Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1920-02-10
CHAPTER vll-contlnued.


But alas! they did not begin ~,
some six feet above my head, and ths
way was sheer. How was I IN rae -
the lowest rung? The rock was to-
sheer for me to cut steps in. ms I had
done farther back. I looked about me
Again the luck was with me. In ons
OF the caves had noticed some brokan
pieces of fallen rock. They were ter.
ribiy heavy, but despair lent me
strength, and after an hour or two,s
work, had managed to roll several
OF them to the foot of the ladder and
with an effort Of which I would moi
have believed myself capable-had
been able to build them one on ton of
another against the wall. So, / found
myself able to grasp the lowest rune
with my hands. Then. fastening the
lantern round my neck with my neck.
tie. prepared to mount.
The climb was not difficult. once I
had managed to get my feet on the
first rung Of the ladder, but there was
always the chance that one Of the
rungs might have rusted loose with
time. In which case, Of course, it would
have given way in my grasp, and l
should have been precipitated back
ward to certain death below.
However, the man who had mortised
them had done an honest piece of
work, and they proved as firm as on
the day they were placed there. Up
and up went, till l must have been
forty feet above the floor, and, then,
as neared the foot, instead of COM
Ing to trap door, as l had conjec-
tured, found that the ladder came to
an end at the edge of a narrow ledge,
running along the ceiling much as a
clerestory runs near the roof of some
old churches. On to this / managed to
climb. 1t was barely yard wide, and
the impending roof did not permit of
ones standing erect. 1t was dizzy
situation, and 1t seemed safest to
crawl along on all tours, holding the
lantern in front of me- Presently 1t
brought me up sharp In narrow
recess. 1t had come to an end.
Yes! but imagine my joy! it had
come to an end at low archway
rudely cut in the rock. Deep set in
the archway was stout wooden door.
My first thought was that I was
trapped again. but. to my infinite sur
prise and gratitude, 1t aproved to be
slightly ajar, and vigorous push sent
It grinding back on its hinges. What
next? wondered. At all events, I was
no longer lost in the bowels Of the
earth; step by step, l was coming
nearer to the frontiers of humanity.
But / was certainly not prepared
for what next met my eyes, as /
pushed through the low doorway with
my lantern, and looked around. Yes
indeed. man had certainly been here,
man, too, very purposeful and busi-
row gallery, some forty feet long, to
which the arching rock made crypt
like ceiling. At my first glance, saw
that there was another door at the far
end similar to the one had entered
by; and on the left side of the gallery,
built of rough stones from the low
ceiling to the floor, was a series of
compartments, each with locked wood
en- door. They were strong and grim
looking, and might have been taken
for prison cells, or family vaults, or
possibly wine bins. The massive locks
were red with rust, and there was
plainly no possibility Of opening them.
On the other side of the gallery
there was litter of old chains, and
some boards, probably left over from
the doors. Yes, and there were two
old fiintlock guns, and several cut
lasses, all eaten away with rust, also
a rough seaman's chest open and fall
ing to pieces. At the sight of that, a