Year: 1869

Il


us. Great ieiele-shaped formation
lslender spirals, and hanging curtains @


delicate lace work, flashed back the fire
light, making a scene Of enchantmen


which theatrical art can never hope t.


approach. So entranced were we wit


the sublimity Of the spectacle that W


entirely forgot the object for which W


had lighted the fire until the dogs con


tinued winnings again attracted our al


tention.


What was our surprise on going t


him to find him turning over the bone
1of human skeleton. 1t lay upon It


back, the teeth grinning and the cycles


sockets looking up as if in mockery Q


its magnificent surroundings. TIL


clothes had long ago decayed and fal
| len to dust, but across its middle lay tn


remains Of leathern belt, the tranishec
/ buckle yet in fair preservation, and b.
/ its side a rusted cutlass of ancient pat
tern in a metal sheath. Mason stirreC
iup the fire and brought blazing branC


lin order to examine tie remains to bet
tier advantage. Further search revealed


a heavy pistol of curious form with


flint lock, the head of large hammer


(the wooden handle broke as we lifted
iit) some metal buttons and eight tar
IniHhed coins, which we then took to bt
"copper". On a closer examination VIZ
discovered a square hole in the skull


that seemed to furnish conclusive evi


dence that its owner had met his death
Eby foul means. Without attempting tC


speculate upon this we gathered up the


relics and, our dying fire admonishing


US to leave, hastily made our way bach


to the entrance and out again into the
Iopen air, which seemed very refreshing
after being SO long under ground. De.
termining to make a thorough investi
cation Of the mysteries of the cavern al
an early day, We carefully marked the
entrance and went home, arriving about
sundown.


In the evening we made a careful ex-
animation of our relics. The cutlass


was so rusted that it was impossible to
draw it from the sheath. There were
no diseernible marks on it nor on the
pistol barrel and lock, from which the
rust came off in flakes. The buckle,
which was large and massive, was not
so much oxydized as the other articles,
and we had no difficulty in recognizing
deaths head upon it, rudely carved as
if by some unskilled hand, with the let
ter A beneath it. On rubbing it with
vinegar we we're astonished to find that
it was silver insted of brass as we had
supposed it to be. The coins too, on
applying the same test proved to be
pieces of eight, all Spanish coins of the
reign of Carlos IL, 1851, except one of
Portugal which bore the stamp of Pedro
IL and the date 1878. The buttons
were of some baser metal and had no
marks on them. The hammer was
shaped ike stone hammer, but longer,
having sharp edge at the back not
parallel to the helye but at right angles
to it. As we examined it the thought
suggested itself that it might have been
the means Of the death of the person
whose skeleton had SO singularly been
revealed to us and a careful comparison
and measurement on the following day
tended to confirm our suspicious.


The next day was Sunday, but our
would not permit us to wait.
Our curiosity was aroused to the high
est pitch and, it must be confessed, we
were not without hope of making dis
covery of more treasure. To avoid
publicity we left the house before day
light, carrying two lanterns, some can
dies, few necessary tools, small com
pass, and some eatables in sacks across
our shoulders. We left the dog at
home.


The entrance was found again without
We groped our way along
by the rocky sides until we could stand
erect when we lit our lanterns. An ex-
animation of the wall at once revealed
the feet that art had aided nature in
their construction. The marks of the
chisel and stone hammer were plainly
visible, particularly near the entrance.
The sand had blown in some and partly
filled the passage, which evidently bad
been much higher once near the mouth.
The floor was perfectly dry and there
were no stalacitic formation in this
part.


A short distance further on we found
a rusted iron spike, somepieces of hoop
iron, the silver rowel of a spur, and
strangest of all an antique gold ring.
Too excited now to examine closely we
pushed on to the entrance of the great
chamber where we saw the remains of
our fire of the night before. At this
point the rocks began to be damp and
encrusted with a hmy exudation. The
skeleton lay just within the passage
way where the rocky floor was COM
paratively dry. A further examination
revealed nothing new and we started to
explore the immense domed chamber
IN which we now found ourselves. The
ieeble rays of our lantern were INSULT
,ient to penetrate its blaekness and
We did not see it to as good advantage |
as on the day before. The floor was
vet and slippery and iDcrusted with
in In some places this was rough /
md l.1eveu; in others smooth and clear
IS ice; and occasionally great pillars of
cleaning white sprung up in fantastic
hapes into the black dome above.
some of these were of a greenish tint,
Ike the lighter shades of malachite, and /
ONE were discolored by the oxides of
ron.


We attempted to follow the walls
round, but so many were the avenues,
sading apparently into other caves and
hence we could not see whittier, that
re dared not go far lest We should lose
ur way. AT Mason's suggestion we L
sturned to the mouth of the outer ay- q
nue. and set up there a lighted candle. |
Ve then started directly across the
reat chamber, taking care to Keep a
ur beacon always in sight. After atI
ak of ten inmates by the watch (the v
oOr was SO slippery we could not tell 0
oW fast we progEessed) we reached the I
pposite wall, which was almost ident:- |
Il in appearances with the other side, In
aying avenues leading away into the r
owels-of the mountain. At the mouth
one of these we heard dull rumb- r
ng in the far distance, like the noise t
{ a waterfall. We were then out of a
ght of our candle, which we attributed s.