Show o oIN J IN IX A CAVE Short stor story by br Violet Boulden grade pupil in iu Myton public school After a wearisome day In the school-room school during which the in instructor instructor instructor in- in had leen iteen yer very exacting demanding demanding demanding de de- manding an unusual amount of oC math I betook m my weary self home and after supper sat myself down to write a star story called In a Cave but it seemed I c couldn't collect my mr thoughts and arid while trying to gather them I heard a roaring noise followed fol iol- followed lowed by hya a sharp rap at the door Imagine m ray my surprise when s it I I found Virginia standing there all flushed with excitement H Her Hr first words were Violet come ta take e ea a ride in my aeroplane father bought me one a month ago and I Ive I've learned to run It Go Way IVay I of course I would She produced suitable apparel for flight and I I donned them and awa away we went After w we had risen high above e the I little city of Myton we could ee cn i I doors and windows being opened and 1 1 crowds gathering in the streets to witness the unusual sight only fur for fora fura a moment and then we were gone j i I After a delightful cruise of lIf an an hour or 01 so I reminded Virginia that I 1 we must return for Cor I had not t yet finished that tha star story But Dut she slie only laughed and said Why Violet this dots dotsis is anI only Friday evening and I have ha planned that you and I wi wn t take lc a trip to Los Angeles and back by I nine o'clock Monday mornin morning mornin Do Donot Donot Donot not sa say one word for I ha have hae e provisions provis pro provisions ions and every thing needed i. i Did I object Well I guess not Even though I knew I 1 get an E In English and looks of disapproval from the instructor Monday morn- morn Ing i Did you ever eyer take an aeroplane trip O 0 The wonder and delight Over mountains valleys towns rivers and cities we flew fiew lot lov In n the moonlight Once we hit an air pocket and fell three hundred feet I gasped gasped gasp gasp- ed and clung frantically to Virginia but our little machine righted and went on We e crossed the Utah line and were flying over the vast Nevada desert We noticed that the cactus and desert desert des des- ert shrubs could be seen more plainly and beautiful streaks of red and gold were shooting across arross the eastern sky We Ve gave a gasp of amazement as a great ball bat of dire seemed to come up out of tac tue desert and the beauty and awe of oC the desert lay lar below us On and on we flew flying firing higher so we could go over the tops of the mountains which were now to be seen in the distance Just Justas as we were going over one of or these those dizzy heights I heard an ominous grinding cracking noise Virginia went white to the very lips and In terror ejaculated Violet Do you know what's happening One of the wings of our aeroplane is breaking under the strain and if we make a safe landing well we'll be lucky y Land Landwe we did after what seemed Interminable interminable interminable able hours of falling When I came cameto to bruised and shaken and aud the breath knocked out of me a huge painted uncivilized savage bending over me met my dazed and bewildered bewildered ered gaze I sprang to m my feet In terror but he lie grasped me b by the arm armand armand armand and held me tightly His attitude was neither friendly nor unfriendly He gazed at me in wonder My frantic gaze took in the broken aeroplane aeroplane aeroplane aero aero- plane and Virginia who was giving shrill little shrieks of defiance and at the same sane time with the aid of her free rree hand trying to box the ear t of her who seemed bewildered and did not know whether to return the compliment or not but finally an with a d grunt and aud a shake he lie released ed her knowing she could not esc es es- c cape e. e On looking around the first thing we saw was a crowd of savages savages sav sav- ages men women and children Th The Thu next we saw were towering walls Of or orrock rock hundreds of feet high enclosing a beautiful little valle valley In the center center cen cen- ter of this as the Indian village In Inthe Inthe Inthe the western side was a magnificent arch of colored rock apparently built buill in the side of the mountain It was a wonder of architectural skill We were gazing at this in wonder when we wc heard a shout and whirlIng whirlIng whirling whirl- whirl Ing beheld a savage whose attire marled him as one of importance in the u tribe tribe- ibe- ibe running toward us As Ashe Ashe Ashe he approached he knelt on his knees fa lU us with clasped hands He kept and nd jabbering to his Ibis followers and then repeatedly pointed to mj- mj t red ed head and nd then thee R at the sun front from which wo gathered he be meant TOE I was the Sun Goddess His J gestures concerning Virginia we could not understand but eha shu doornail deemed to be bo equally Important