The Tomb in the Mountain.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XLVII, Issue 7998, 8 December 1905, Page 4

The Tomb in the Mountain.

Ooeooid, wet, dlaagreeahle evening in October, I found myself is a desolate part of the Bock; mountains of Wyoming, wearily Talking, olimblng, and eliding towards my destination, a itnill mining camp about a doxen milea farther on. Ai night began to close down and I nag fully aware that the Tiuage could not be naehed that night, I began looking around lot a suitable place to camp. As my eyes scanned peaks and valleys I saw in the diitancs what appeared to be a dwelling house of larger sise than one usually came across in that region. That would give me shelter from the rain, at least, even if luck should have it that the cabin be uninhabited, I said to myself, and changing my ooarse slightly made my way towards it. As I approached nearer my heart was lightened by seeing a thread of blue smoko curling from the chimney, and, with the prospect of a meal ai well a 9 shelter before me, I hastened my steps until I stood at the door.

Uy rap was answered by a girl probably eighteen years old, who seemed rather in doubt whether to admit me or not—a proseeding extremely unusual in the mountains where the best one has is hospitality set forth lor the stranger. But before she could either reiuie or invite me in, a sharp voice from the Interior asked who was there, and a moment later a tall, spare man with keen gray eyes came to the door. He was roughly dressed, yet his manner, even his clothing, bespoke the gentleman. He, too, however, seemed reluctant to adi mft me, and it was only after a strong plea for shelter from the rain that he gave a half gracious constat, and, inviting me in, offered me a seat by a blazing fire of logs in a wide and deep fireplace. Supper soon followed, thai ha and 1 returning to the cheerful glow o( the hearth, entered into desultory convenation which, I afterwards recalled, strangely and imperceptibly, was confined almost«otlrely to my own concerns. Before he (jidoM aa to my bed I had fully informed him with regard to myself, that I was a tourist tramping in the mountains with no particular object in view, that none of my friends knew where I was, and that no one would be concerned if I never returned to civilisation. -My host, on his part, rather by tone of Toice and manner, gave mc to understand thai he was a well read man, a scholar and a recluse, Bui why he had buried himself in this place he did net reveal, and at that time I wag too tired and sleepy to speculate upon it later the matter e&me to mc with a sharp, agonising intensity. Horning showed my host in a more favorable light, or more favorably mood. lie put himself ont to be entertaining, and as it was still mining heavily, urged mc to remain with him during the day, or at least until the storm was over, and not being anxious to risk my neck over slippery rocky I accepted the invitation.

