The St. Charles herald. [volume] (Hahnville, La.) 1873-1993, 1921-03-19

| ground, but the most painstaKing eX-
animation failed to reveal the faintest
| spark Of life.
Leaving the body where 1t lay on
| the ledge l crept into the cave to re-
connoiter. l found large chamber,
possibly hundred feet in diameter
| and thirty or forty feet In height: a
| 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 | commenced to feel pleasant
drowsiness creeping over me when
| attributed to the fatigue of my long
| and strenuous ride, and the reaction
| from the excitement of the fight ana
| 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 il
| 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 a side wall, and from there
| slip prone upon the floor.
A sense Of delicious dreaminess
| o,ercame me, nv muscles relaxed, aad
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 muscle as
| though turned to stone. 1t was then.
for the first time. that I noticed
slight vaper filling the cave. There
also come to my nostrilS a family
pungent odor. and could only assume
| that I had been overcome by some
| poisonous gas. but why ! should re-
tain my mental faculties and vet be
unable to move l could not fathom.
The noise Of the approaching horses
had ceased. and judged the Indians
were creeping stealthily Hpon me
along the little ledge which led to my
living tomb.
| had not long to wait before
| stealthy sound apprised me Of their
| nearness. and then war-bonneteu,
paint-streaked face was thrust eau
tiously around the shoulder of the
cliff, and savage eeyes looked into
| mine.
The fellow. instead of approaching.
merely stood and stared; his eyes
bulging and his jaw dropped. And
then another savage face appeared.
and a third and fourth and fifth,
craning their necks over the shoul-
ders of their fellows whom they could
not pass upop 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 Indiana, they turned
and fed in terror, panic stricken
Their wild cries echoed in the can
yon fds short time, and then all was
still once more.
The sound which had frightened
them was not repeated. but II had
been sufficient as 1t was to start ME
Specializing on the possible horror
which lurked In the shadows al my
| back.
| Several times thought heard
! faint sounds behind me as OF some
body moving cautiously. hut eventual
Nv even these ceased. and | was left
to the contemplation of my position
without interruption.
i Until possibly midnight all was ST.
,ence. the silence Of the dead: then,
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 q faint rustling as of dead leaves.
The shock 70 my already, overstralDed
nervous system vas terrible ~ the
extreme. and with superhulnan Ct
fort strove TO hreak my awful bonds.
1 Then something gave. there was mo-
menfary feeling of nausea. sharp
click as of the Swapping Of steel
wire, and / stood With my back
against the wall OF the cave. facing
my unknown foe. e
And then the moonlight flooded the
cave. and there before me lay my own
body as lit had been lying all these
! hours, with the eyes staring toward
| the omen ledge and the hands resting
| ljmply upon the ground. l looked first
at my iifeless clay there upon the
floor Of the cave and then down ut
myself In utter bewilderment; for
there lay clothed, and yet here l
stood. hut naked as at the minute OF
my birth -
Ny first thought, was, Is this then
death. Have ! indeed passed over for
ever into that other life!. Bnt1 coutd
not we'll believe this. as could feel
my heart pounding against my ribs
from the exertion Of my efforts to re-
lease myself from the anesthesis