The Challis messenger. (Challis, Idaho) 1912-current, 1925-05-06

NIT YVES less than half that OF the hasa
might step into In a storm. to certain
death.
On the floor Of this gorge Lee could
see a few scrub birches standing
primly erect. seeming 10 be hardly
larger than tree seedlings in q horti-
cultural nursery.
The fssure. extended diagonally OF
the cabin Lee began TO retrace hls
steps, following IT along It's edge, until
he came to a place where 1t termi-
mated suddenly in pile Of great rocks
Of granite outcrop.
Two Of these rocks stood up. one on
each side Of the end Of the chasm.
Ike monoIiths. although II was clear
that they had not been fashioned By
human hands Between them was q
third, Ike a monolith that had been
flung down
Resting on this was an enormous
rock and Lee, who had been walking
into the face of the wind, stopped and
leaned against this stone for d fsv
moments, In order TO catch his breath
To his astonishment the masstvs
boulder seemed about TO toppls back
ward under his weight He felt him
self slipping. he turned round
clutched at the stone. and saw It heav-
ing under his gaze Ike ship at SEA
And then he realized what had hap
pened. The stone was not collapstnz,
but the pressure Of his body had set It
In motion
II came slowly to standstill Leo
pressed bis hand against the boulder.
and Immediately It was In movement
again
II was rocking stone, and probably
one Of the largest In the world
The least touch started Il, so dell
cately was IT poised. but q team Of
horses could not have shifted IT from
its position
AS the huge. overhanging eide Tilted.
at Lees touch. he saw narrow open
ing underneath II BIS first thought
was that II WIS that Of some burrov-
ing animal Then he perceived that
the sharp edges Of the hole had un-
doubtedly been made BY a spade.
Human hands had made II Lea
stared at II until the stone, returning
hid the opening from view.
He swung the boulder again and a.
II tilted, revealing the hole once more,
he fattened himself. face downward,
upon the ground underneath The
stone, In IT'S return. Just grazed his
shoulders.
Lee came 70 the conclusion that the
hole extended downward beneath the
base OF the great stone, and lying
fat on his face. he pushed II up with
his shoulders The light that came In
as Il rocked backward showed him a
foothold In the granite beneath the
strip OF mould that covered ia rock
ledge, with gaping blackness below
Then the stone came back into post
ton again. and nothing was visible
Clinginx In the darkness TO the
edges OF the hole. Lee extended q foot
downward. The toe Of his boot struck
a ledge Of rock Crawling down. Lee
lowered himself until he felt & second
foothold beneath Below that was s
third.
He found himself descending a lad
der OF rock.
And very carefully he began work (
ing his way downward The granite .
wall was polished as smooth as glass. .
zach foothold Was precariously slip I
perry. and he chung Ike g bat with .
hands and knees as he descended But 4
n q few minutes g dim light began TO 4
liter upward from below. Lees head !
;craped against rock The light grew
stronger. Flakes OF snow whiried in
Then he emerged into daylight TO
ind himself ciinging TO the interior
ming OF the great chasm. Ike q fly
n a wall. threefourths OF the way
own. The snow was vhirlins about
i'm. but the wind had ceased, cut OF
v the precipitous walls OF the chasm-
Then Lee understood He had found
n entrance. probably the only one,
ITO the gorge: but someone had pre-
eded him. patiently assisting nature
! the creation and enlargement Of the
-eps Of that rocky ladder. which had
cen eroded. during the course OF
lilIenniums. by the action OF a now
ried-up waterfall
Only water could have followed out
lat course by the play Of the leaping
,rrent on the projections OF the
-anite-
Looking down from where he chung.
es saw that s thin stream trfckled
rer a sandy bed IN the middle Of the
,rze below. issuing from one end.
here IL burst out Of the granite,
.rrying with IL the debris Of the al
vial land aboye-mud gravel. and
nd.
And suddenly the idea occurred TO
m that in all probability he had
umbled upon old Pelly's gold mine
In which event. what more natural
an that Pelly was hiding in that In
ceSSible spot. where he would be ah
lutely secure against discoyery-un,
5 ne had incautiously permitted
me one 10 share his secret7