Part 23 (1/2)

”We haven't anything in the way of tin large enough to go around a lamp, but here is a round piece, about three inches in diameter.”

”That will answer; punch that as full of holes as possible, and be sure they are very small.”

”What shall we use for a lamp?”

John was already looking around, and soon spied a tree in the distance that looked like a small pine, and beneath that he found some cones, a dozen of which were picked up.

[Ill.u.s.tration: _Fig 14. How John made the Lamp._ _A. Perforated Disk_ _B. Frame of Sticks_ _C. Cloth Covering_ _D. Base Plate._]

”That is a pine tree, isn't it?”

”Yes; these cones will burn for some time.”

”But they will not make much of a light.”

”No; but we are not after a light, but they will do for testing purposes.”

The accompanying sketches show how it was made. A plate was used for a base, on which the burning cone was placed. A half dozen twigs were then provided, and these were bent U-shaped, after being secured together at their middle portions, and the lower ends held by a cord, and this was then inverted, and a piece of thin cotton goods, of a single thickness, only was wound around the little frame, leaving an opening at the top, which was covered by the perforated tin disk.

”There, now we have an article which provides for the admission of air, through the cotton goods, and the product of combustion can escape through the perforated opening at the top.”

The boys danced around with joy, when the cone was ignited, and a bale, which was simply a string, attached, so it could be carried conveniently.

This time they went on, far beyond the place where the poor dogs lay.

Occasionally John would lower the device, and when it descended too far, the knot would begin to smoke, and this was explained by the statement that as it went into the carbon gas, less and less air was supplied, which caused the flame to die down.

The cave was similar to the others, being white from the lime deposits, but in all their wanderings they had never seen anything to compare with the beautiful hangings noted in the interior, particularly in the chambers, which they pa.s.sed, one after the other, four of which were especially admired.

Ephraim was intensely interested. He never had taken the trouble to visit any of these caverns, and was not disposed to take much stock in the many tales that had been related about the weird interiors.

”I can now understand,” he said, ”why the natives possessed such a fear of them. I have faced many perilous conditions, during my life here, but I confess if I had any faith in the superst.i.tions about these places, they would have paralyzed me, now that I have seen their ghostly appearance.”

They suddenly emerged into a s.p.a.cious chamber, so large that their voices seemed to reverberate. The flash lights were directed to all sides and to the immense vaulted and icicle-covered ceiling. John stood the lamp on the ground. It was free from the dangerous gas. The floor was fairly level, but it was covered with the broken hangings from the ceiling.

”I see an outlet, directly opposite the one we came by,” exclaimed George.

The party hastened across the intervening s.p.a.ce. They were traveling along the greatest length of the chamber. Midway between the two openings were two other side openings, and John stopped and exclaimed: ”It is true! We have found it!”

The boys had never seen John so agitated before. They pressed around and requested an explanation, but he fumbled in his pocket, and soon drew forth a carefully wrapped piece of brown paper.

”This is parchment. It contains the sketch of the cave that has been the object of my search. I believe we are the only white people who have ever been privileged to enter it since the chart was made three centuries ago.”

Ephraim, as well as the boys, glanced about them. What was there to excite him? Other caves had the same sort of formation, the chambers and the openings: and while they wondered John drew a compa.s.s from his pocket, and after holding it for a while, continued:

”This chamber runs north and south as you see. We entered on the south side. It had two other outlets, one to the east, the other to the west.”

”Then it is the cross-shaped cave!” almost shouted George.