Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1921-05-19
Adventure in a Gave


cling over some forest-covered NOUN
aims with an Indian guide, ieil In "lu
monk. also accompanied by an IN
dian II was near night, RAIN nae
fallen and when one of the lnaians
smoke of cave not far off, the French-
man proposed making for it. This was
.one but the Indians absolutely retuseG
- On farmer tnan the overhanglne
-,trance. Inc shades OF their anceS-
tors inhabited the place, they saia' ano
M one VINO entered il would ever Coihe
out of il alive. The Frenchman aio
INC hest TO reason them out OF their
ernerstition, but without success, ano
the company passed very comfor'aoie
night under the shelter OF rockS' WIN
bip fire burning. In the morning the
Frenchman announced that he gong
n explore the cave. The Indians would
not accompany him, of course, and the
monk proved to be equally averse tcI
the undertaking.
The Frenchman started alone, with
nistol in one hand, a torch in the
other and some resinous branches al
tached to his belt He advanced win
the greatest caution, avoiding pools OF
water, and keeping as much rs pos
sible in the middle of the big rooni the
walls and ceiling of which were light
ed by his torch.
By and by his way was barred by
wall of rock. He turned to the lett'
into narrow defle, and after while
was brought into a second large room
The floor was covered with fallen
rocks and black pools, among wnicn he
picked his dubious course. Then ne
came to another gallery, which pres
entity began to descend, so that he nae.
to crawl on all fours.
The gallery seemed to be endless.
Whenever he paused to get breath hs
heard a curious, plaintive, continuous
noise. which seemed to come from the
direction in which he was going. In
spite of himself he began to feel fright
ened; but he kept on, and in few
steps more emerged into a grotto
bright with stalactites as white as
snow.
Dazzled by the spectacle, he lighted
two other torches to increase Its enecti
and still pushing onward, came to a
pool into which streamlets were trick
ling. This was the noise he had heard
Beyond this he entered another mar
row and steep passage, and stepped
upon the dege of a precipice. An at
tempt to 60 round this brought him
suddenly face to face with a table
covered with fragments of pottery,
among which he soon discovered some
human remains. He gathered some OF
them hastily together. His torches
were fast becoming exhausted, and he
must hasten back.
In his hurry he stepped into a
treacherous hole full of mud, his torch
fell from his hands and was instantly
extinguished. He sprang up, and re-
membered at the moment that he had
no matches. He crept out of the mud
and in his sudden fright discharged
his pistol, only to hear a hundred
echoes.
Round and round he went in the
darkness, seeking the exit from tho
room. Two or three times he thought
he had found it, but after climb ie
painfully short distance, found him
self shut in and obliged to turn back
and try again. BY this time he wished
he had taken his ldian's advice.
AT last, when he had begun to de-
spair, CLEAN of light fell upon his
eyes. Slowly he made his way towari
it, all the while dreading that it woult
turn out 20 be only soma assure toe
narrow to let him pass. But his fears
were groundless and he emerged in.
to daylight, though not at the point
where he had entered the cave. "I
could never tell you," he says, with
what emotions | saw again the trees
and the sky"
More than two hours had elapsed
since he entered the cave. Likely as
not the Indians and the monk had
grown tired of waiting for him to re-
turn, and had packed up and gone A,
all risks he must fire his other pistol
The next moment he heard an an
swering shout
The monk, he says, overwhelmed
him with questions, and the Indians
although they said nothing, looked a,
him with unaiSguised curiosity, as G
man who had gone into the cave and
come out alive.