The citizen-Republican. (Scotland, Bon Homme County, S.D.) 1???-19??, 1909-07-29
CHATTER v111-continued.

cave"
Cave snapped The Squire. That
don't go. I've lived here all my life,
and 1 should have known If there was
a cave"
But we can prove it w minutes,
Squire Hartswick.' broke in Jim,
eagerly. It's only a few steps"
Now that's fair" assented Amos.
Come On. Pm jest dyin' to see It,"
Nosuh, It's a trap"
1T Amt no such thing Squire. Now
you look ahere. That feiler there is
the one that's been dom these robber-
les. You a see that by the looks of
him. They have got a cave down there
that we don't know anything about. I
say it's nothing more'n right that we
take a look at tat the outside of 1t,
II nothing more. Come on. sheriff"
That's fair" assented the man.
There's no risk in dom that. Come
on, Squire. Now. Farthing. no monkey
business. I've got a revolver here, and
I'll plug you the minute there's foul
play" The Squire hesitated a mo-
ment, then followed the trio into the
Run.
I'VE Central Pennsylvania lies a
blanket of limestone, 500 and more feet
thick. Imagine from the top OF this
a mighty layer lifted like a slice from
a loaf, and behold a chaotic landscape
or winding caverns sparkling with stall
20 ia5S SIlcllilDS1o CoSSSo IA
myriad colors-a section Of a sponge,
a cut across an ant-hill.
Those born on the GRANTEES and the
schists never overcome their wonder
at the limestone. It's yagaries are ever
new and astounding. Great streams
burst out of the mountain gaps, wind
awhile through the alluvial. then are
O sinkhole; again miles away they
burst into the daylight, boiling springs
with mighty rush of water sufficient
to turn great mills. Farmers blowing
in the field. sink out OF sight In a
%twtnkling, horses and all; a field as
smooth as a floor, suddenly in an au-
tumin flood springs q leak; there is a
sink-hole In the center, n by night
there Is a yawning gulf down which
has disappeared the fertility of many
square rods OF tillage; great towns
have no sewerage outlet. the whole tor
charged into some sink-hole. Some
times a whole field, acres in extent, be-
gins to settle. Down and down it goes
until 1t has become a gulf with pre-
cipitous sides. In the famous Sinking
Valley there Is a plot IL acres in *
today 1t Is a chasm a quarter OF a mile
In depth. And still 1t Is pulling grad
ually down acre after acre of the fer
tile land.
It Is the country of the weathered
and grotesque ou~t-croppings, of hin
soil. a mere crust over the rock mass
OF s~ink-holes, and ice ave n blind
caverns-millions Of them unmeasured
and unsupported by man.
Here we are" said Jim at length.
THE mouth OF the cave is In that rock
heap" They threw the light Of their
lanterns into q Jagged fissure,lying low
amid the tangle Of Juniper. See that
NiR StOnA2 Give ~ n nYISh m the left
side"
Amos bent over and pushed the
stone. 1t rolled back noiselessly, dis
closing a black void.
neat s s;n e !, >. n9 ~ ,oa That's mighty ty
ring OF faces. "A feller might hunt a
week anCs not find that. Les go In"
"NosuE! It's a trap. Don't you go
In there" The old man spoke deci-
sively4
ITS a ave all wight Amos flashed
h ray of the lantern far into the
hole. And it's where them robbers
have made their headquarters jest as
sure as you stand there. Come on,
sheriff. II Q do your duty you'll go
Now I oon't know" he said, hest
tatingly.
Wal. I'm goin' In whether or no. and
I'm goin' to run for sheriff next fall.
..Asi r,nht .,sI1 -
- 49, shl; wem 80 -. Amos, you
member I.ve rot nv r~evnlvar rirht IN
my fist. Al the very f1rst sign of
monkey business I'll shoot yeh as quick
on behind with vonr anternS
aNosuh. You don't catch me in
there" he Int Amos WAS al
ready out a. sirht lin ,nnneded
@rreailv nv the m-anarlra was fnlInwinr
ninsaIy Than the sharify crant intn t,e
narrow onenine and the snnire stood
alone All was silent sava for the
waters 81 the R,an which rihhered and
hissed at his feet. He stood q mo-
ment undecided. then ne too crawled
81
Tha nIaca u,.a j. ~ ava pa,rnw -
hrst ana m low n niaees that 9hav hsd
70 hard aIyaoss dc,,,,Ia hs4 81, 81 mrs
thav amaraad into 5 channhar az hrnaS
and hirh i,saping eroT %nat thev co,,1dd
see in the aim ieh az ! harm. The
roof seemed IN Ne nada nm nr innns
merahie noints Ike %icicles net md
49, ~ 800 : S.,,is.nt s,,ass, -
ers dnil md n M..trsies.' ire fsonr was