from Lola and holding it over the
black gulf, there's rs pretty bridge
and handrail as the heart Of man could
reasonably desire"
For all that, l held my breath as
saw him step out on the lower rope and
make his way, holding by the upper
one, across the black abyss. My turn
came, and with the blood humming in
my ears, stepped out upon the rope.
It swung to and fro in the middle, and
! was seized with that irresistible sug-
gestion Of self-destruction which af-
fects the imagination of most people
in looking down from an extraordinary
height.
Lola began to cross before was we'll
of, and when we stood all three in
safety on the ledge fervent "Thank
God" rose from my heart.
oval, we've got to git back agin,"
observed Brace, as If my thankful.
ness were a little premature; elbows.
ever, faint bad to think of Providence
when you're in danger; now, my gel,
tie for you to lead on"
"You can stay mere; you're too heavy
for where I'm going" said she, taking
the torch from his hand.
With swiftness that terrified me,
she went down the side Of the preci.
pice, finding foothold where we, look
ing down from the projection. could
see none.
"They don't know danger-kida
don't" said Brace, in a low tone.
END" he added, looking into the
depths about him uneasily, II wouldn't
mind feeling the same myself. First
time I ever felt skeery down this hole,
and I'm blamed If 1t sha'n't be the last.
I'm gettin' too old to enj'y risky work."
I could not take my eyes from the
light below, as 1t passed in jerks from
point to point. At last 1t stopped, and,
after a minutes pause, to my great
relief. 1t began to return.
Quicker and quicker the light danced
along until felt sick and giddy with
Gear for the girls safety; and then,