The Idaho Springs siftings-news., 1907-01-12
CHAPTER Nv.


Naldermere. He was at a loss how to
act He had undoubtedly seen us
leave the cavern-for that shadow
was no fancy-and had followed our
every step until we separated at the
station. He now had established
fact-formerly only theory-that
Dead Mans Cave was but an entrance
to a large series of caverns, and that
these latter We're accessible only tn
Naldermere and his associates by
means of some mechanical device,
some hidden ingenious machinery,
known only to its inventors; but he
would yet discover it. for he knew
something of safe combinations. he
had studied the ingenious method of
locks, secret springs and a thousand
cunning devices used by criminals
and against criminals.
His eyes blazed with a living fire
as he gazed upon those great stone
walls that shut out the world from
that hidden treasure, and he found
himself trying vainly to figure out the
amount of valuables that he would
probably find when he entered the un-
known realms of the subterranean
chambers beyond that frowning bar
rier, His brows met his eyes were
fierce, he stood as if transfxed.
What deyilish magic holds these
stones together" he wondered, land
shall | ever discover the secret, or am
to stand helpless. with my foot on
the threshold. my eye almost upon
the treasure. and let them escape? No
by all the gods Of fortune. will find
that pass-I will yet discover the key
to that accursed lions den"
He again entered a small tunnel, the
same he had traversed a hundred
times before. Here he found foot
prints in the soft soil. These he fol
lowed until they led him back to the
very spot where he had started, baf-
fed, enraged. and even hopeless.
At distance of some ten feet from
this was pool of dark water, extend
ing in a triangular shape from the
stonl wall. He dipped his hand into
the Water-then, STOPPING. he plunged
his arm along the edge of the pool,
feeling blindly, madly. along the
stones, until his hand touched the
wall.
"Ah what is this" he cried, plung.
Ing into the cold, silent water, and
seizing frantically some object which
protuded from the solid masonry.
"Ah. it is a lever, it is iron, it is"
he tugged fiercely, his eyes afire, his
frame rembling-pushing downward
there in the silence of that lonely
craven, he heard noise as of chains
"a grating, as of timber-he sprang
backward. his beady eyes staring fix
edly in the semi-darkness beyond.
One of the great stones was slowly
descending. and his heart stood still,
as he peered into the dark chamber
beyond, gaping with tunnels, which
seemed to lead in every direction,
black and frowning, like the very
gates of an Inferno.
His face was cold with sweat, his
limbs numb with terror-he felt
shocked, he who had never met fear
was face to face with some terrible
phantom beyond, and thus he stood
until the great stone had ceased to
move-until his lamp had gone out,
gazing into the mysterious darkness
beyond. afraid to move least he should
be swallowed up. He dared not enter
that place alone.
draught Of cold air came from The
gap in the wall. 1t awoke him to
his surroundings. He laughed, and
horrible chorus of echoes caused him
to fee. He again returned, however
and plunged into the pool of black
water tugging at the lever, until he
heard the chains rattle, the grating
OF the stone, and when with a tremb-
ling hand he had lighted his lamp he
saw naught save the black frowning
walls and the barrier was again
closed
He crept from the cavern-it was
night, and, without, the wind sighed
among the trees and the sky was
clear and cloudless.
When he crossed the river he
paused and looked back across the
muddy waters in the direction OF Dead
Mans Cave. His evil face lighted.
his thin lips parted in a sinister smile
The wind moaned in the forest of trees
between the bank of the river and the
base OF the great bridge, to the side
OF which clung the hut of the old In.
dian.
He laughed. he drove his fists into
the air; he talked to himself; to his
imaginary foes. Spirits, are they?
Not now, but they will be. Ha, ha,"
Then turning suddenly about he al
most stumbled into the arms of
short stout man, whose outlines he
could scarcely distinguish in the dark.
ness of the night.
Who the devil are you?' cried he.
drawing revolver and stepping back
ward. The only answer was a loud
laugh-a teering, mocking laugh,
which seemed to convulse the stout
nan.