Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1907-01-08

ler'g. What if it were rotten or faulty
in some parts?
There was no going back, that was
certain; and so after moments indie
cision l suffered the knot to slip past the
handle and let myself down as slowly as
| could. lest the friction should injure the
cord, bethinking me that / should have to
return, as we'll as descend, in safety At
length, to my great satisfaction, the strain
on the rope came to an end, and / found
myself at the bottom OF the shaft with
a good length of cord to spare.
l could sec nothing but the faint glim-
mer of light in the washholsc over my
head the rest was to my eyes absolute
obscurity. An audible movement on my
right hand caused me to dive into the
bucket for a weapon of defense. l found
the jackknife, and opening it stood ready
for the attack, at the same time saying
saying with as steady a voice as l could
command, Whoever is down here l am
his friend"
There was no answer, no repetition OF
the sound, and l think the silence had a
more terrifying effect upon my senses
than If l had been aroused by the fercest
Ahd h1OSb AAchdSAhb sOiSC. ACl- budb
might be standing within arms reach of
an unseen foe preparing to spring upon
me. To put an end to this suspense
stuck the open knife between my teeth
and struck a match.
AS l expected, l found a brick opening
before me but the light of the match
was insufficient to reveal anything more
than a few feet of brick work on each
side; beyond, the darkness was impene-
trable.
l drew out enc of the candles and lit
it, throwing down the match when the
wick caught. The next moment as 1 was
about 70 tsep sideways from the bucket
| heard a sharp hiss, and looking down
with NY candle raised found that the
step if taken would probably have been
my last.
/ was not nearly at the bottom of the
shaft, but only on a plank set across
it, the Kissing sound was caused by the
falling of the lighted match into the
water below. The cunning of the old
smugglers who had used the well as a
secret passage to the caves was evident
in this, for the plank being removed
water would have been drawn from the
well to disprove any suspicion of inquir-
ing revenue officers.
This escape and the shock it gave TO my
nerves made me still more cautious in my
advance. With the light heidi out before
me in my left hand, and the open knife
in my right, / made my way slowly mad, I
must own, with most unpleasant sensa-
ton of fear, along the bricked passage.
Presently / found myself at the entrance
to a cave, spacious and lofty, shored up
at intervals with planks mad great ship
timbers. The white chalk rejecting the
rays Of the candle made the cavern com
paratively light. In front of me was
mass of debris sloping up to the roof,
where the fallen cliff choked the shoce
entrance; but l could see no sign of any
habitant nor hear any sound.
Suddenly the silence was broken by a
loud cav, and, shifting the candle, / per-
ceived in recess that had been thrown
into darkness by the shadow of beam.
a smooth slab of chalk on which was set
the pitcher | had lowered in the morning,
and beside it piece of the bread on
which jackdaw was perched. He look.
ed up at me for a moment with his gcay
| eye and then ser to work again digging
| out the crumbs vigorously.
l stepped toward the recess, the JACK
daw ceased pegging at the bread, eyed
me askance, and not liking the look Of
me hoped off still further into the dark
| ness.
l followed on and found the recess
| to be an opening into a second cave. By
the side of the slab there were some
rags neatly arranged on a boulder to
| form a cushion. l had no doubt now
that should find the real captive in The
next cave. Surely enough, l did, and a
| strange one it was, too.
A second cav from the jackdaw drew
| my eye at once to the left of the en-
trance to the second cave, and there IN
kind of alcove, hung about with stri ps
of colored rags in a barbarous attempt
| at decoration, l saw crouching upon a
| litter of straw overspread with blankets
child with long hair falling over her
shoulders. The jackdaw was perched on
her shoulder, and in contrast with its
| plumage the child's hair seemed quite
| white. I could not see her lace. for she
had covered it with her thin white hands
to shut out what to her unaccustomed
senses was a binding Hght-the candle,
to me a feeble glimmer.