Departing Riill more from this coldness of the night before, he invited m* after break* fast to go with birn int-> his workshop, as lie called it—a cavern in the mountain :nde, reached by a door in the rea.r of the loghouse. Here, to mj surprise, I found a perfect laboratory. " You seem astonished !'' my host quietly rem.nkcd, and I ackn;,v.:eogrd lhat Iwas. Ifcit he made no explanation, and, turning to his chemicals, began s.ono experiment which I wnlchi'd with small i:it?p.st for hall an hour or more, and then jet.urned to lhs outer roM?n, where, taking up a book, which t found lying upon a stand, I sat down lo read. 1 Mavcd all' day, the rain ne.ter cca?ing. At n->on the d:;ugM»:r called her father from hi* experiment* and wo s.U tlmvu U an ap« peiising dinner of veaisrvi, pjiatoes and brii.nl. Mr. llutley(for so hi* iivl iuforn.C'l me was hii name) lo have tal.ea leave of r.il his fornwi' rclicntico and was even moie ag;cealjle cud engaging than he had be*n at breakfast. The afternoon pa.-sfd fis t!i«i for-part of the <iay had parsed. I sat by tho lilile win* dow overlooking the i]joui»?;;in yide for an hear, watching the steady fall of rain upon the slope, the valley and the jagged clilTb beyond. I)h| von ever have Use gocd fortune to do this ? T«» sit, snfe and dry, in the heart of the mountain? rnu out upon the fre.-h rain dropping from the clon-Is only a few bundled fee' ibive you ? I alwvys did love the rain —when sht-lu-r.-d from ir. if or. by nothing but mar'.intosh and an umbrella - ehvayg loved Ij u-.ive alongcouri'iy i.tats, especially at liiirht, niien it v.a.> t irni;:;: the roads into puddles ol mi:d atid the .-•da 'h nl the hoi.-e's ho4jS and the taating of the rain upon ilie Wp all thu that could be heaid. How mi:-h •-•'.oie pVnra.ii wan it to sit thus c.' housed on t!:«' moi.ntaiu side and gaze »'i *.mi inlo t'j* a; ':' ;, and w.ili'h Vhe sheets cd f.;i!:r--. facing w i;i.( ut inter-:ni-.-iou h< ur aitvr h n.r. Mr. Hnrtlfy h id r< t i:r* <1 to his fabnratovy . joo:i af'i:» r, h- r; .a i.u;l until Cain d foi supp-r, an 1 my aft-.-iijonn w;i> !< ft *0 lbi> military enj lyiu;-•:;» .of th«- ttis i(a« J ing of thri book I hat' "leg'in in thv ;;h);uin;'. and a rc;.fj -*i 4 i;-n with my host's d: ; rigl.t< r. The lat'fr . .I' me but little, and sitere v.as -or..;»lhing ;ihout her whleh attracted my aJtentior? ag.iitiand again. What t'irs;i v .souieth.ing was I could not analyze. But it scented to u." that i:i her inake-cp there w.is a larjfe elet.i'*nt of p ojtup, reprt-iwd fear. After supper, vvt:icb was a cosy one and at which my host put forth extra tiToris to be entertaining, we two men die.v : p our chairs to the fireplace, where a bright b'azo sent a glow thiough the room, and Muol;cd and taiketl until bedtime. Long :>.'fo;-e that hour arrived I had assented to Mr. Hartley's urging and accepted his invitation to remain is his guest for a few days, possibly a week or more. *' You see, we are all alone up here; Madge and 1. Keally, 1 believe it is a month since anj one else has stumbled on ourcabin. You are out on a hunting and pleasure trip. What better place than this ? You can provide our table with venison or fish, as you choose. And every everting we will have the pleasure of your society. Cone, what do you say?" >The evening rapidly under *-he soothing influence of pipe and open hctTth. Mr. Hartley was more communicative th&n the night before and I learned that years previous he had been a professor in an Eastern college and had gone into voluntary exile In order to be undisturbed while making some experiments and researches. Mftdgd bad been his only companion, and so long had they been buried in the fastnesses of the mountain that all intercourse with their former friends had ceased. "We are practically cut off from tho whole world," he said, and there was a momentary gleam in bis eye a? if he enjoyed the thought. It is ncedlc&s to say that 1 enjoyed the life. Entirely free to come and po as I pleased, the days passed were ideal days, hunting, fishing, exploring the mountains, always sure of a warm supper and a cosy evening at the cabin when the day was over. In all my tramps I never met a human being. U was evident that the recluse bad iwell chosen his scientific hermitage. (tocasionally I visited Mr. Hartley in his workshop behind the house. ?.r:d, while he acver let my presence interrupt his experi-

ments, still I flattered myself that my visit! were cot anweloome. *• He was a well-read man, even In latei day fiction of the better sort, and we often passed hoars discussing this and that book. One day while in his laboratory I threw myself upon a rough eouoh he had knocked to* gether and made some derogatory remark concerning Bellamy's " Looking Backward." 14 Why should Bach a thing not happen ?'* he asked sharply, as he paused in his work and looked keenly at me. "Anyscientist who merits the name will teli you that under certain conditions man might pass into a sleep which would last into eternity if not disturbed." I looked at my host in unconcealed as* tonishment. In an instant his burst of passion had left him and he silently turned again to his retorts. That afternoon I did an underhanded thing. I questioned Madge about her father's experiments. Her reply was brief, enigmatical and startling. She said: " The life everlasting," and abruptly left the room. The next day I returned from a hunting trip earlier than usual, and after putting up my gun, went into the laboratory. My host was not there. But, advancing into the room, I saw what I had never seen there before—an opening in what had always seemed a solid rock wall at the farther end of the workshop. My entrance had been quiet. I stepped across the room, and, asl neared the aperture, Mr. Hartley stood before me. He was just emerging from an artificial cave in the breast of the mountain.

