Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1908-06-20

With me into t'other world: an II
was sure o hindin' a spot Ike Il thar.
I'd never worry bout goin' when my
time comes"
After long wait. as n he wanted TO
observe every detail OF this wondrous
picture Of wildwood beauty. he dipped
his paddle. crossed the sheet OF rippIed
water. and stepped ashore at the very
spot where he and Ray had landed
over eight months before.
o. Great Scott" he exclaimed. gIanc-
Ing around. ~ that amt canoe. bot
tom up! Two. by gingerl" he added.
as he saw another drawn out and half
hid by a low ledge.
To this second one be FASTENED at
once and looked into H.
Il had evidently rested there all win
ter. FOR II was partially filled with wa
ter, and half afioat In Il were two mad
dies and a setting pole. A gunny-cloth
bag. evidently containing the usual
coking outfit OF wOodsman. lay soak
Ing In one end. a frying-pan and an Ak
we're rusting IN the other. and a coat
Ing OF mould had Drowned each cross
bar and thwart.
Been here quite a spell. all winter
I guess" muttered Old Cy, looking Il
over aud then he advanced to the
other canoe. That was. as he assert
ed. bottom UP. and also lay half hid
back OF q Jutung ledee OF slate. Two
paddles leaned against this ledge. and
near by was another setting pole. All
three OF these familiar objects were
brown with damp mould and evidently
had rested there many months.
"Curis. curis," muttered Old Cy
again. I callated I'd find nOthin' here.
n here's two canoes left to rot. n
been here all winter"
Then with a vague sense OF need. he
returned 20 his canoe, seized his rife.
looked all around. over the lake. I'D
into the green tangle above the lodges.
and finally followed the narrow pas
sage leading 10 where he had once
watched smoke arise. Here on top OF
this ledge he again halted and looked
about
Back OF IL was the same V-shaped
cleft across which a cord had held
drying pelts. the cord was stu there.
and below IL he could see the dark
skins amid the confusion OF Jagged
stones
Turning. he stepped from this ledge
70 the lower one nearer the lake.
walked down its slope. and looked
about sgain. At its foot was a long.
narrow. shelf-like projection, ending
at the corner OF the ledge. Old Cy fol-
lowed this to its end and stepped down
into a narrow crevasse.
Great Scott" he exclaimed, taking
g backward step as he did so.
And well he might. for there at his
feet lay a rife 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 70 see. and he glanced up
and down the crevasse for It. None
leered ct him, however, and picking
up the rusted weapon, he continued
his search.
Two rods or so below where be had
climbed the upper ledge. he was halt
ed again, for there, at HIS hand almost.
was 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 astonisbed
him. but this. a self-evident cave en-
trance, almost took his breath away.
For one instant he glanced at Il.
stepped back q step, dropped the rusty
rifle and cooked his own. as IL expect
ing ghost or panther to emerge.
None came. however. and once more
Old cy advanced and oeered into this