The Cairo bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1???-1928, 1912-06-13


click Of the lock behind me, and be. |
ing as instantly plunged into dark
ness. waited q moment, my foot upon
the first narrow stair, listening. No
sound reached me from without, and, |
with her animated face still before me
in memory, began to slowly feel my
way down the circular staircase. There
was nothing dangerous about the pas
sage, but with only the bare stone wall
to touch with the hand | was obliged
chimney had evidently been erected
merely for concealment, and | mar
veled at the ingenuity of its construc-
ton. / failed to count the steps, but
| went around and around so many
times, pressed against the smooth
wall, that knew | must be we'll below
the basement of the house before |
finally stood at the bottom. | CROPPED
forward in the intense darkness, feel
ing with outstrotched hands. The first
object encountered was rough table,
the surface Of which / explored, dis
covering thereon candlestick with
flint and steel beside it, With relief
l struck a spark, and yellow fame
revealed my surroundings.
What | saw was low room some
fifteen feet square, the walls and roof
apparently of stone securely mortared,
the only exit the narrow circular
stairs. The floor was of earth. OPP
posite me was bunk slightly elevat-
ed containing a blanket or two, and
fairly comfortable chair built from a
barrel. An old coat and hat hung
from a nail at the head of the bunk.
On a shelf near by was an earthen
crock, and two candles, and beneath
this, on the floor, was a sawed-of gun
and two pistols. with small supply
of powder and balls, the former
wrapped in an oiled cloth. 1t was In
truth a gloomy, desolate hole, al
though dry enough For want Of some
thing better to do | went over and
picked up the pistols; the lock of one
was broken, but the other seemed
serviceable, and, after swapping the
mt io"uou TUG "VetpVN' ,.'- ~. 49, ~
~ ''.'o' ~ -. ,,,.,,,,,,.a 90
Se'Si0l' S'e','e- - go, ~
ooulNs'e' 'lIl,io ,5 = III ,,ron 80 uso
the ancient relic,
IHe'g " 40 80 -, -, ~ =
u ",Ap'U ','ooe ~ .-,.,,lt 80 tto,y
vans anu IN Us -, ln 80 t,l .t, ,,sa-
| oo4iui''' "iiN' 'IA-''''' .,s - a.
itss eAGlei7e' &C., 10y - ~ -
Nn"tt' - ""@ ~ IL r,r,
toHAu' ny as,-,t 70
s'lalAeu ga . Dus = 80 49,, ,1,,,a na.
uep'e9Slon ',''a .t,1 oo,,.
saN " e'apPt0 80 '-'' =
Alon'hhs Hie,
heaven "ioiie hiiV" > nv y" ms
Hiai"eu 'ne,e iiio'io,l0',' ' - =.
eISe"uele' oilA'ine 'u'' o"o" ~ ',
Tue oiu hume, teNIeHlns 1n0 80 49,,
war that hau transit, ili''u iilo ~
boy 10 man as thoush ny 9oiiie ii"s ~
Inc silence anu loheilness Csuseu
me 10 become RESTLESS couiu Nv.
entrely throw Oh ING senSc W oVAA
Durled awe IN TINS diS''lal noie,
wondered IL thefe was any way "a GO
cape, II that secret uoor was nv
locked ana uhiocheu only lloih WIN
out A desire 10 ascertain ieu me -"
take candle III haha' ana ciilhD tn'
circular staircase examining the wal
as passed upward Inc interior .
the chimney revealed nolulhs' Whi'
felt convinced there must also De
false fireplace on the hrst moor SO 81
TO carry out the deceptloH' the ON
candle light maze no reVealmcht Oh II
position. could Judge very hearl
where 1t should appear ana ! solhu
ed the wall tHereabout careiuily pot
above and below without result. NO
did any noise reach me 10 disclose
thinness OF partition.
Convinced OF the solldlty OF the wa
at this spot, l continued hlgher unL
came to the END Of the passage
my surprise the condlllons mere Wer
! practically the same. had not ei
tered at this point eould never nav
y been convinced that there was a
opening. From within II dehed al
y | covery, for nothing confronted m
q fVCu Int m art re n stone | Was scale