Elbert County tribune and Elbert County banner., 1921-04-08

Dismounting, laid Powell upon the
ground. but the most painstaking ex-
animation failed to reveal the faintest
spark of life.
| Leaving the body where 1t lay on
the ledge I crept into the cave to re-
connolter. / found large chamber.
possibly a hundred feet in diameter
and thirty or forty feet in height;
smooth and well-worn floor, and many
other evidences that the cave had, at
some remote period, been inhabited.
| As / was continuing my examina-
ton I commenced to feel a pleasant
drowsiness creeping over me which
attributed to the fatigue Of my long
and strenuous ride, and the reaction
| from the excitement Of the fight and
the pursuit.
/ soon became SO drowsy that l
| could scarcely resist the strong desire
to throw myself on the floor Of the
| cave for a few moments rest but
knew that this would never do, as 1t
would mean certain death at the
| hands of my red friends, who might
| be upon me at any moment With an
| effort / started toward the opening of
| the cave only to reel drunkenly
| against side wall, and from there
slip prone upon the floor.
A sense of delicious cleanliness
overcame me. my muscles relaxed. and
| I was on the point of giving away to
my desire to sleep when the sound of
| approaching horses reached my ears.
| / attempted to spring to my feet but
was Mortified to discover that my
| muscles refused to respond to my
will. was now thoroughly awake.
| but as unable to move a muscle as
| though turned to stone. 1t was then.
| for the first time, that I noticed q
| slight vapor filling the cave. There
also come to my nostrils a family
| pungent odor, and could only assume
that I had been overcome by some
tain my mental faculties and yet be
unable to move could not fathom.
The noise of the approaching horses
had ceased, and Judged the Indians
were creeping stealthily upon me
along the little ledge which led to my
living tomb.
I had not long to wait before a
stealthy sound apprised me of their
nearness. and then war-bonneted.
| paint-streaked face was thrust eau
| tiously around the shoulder of the
| cliff, and savage eyes looked into
| mine.
The fellow, instead of approaching,
merely stood and stared; his eyes
bullying and his jaw dropped. And
then another savage face appeared,
and third and fourth and fifth.
craning their necks over the shoul-
ders Of their fellows whom they could
not pass upon the narrow ledge. Each
| face was the picture of awe and fear,
| but for what reason I did not know,
nor did learn until ten years later.
Suddenly low but distant moan
| Ing sound issued from the recesses of
the cave behind me, and. as 1t reached
the ears of the Indians, they turned
| and fed In terror. panic stricken.
Their wild cries echoed in the can
| yon for a short time, and then all was
| still once more.
The sound which had frightened
| them was not repeated, but 1t had
| been sufficient as 1t was to start me
| specializing on the possible horror
| which lurkad in the shadows at my
| back.
Several times l thought ! heard
| faint sounds behind me as of some
body moving cautiously, but eventual
ly even these ceased, and l was left
to the contemplation of my position
without interruption.
| Until possibly midnight all was ST.
Ill
suddenly. the awful moan of the morn
ing broke upon my startled ears, and
| there came again from the black
shadows the sound of moving thing,
and faint rustling as Of dead leaves.
| The shock TO my already overstrained
nervous system was terrible in the
extreme, and with superhuman eff
fort / strove to break my awful bonds.
| Then something gave, there was a mo-
mentary feeling of nausea, sharp
click as of the swapping Of a steel
wire, and stood with my back
against the wall of the cave, facing
my unknown foe.
And then the moonlight flooded the
| cave, and there before me lay my own
body as II had been lying all these
hours, with the eyes staring toward
the open ledge and the hands resting
Imply upon the ground. looked first
at my lifeless clay there upon the
floor of the cave and then down at
myself In utter bewilderment: for
there / lay clothed, and yet here I
stood, but naked as at the minute of
my birth.
My first thought, was. Is this then
death Have l indeed passed over for
ever into that other lifel But could
not well believe this. as l could feel
my heart pounding against my ribs
from the exertion of my efforts to re-