The Skyland post. [volume] (West Jefferson, N.C.) 193?-1988, 1942-06-04

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the sole point of Importance was
that his mornings work had cut
him off from possible source of
information. To be sure, Miss
Slim might have none to give;
but quite certain, if she had, she
would not now give it.
Pondering, he followed for
some yards along what he fancied
had once been continuation of
the road that brought him here.
It skirted the dense clump of
pines he had noticed when emefg-
ing upon the tableland-then, for
the ground had given away be-
side it, ran along the very edge
of a suddenly revealed chasm.
Here was one border of the ia
bleland, but border not formed
by a hill. Instead, deep, mar
row valley approached it, and,
where this met the elevation, the
scoops and steamshovels of past
generation had cut profoundly
into the elevations front-cut it,
on three sides of a square, to the
perpendicular.
Bending over, Glidden could
see, on upjutting rocks at the
base, the planks of fallen cab
in, the rotting remnants of a der
rick. Save for those rocks, how
ever, the entire space at the gorg-
e's foot, over an area a quarter
mile square, was flooded by an
opaque body of turquoise water.
This must be the grave of Phin-
cas- Walkers fortune, these the
sole remaining relics of Break
O. Day Iron Company.
Jerry possessed a mind that
couldn't remain quiet. Hassle1
had declared the present summer
the country's driest in thirty
years-and this lake plainly main
tanned it's topmost level. He had
talked nonsense about it; the wa
ter was visibly fresh, however
colored by its ore deposits; there
had to be an inlet and an outlet
too. Jerry's Unsuitable curiosity
worked once more.
He descended into the deserted
wiley. The steep wallis rose
straight above him, their chest:
sometimes overhanging the drop
He felt as if he were at the bot
tom of a giant we'll. Or no, moi
the bottom by long shot; for in
general the walls Glove directly
on into the green-blue liquid; the
sole foothold was supplied by
such earth and stones as had fall
len. from above and found pre-
carious rest on some rare out
cropping at the waters edge.
Of course there were no streams
discernibly running into or out
of this huge pond; wherever these
were, they would be under the
surface. Jerry trained his eyes
in a futile endeavor to look any
distance downward. The depth
was great, the fall precipitous-
that was the extent of his prellm-
mary survey.
Should he seek no further? The
heat was oppressive in this en-
closure. He stripped and dlved,
if only for a swim.
There lay that old derrick. A
rock had caught it as it fell, and
still held, at a considerable height,
its upper end. Jerry climbed. 1t
held him. He poised and, put
ting all his force into the plunge,
dived again.
Down he went into those cold
recesses-far down. There was
a sound as of thunder in his ears,
the pressure as of mountains up
on his chest. Little light could
struggle this far; he could see
nothing.
He could feel, though. There
came into play another force be-
sides the usual opposition to such
progress, and working at right
angle to it. Quiet as the lake
seemed in its upper regions, down
here current ruled. 1t caught
him, swung him around-drove
him hard toward what he decided
was the foundation of that cliff
from which he had first seen the
ruins of the mine.
More thought there was no
time for He WAC hain0 hurried