Kingsbury County independent. (DeSmet, Kingsbury County, S.D.) 1894-1929, 1909-07-30
CHAPTER yIII-continued.

AVE snapped the SQulTt. la
don't go. I've lived here all my life
and I should have known II there was
a cave"
But we can prove it two minutes
Squire H~artswick," broke In Jim
eagerly. Its only a few steps"
Now that's fair" assented Amos
Come on. I'm jest dyin' to see IT,"
"Nosuh, it's a trap"
1T amt no such thing, Squire. Now
you look ahere. That Teller there is
the one that's been dom these robber-
les. You can see that by the looks OF
him. They have got a cave down there
that we don't know anything about. ]
say it's nothing more'n right that we
take a look at it-at the outside OF II,
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 no
ment, then followed the trio into the
Run.
over 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
Of winding caverns sparkling with stall
agmites, huge chambers frescoed In
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 vagaries are ever
new and astounding. Great streams
burst out of the gaps, wind
awhile through the alluvial, then are
sucked down suddenly by the NAV Of
a 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 I'm a
twinkling, horses and all; a field as
smooth as a floor, suddenly In an au-
tumin flood springs a leak; there Is a
sink-hole In the center, and by night
there Is q yawning gulf down which
has disappeared the fertility OF many
square rods OF tillage: great towns
have no sewerage outlet. the whole tor
rent from countless sewers being dis
charged into some sink-hole. Some
times a whole field, acres in extent, be-
gins to settle. Down and down IL goes
until 1t has become a gulf with pre-
cipitous sides. In the famous Sinking
Valley there is a plot IL acres in ex-
tent, which began to sink In 1864, and
today ii Ia 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.
1t Is the country OF the weathered
and grotesque o~ut-croppings, Of thin
soil. a mere crust over the rock mass
of sink-holes. and Ice caves. and blind
caverns-millions OF them unmeasured
and unsupported by a
Here we are,' said Jim at length.
The mouth OF the ave is In that rock
heap They threw the light OF their
lanterns into a Jagged assure lying low
n V>nt1 tHn fnn~ln ~ ttyf~aw ASaA that
big stoneT Give Ii a push on the left
side"
Amos bent over and pushed the
stone. 1t rolled back noiselessly, dis
closing a black void.
II swanny now! That's mighty
neat, amt it?' He looked up at the
ring of faces. "A Teller might hunt a
"Nosuh. It's a trap. Don you go
sively.
It's a cave all right" Amos flashed
the rays OF the lantern far into the
hole. "And It's where them robbers
have made their headquarters jest a.
sure as you stand there. Come on,
sheriff, II you do . duty you'll go
In"
Now I aon't know" he said. hesi-
tatingly.
wal. I'm goin' in whether or no, and
I'm goin' to run for sheriff next TALL.
Here. give me your revolver
"All right, we'll go in. Amos. you
go ahead; Jim, you go next, and re-
member I've got my revolver right In
my fist. AT the very first sign OF
as I would a RATHER. Squire. you come
on behind with your lantern"
"Nosuh. You don't catch me I'm
there" he snapped. but Amos was al
ready out OF sight. Jim. impeded
greatly by the manacles. was following
closely. Then the sheriff crept n the
narrow opening and the Squire TODD
waters of the Run. which gibbered and
Kissed at his feet. He stood a mo-
ment undecided; then he, too, crawled
In.
The place was damp and narrow at
first and so low In places that they had
to bend almost double. but all at once
they emerged into a chamber as broad
and high, Judging from what they could
see In the dim light. as a barn. The
roof seemed TO be made up OF innu-
merable points like ~icicles. wet n
cleaning, some a brilliant yellow. 9TH
ers dull n lustreless. The o. was
| Jagged and irregular, made up of blunt
ed stalagmites and broken fragments
| from the roof. The walls near them
Il EliStencQ uDuef the tlSnl VI the 1911
terms as IL freshly smeared with paint
Amos was the first to break the ST.
lence:
"wal-rli-be-dumbuzzled!"
Iona took us TO this ROOM" ex-
| planned Jim, gesticulating with his
head. See, there's the remain OF our
lantern: she found 1t at the entrance
| and took IL in. We sat On those rocks
| right there. and she seemed nervous
| and excited. She made US keep as still
as death. and every little while she
would say, Harx.' and listen AS IL she
| expected TO hear something awful,
She went to the entrance TIVE
or three times. and she would
| come back saying we couldn't
go out Just yet. but hat we must 60
| the very first minute we could. After
a long while we heard a noise way on
In that direction. h jumped up as
if the roof was coming down. and told
as to run for our lives. We started
and Tom smashed the lantern against
the rock there. We tried 10 get out
but lost the direction. and while We
were trying to find X. two men with .
lantern came right round h q rocs
there"
was there two OF thems" asked thu
sheriff.
Yes: the one up there in the barr
and "a 1iffto hlock haired one. Ton