Licking Valley courier. [volume] (West Liberty, Ky.) 19??-current, 1912-06-20


danger, the necessity Of concealment,
and not delay too long. Wait a mo-
ment, major; is it true you absolutely
trust me%
1T certainly is"
81 am going to put that to the test
You have papers you desire to give
at once into the hands of General
Washington. You may be detained
here some time, but have with me
an Indian who could take them across
the Delaware tonight. 1t is not the
first time he has made that journey.
WIN you conGde them to me?"
Our eyes were looking directly into
each other. l may have hesitated an
instant confused by the unexpected
request, yet there was something in
the expression OF the girls face which
swept doubt swiftly aside. Without
word took them from an inner pocls-,
ct, and gave them to her. The red
lips smiled, the blue eyes Frightening.
"Tonepah shall leave within the
hour" she promised, tlfrusting the
small packet into the bosom Of her
dress. Nov step within, major, and l
will close the door,"
did as she requested, hearing the
click Of the lock behind me, and be-
ing as instantly plunged into dark
ness. ! waited a.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-gith only the bare stono. we'll
to touch with the hand I was OBLIGED
to grope along blindly. The HUGE
chimney had evidently been erected
merely for conoealmeAt, and mar
yelled at the ingenuity OF itsteonstlac.
ton. failed to count the steps, but
| went around and around 80 many
times, pressed against Che smooth
wall, that knew must be well below
the basement of the bslise before I
T f1rsffiiy stood at the bottom. grcped
forward in the intense darkness, feel
ing with outstretehed hands. The first
object encountered was rough table,
the surface of which explored, dis
covering thereon q candlestick with
flint and steel beside 1t. With relief
l struck spark, and yellow flame
revealed my surroundings.
What saw was a low room some
fifteen feet square, the walls and roof
apparently Of stone securely mortarod,
the only exit the narrow circular
stairs. The floor was of earth. 0p.
posite me was a bunk slightly elevat'
cd, containing a blanket or two, and :
fairly comfortable chair built from q
barrel. An old coat and hat hung
from a nail at the head Of the bunk
On shelf near by was R earthen
crock, and two candles, and beneath
this, on the floor, was a sawed-off gun
and two pistols, with small supply
Of powder and balls, the former
wrapped in an oiled cloth. II was IN
ruth 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 ono
was broken, but the other seemed
servlceable, and, after swapping the
flint, loaded the weapon, and slipped
It into my pocket. Somehow its pos
session yielded me a new measure Of
courage, although l had no reason "a
suppose would be called upon TO use
the ancient relic
There was little to examine, but
tramped about neryously, tapping Che
walls, and convincing myself Of thell
solidity, and, finally, tired by this use
less exercise, seated myself In III,
chair. 1t was like being buried in {
tomb, not sound reaching my
strained ears, but at last the spirit O
depression vanished, and my mind be
gan to grapple with the problems con
fronting me.
Heaven alone knows how long re
NAMED there motionless, my mint
elsewhere, drifting Idly backward I,
the cid home, reviewing the years o
war that had transformed me from
boy to man as though by some magic
The silence and loneliness causct
me to become restless. | could no
entirely throw off the sense of beinl
buried alive in this dismal hole.
wondered Ii there was any way OF es
cape, II that secret door was no
locked and unlocked only from Will
out. A desire to ascertain led me {
: take candle In hand, and climb tn
circular staircase, examining the wa
as ! passed upward The interior Q
the chimney revealed nothing. Will
, | felt convinced there must also be
false fireplace on the fret floor, so q
: TO carry out the deception. the din
: candle light made no revealment OF II
position l could Judge very nearl
=. whore II should appear, and SCUM
[ cd the wall thereabout carefully bot
. above and below without fesult. Nc
{ did any noise reach me to disclose
t tbinness OF PARTITION
Convinced Of the soHdity OF the wa
!, at this snot, / continued higher mt
/ came 70 The end Of the passage. I
my surprise the conditions here wei
s practically the same. Had I not e
j. tered at this point could never ha,
= been convinced that there was q
+ opening. From within Il dened di
c cOyery, for nothing confronted N
t eyes but mortared Stone. was seal,
+ In .hesalfssln but for the assistant