The Seattle star. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1899-1947, 1920-05-10
CHAPTER XIV.
Indian Joe" Iaud

boundary~of low. tnrrcn hiilas These
swept closer toward the left appar.
entity following the valley OF the Cot.
tonwood. revealing their rocky out
lines. often srotesqucly shaped. and
the dark ravines penetrating into tho
bad Lands beyond The soil left no
tran. and. with the naked eye. Shelby
was unable 10 distinguished a sign
OF life within the radius OF vision.
Everything Ind the appearance OF
death--the death Of ages. lie stood
upright. and swept the circle with
his field glasses lie was barely In
time. for far off there 10 the left.
scarcely alacerulhle. even then.
against the black. overhanging ridges
OF rock. no made out two slowly NOV
ms objects They were not disunct.
he could not have sworn what they
were. but there was no doubt In HIS
mind As 20 their Identity. lie studied
them eagerly until they diaappear~<i
down ceuleo. and then carefully
marked the course. his point Of guild
ane. high pinnacle OF rock stand.
ing out gaunt against the sky.
lie was an hour reaching this oh.
icctive. but once there he found tho
trail plainly traced along the edge OF
the bank. II led Ia and out amid
tho intrieaclcs OF tho hills. taking.
Of necessity. so winding a course AZ
20 give Shelby no view ahead. and
soon confused him In point of direc>
ton. lie could only move forward
cautiously. fearful lest they might
have halted for some purpose. and
watchfui Of every trace OF their pas
sage. as other ravines were constant,
~ uniting with this thru which he
was bnndly feeling his way. lie
came 20 sand aud lost all sssns Of tho
trail Instantly. searching for II In
vain FOR nearly an hour. before con
fcssins himself at fault Then. ieay.
ing III. horse below, he climbed the
nearest hin for n view Of his sur
roundings.
The sun rave him the proper al.
roetions. but all about stretched the
sam. dreary. bare ridges OF rock. Of
ferinx no guidance. To his right.
however. these hills eafno 10 an end
In another plateau. stretching away
gray and sornber into the distance.
There was no life visibi. anywhere.
and. aitho he waited for some time
sweeping his glasses back and forth.
no gained no glimpse OF IN. two no
cndraSorcd TO follow They had van.
iahrd as tho swallowed up by TN.
earth The sun was already In the
west and desperately no determined
TO try tho level Even this. amid the
Iintricaeies OF those branching pas
sag.a. between the round hiiis, was
diffieuit to achieve. yet he finally die
covered an exit and v.nfurcd to
, strike out toward the north. conf.
dent that the Cottonwood MUST sure
~ lie somewhere In that direction.
He came upon II 20 suddenly and
unexpectedly as 10 almost dax. bis
facuities Almost without warning
he stood at the very edge OF . yuwn.
J ing hole. and stared IN Amusement
) down into those depths below Again
aud again he had heard this scene
Described. yet had never bsfore com.
prshsnded Its reality. A huge cut
ssraixht down. fully a mile vide. cleft
the plain In two. with 20 vfsibl.
signs Of tta presence until one stood
At tho very crafer's esigs. Al night
he would have ridden off without the
slightest warning Of danger. And
below feolins sick. dizzy. Shelby
swung himself from III. .sddln. cYept
cautiously To The edge. and looked
down. He had no conception of the
depth, for II already was haxy down
there. as tho he gaxed thru a blue
fog. but how small those treea ap
pcared, mere toy trees, and the sil.
very stream running thru the center
seemed scarcely a yard wide. A yard.
why. N II was actually the Cotton.
wood II must be hundred feet
from bank To bank, Godi What a
hoiei What freak OF naturel What
a Wilderness hiding piace'
He lay motoniess with eyes
searching up and down the valley
To Tho right he could not determine
how far IL extended. but to tho left
he could discern the silver shield of
water. where the Cottonwood carno
tumbling over a prcciplcc. One Of
the two possible entrances was there;
the other must be along some one Of
those numerous side ravines, Whose
black entrances he could dinly Der.
ceive. There vera groves OF trees
down there. and strange fantastic
pues OF rock. but no houses. no evt
denee OF human beings Once he was
sure he saw n spiral OF smoke. but
u faded awny before he could trao.
10 any source. There were black
things that moved far up tho gorge
no could not quite make them ont
even with the field giasaes, hut gus.
pected they might be cattle pra1,nv
IL was all 80 serene, 10 peaceful the
truth seemed mpossibie--that no vxn.
actually gazing down into a vcritabls
men on earth. rendezvous OF white
thieyes and indian murderers, n Dor.
dor fortress for all the nameless devil.
try OF the frontier.
And he must invade the Hole
alone. IN he would be OF service 10
,hiH woman captivel BY sheer reck
lessness he must pierce the thing to
the heart Yet how3 What would
Do his next step7 His eyes searched
INC precipitous walls. ms the question
unned itself into his brain. How
was TO be done7 Not even a noun.
uin goat could find passage down
,hose rocks. even by daylight. and.
IN another hour. all would be dark.
ness On neither side. peering along
inc rim, could he discover any break
III he stern front of rocks which
PROMISED an opportunity. And vet
ne could not remain there: before
night made the search impossible he
must az least find water, ana a place
ny winch TO camp. He stared down
INTO those deepening mists below, al.
ready beginning 10 blot out the fea.
lures Of the valley.
God, what a hole" he brcathed,
IT Is like looking straight into hell.
inc only way down must be some
where TO the left. Case told mo thew