The Kennewick courier-reporter. [volume] (Kennewick, Wash.) 1914-1938, 1914-05-14

y
very slowly, he travelled around the
four walls of the chamber.
Apparently it was about twenty feet
square. The floor was of concrete, the
walls Of, the dry masonry that mark
ed the method of construction above
ground. Small pieces of granite Of
various sizes We're ingehiously laid to-
gether without mortar to construct
these ancient foundations.
The first time around the walls Tar
Fan thought he detected a strange phe-
nomenOn for a room with no windows
and but single door. Again he crept
carefully around close to the wall. No,
he could not be mistaken! He paused
before the center Of the wall opposite
the door. For a moment he stood quite
motionless, then he moved few feet
to one side. Again he returned, only
to move few feet to the other side.
There was no doubt of it! A distinct
draft of fresh air was blowing into the
chamber through the interstices Of the
masonry at that particular point
nowhere else.
: Tarzan tested several pieces of the
granite which made up the wall at this
spot and finally was rewarded by find
ing one which lifted out readily. 1t
was about ten inches wide, with face
some 3 by 6 inches showing within the
chamber. One by one the ape-man
lifted out similarly shaped stones. The
wall at this point was constructed en-
tirely, it seemed, of these almost per-
feet slabs. In short time he had re
moved some dozen. when he reached
in to test the next layer Of masonry.
To his surprise he felt nothing behind
the masonry he had removed, as far as
his long arm could reach.
1t was a matter of but few min
utes to remove enough of the wall to
permit his body to pass through the
aperture. Directly ahead of him he
thought that he discerned faint glow,
scarcely more than a less impenetrable
darkness. Cautiously he moved for
ward on hands and knees until at
about fifteen feet, or the average
thickness Of the foundation walls, the
floor ended abruptly in n sudden drop.
AS far out as he could reach he felt
nothing, nor could he find the bottom
of the black abyss that yawned before
him, though, clinging to the edge OF
the floor, he lowered his body into the
darkness to its full length.
Finally it occurred to him to look up,
and there above him he saw through
round opening tiny circular patch Of
starry sky. Feeling up along the sides
Of the shaft as far as he could reach,
the ape-man discovered that so much
Of the wall as he could feel converged
toward the center of the shaft as It
rose. This fact precluded possibility
Of escape in that direction.
AS he sat specializing on the nature
and uses of this strange passage and
its terminal shaft the moon topped the
opening above, letting a food Of soft,
silvery light into the shadowy place.
Instantly the nature Of the shaft be-
came apparent to Tarzan, for Tar be
low him he saw the shimmering sur
face of water. He had come upon an
ancient well. But what was the pur-
pose Of the connection between the
well and the dungeon In which he had
been hidden?
AS the moon crossed the opening Of
the shaft it's light flooded the whole
interior, and then Tarzan saw directly
across from him another opening in the
opposite wall. He wondered If this
might not be the mouth of passage
leading to possible escape. It would
be worth investigating at least. and
this he determined to do.
Quickly returning to the wall he had
demolished to explore what lay beyond
it, he carried the stones into the pas
sageway and replaced them from that
side. The deep deposits Of dust which
he had noticed upon the blocks as he
had first removed them from the wall
had convinced him that even IL the
present occupants of the ancient pile
had knowledge of this hidden passage
they had made no use of it for perhaps
generations.
The wall replaced, Tarzan returned
to the shaft, which was some fifteen
feet wide at this point. To leap across
the intervening space was small mat,
ter to the ape-man, and a moment later
he was proceeding along a narrow tun--
mel, moving cautiously for fear Of be-
ing precipitated into another shaft
such as he had just crossed.
He had advanced some hundred feet
when he came to a flight of steps lead
ing downward into the Stygian gloom.
Some twenty feet below the level floor
of the tunnel recommended, and short
ly afterward his progress was stopped
by heavy wooden door, which was
secured by massive wooden bars upon
the side of Tarzan's approach. This
fact suggested to the ape-man that he
doubtless was in passageway lead
ing to the outer world, for the bolts,
barring progress from the opposite
side. tended to substantiate this n.y.
pOthesis unless it were merely prison
to which it led.
Along the tops of the bars were deep
layers of dust, further indication
that the passage had lain long unused.
AS hp DuShod the massive obstacle