The sav e formed In- In Ina a circle around J l us ut i kneeling neeling the dust a and till chanting oh Then they brought a sort of convey conveyance with a purple and gold top in which the they 1 placed us Us hs Eight of the savages sn sh shouldered It and bore us toward the ar arch h in the mountains The fhe crowd followed singing and shouting so 80 it seemed I will not nol tr try I to describe our feelings Arriving at the arch they touched some kind ot of secret mechanism a huge slab in the arch slid back and andare I we are were ushered into the most magni magnificent place I have bave ever seen It now dawned upon ale that we were In a huge natural cave caye which the savages used as a temple The rich tapestries were Vere embroidered in gold goldI I and u d p. p precious e lu stones stones we were wr wrought into all an kinds Kinas I 01 Ot of peculiar peCUllar mero- mero and Images of all aU sorts and Floor coverings The like lile Ive I've never seen After Aftel the they had gone through peculiar ceremonies they led us through an opening Into another apartment and I felt my red redhair redhair hair hall slowly rise on end enl at the terrible terrible terrible terri terri- ble spectacle I beheld A monster so 80 hideous that human imagination could not conceive of it stood in the rear of the room His mouth opened opened opened open open- ed and shut automatically showing flames of fire Its eyes ees shone in the semi-darkness semi with a baneful malignant malignant ma ma- red glare Wh When n his mouth opened the arms outstretched in a I gesture so compelling and hypnotic that some of the savages had even been known to ascend the steps and leap into the flaming mouth of the demon The They offered human sacrifice sacrifice fice flee to this hideous idol whom whom- the they worshipped especially when the they had bad done something which might arouse his wrath Imagine my relief when the old medicine man mall led us back into the outer temple They then dressed us in beautiful embroIdered embroidered embroidered em em- broidered garments Mine were gold colored Virginias Virginia's was silver Next a crown bearing a sun was placed on m my head and on Virginias Virginia's a big silver star The They gave us some wonderful fruits and a beverage beverage beverage bever bever- age that equaled the Nectar of the Gods While we were vere eating a great crash of or thunder seemed to rend the cave It was followed by br another and another The savages came running from ever every direction their faces terror stricken as the storm in all its fur fury burst upon the valley I hope t tl never see or witness anything so terrible again It was night b by now and the heavens were lit by a lurid red glow The rain fell feU in torrents and the wind roared and howled overturning the Indian huts blowing down the trees and causing death and destruction everywhere They gathered us with appealing gestures begging us to 10 stay the fUr fury of the storm The crowning climax was reached when a a. a crash of thunder tore way away the magnificent arch We Ve were powerless powerless pow pow- erless and their reverence and a ado ado- o- o turned to anger nger and vengence vengence ven- ven gence for they had decided we were evil n spirits and had brought the storm The anger of the hideous Idol had to be appeased for he alone could help belp them The cold sweat I stood in great beads upon my brow when I saw their evident intention They snatched us up and bore us to the monster My Iy red naIl nair made malle me methe methe methe the great offender so without a moments moment's moments moment's moments moment's mo mo- ments ment's hesitation a great savage as ascended ascended ascended as- as the with me to cast me meIn meIn mein In the fiery mouth of the demon The air all was resounding with the cries of the savages Every step I could feel it growing hotter and hot hot- ter I tried to scream in a very agony of terror but my tongue clove to the roof of my mouth It was so hot my face seemed on fire The fiery monster opened his mouth to receive me as the savage flung me from him with the force of f a cat cata- cata a- a pault An awful crash on my forehead forehead forehead fore fore- head and I awoke with a piercing shriek to find a shoe laying on my pillow It was thirty seven-thirty a a. a m. m The heater at the side of at my bed was red hot My little brothers were engaged engaged engaged ed in a spirited discussion over the of a pair of overalls o One had hold of one leg of the overalls and the other had the other leg Their angry filled the theair theair theair air and If the overalls had not been Never Rip thy would have parted in the middle for sure sur During the tug of war one reached reach roach ed down grasped a shoe hurled it at atthe atthe atthe the other missed him and hit me mo and saved me from the fier fiery monster Only a dream and the story still un un- un- un finished 0 O my nay 0 o |