I apologised, an apology which, after a | brief look of vexation, he received with courtesy, and even invited me to glance withia this second room. "Reminds me of a rock-hcwn tomb," I remarked, " and that long stone box would make an admirable sarcophagus. May I ask the purpose of the cave ? " " It has none at present, but it may be of use later. lam preparing it for the greatest experiment of my life," and without more ado he closed the door of rock, which fitted so nicely that no ono could detect it. That was my last visit but one to the lab* oratory back of the mountain cabin. The next morning I was surprised to hear Mr. Hartley giving his daughter instructions with regard to a trip over the range to a mining camp upon some trivial matter, and it was apparent that she did not wish to go. Nevertheless she consented, and half an hour later I also left the house to try conclusions with a trout which I had been angling fur without success for several days. Neither was I successful this day, and that may have been the reason I returned home earlier than usual. Madge was still away, and, going back into the laboratory, I found it deserted also. As I entered, a faint, unfamiliar odor came to me. I threw myself down upon the r ugh couch, intending to rest there until Mr. Hartley returned, but sleep overcame me, and in a few minutes all consciousness left me. How long I slept I knew not, but when I awoke it was completely dark. I attempted to rise from the couch, and my head struck some solid substance over me. That was strange, I meditated, and Wretched out my hand to feel of my surroundings. I found that 1 was enclosed in four stone wails. In vain I attempted tobreak out from my prison ; in vain I tried to li;ul some crevice which would mark an opening. What could it mean? I nsked myself, and then the horror of the thing canis upon me. I remembered that stone sarcophngus in the inner cave which Hartley had .said was to be the receptacle of his greatest experiment. I was imprisoned in that. I pounded upon the sides of my grare, T fhtir-ked, I even prayed to my jailor, although wc!i knowing that no sound cor,ld rench rv<-n the outer cave where his'laboratory was mutated.

(.iir.'Hially tbo full horror of my ritunlion cune to inc. I was imprisoned, not l»v a<ei drut, but through the crazy freak <.»t" my host, imprisoned to starve to de.ith if Iwcienot suffocated beforehand by vitiated air. But what was it all for? After a time there flashed through my mind that brief conversation concernii.g I><llamy's "Locking Backward,'' and Hartley's evident displeasure at my criticism. What? Could he, in his insanity, have dreamed of making a reality of that fiction? Hours, days, a week, in that liorriblc, lonely darkness. and then I heard a crush, felt a shook, and lh?n heatd voices. Events happened rapidly after lhat. Men runted into the rave and I could hear them cutting and prying .it my tomb. The top was removed ami I was lifted out. Kefore mc stood half a do::en miners and Madge. Ths old profej-sor was not there. Back in tlif cabin, and aft. n r stimulants ; had been administered, ilie girl explained j bow I had been discovered. On her return from the camp, no: icing my absence, she in- i quired where I wa*, and h'-r lather had re-' plied that I had takf.-n a su-Urii notion to con- i linns my journey ami had h'ft that afternoon 1 about 2 o'eloci;. lint the daughter had more than an inkling of what h-T father's M greatest experiment," v is. and she h-?ccnu°. smpic.inus him into the lahcrii' -y she also distinguished the strange odov which had In'.h'd mc lo p!' cp. This increased her suspicions, and, bavin" the house, she "'nteivopU'd a parly of miners she had seen tossing the range. Th»»y followed her ar».i suipi Hartley with the door of the cave open a few inches, he having given way to his curiosity to look upon his devilish work. Ho slammed the stciic door shut and dashed through the bouse and down the mountain side before any one thought of capturing hiui. Ho was never seen by any of us again. The girl commanded the miners to tiu a blast in the wall as nearly as they could guess to the location of the door. That was the crash I heard. I had been in the tomb sir hours when rescued. By piecing this find that together wo carno to a very clear idea of Hartley's scheme. When he learned that I was alone and that my disappearance in all probability could never.be traced to him, he decided to win me over to becoming his guest, and when all was ready laid his trap, sent his daughter away, idt open a bottle of subtle anaesthetic and when I had succumbed to its influence carried me into the vault, laid me in the prepared tomb and cemented the cover upon it. Search was made for the degenerate scientist, but wilhoutavail, and altera 'ew weckr I conducted his daughter back &st, where she speedily found former friends, who gave her a home and a hearty welcome.—By C. ("J. Halm in Frisco Examiner.