last days of waving gray moss in place 

 of its robe of green leaves, among which 

 the mockingbird trilled its merry song in 

 the happy days of long ago. 



The path led down through a little glen 

 moist and dripping with the raindrops 

 from overhanging trees. The damp 

 weeds gave out a strange smell of rank 

 growth and rapid decay. A great bush of 

 hardy green stems thrust out for admira- 

 tion bunches of bright yellow flowers, 

 stiff and prim, but giving a touch of gay- 

 ety to the study in green which abounded 

 on all sides. 



The first Lime-sink was reached just 

 here, up a little sloping hill straight 

 ahead, and again the brawling stream 

 came into view at a greater depth than 

 when we crossed it. Here it disappeared 

 into a large archway at least seven feet 

 high. 



These caves are of natural formation, 

 caused by the slow process oi the water 

 wearing away the soft limestone. Their 

 subterranean passages are so low that 

 very few have traversed this one for any 

 great distance, though one man claimed 

 that he went into it far enough to hear 

 the rumble of wheels over his head. At 

 that time the nearest highway was quite a 

 distance and woodland all around ; noAv 

 he would not have far to go, as a road 

 has been made to reach the plowed land 

 lying on either side of the Limebranch. 



Beyond, the stream glides from under- 

 neath a natural bridge, wide enough for 

 a wagon to cross over upon it. 



On the opposite side of the bridge the 

 stream appears in a deep ravine, twenty 

 feet or more. Here it is a turbtilent body 

 of water, with numberless cataracts 

 where the water rushes and plunges, 

 whitened into foam by its struggles with 

 impeding forces. Still it does not weary, 

 as the sounding waters harmonize with 

 the melodies of nature coming from every 

 side. 



A wild, bush-grown path led to another 

 lime oven on the edge of the cliff, but the 

 late rain had made this place unsafe and 

 the fossil seekers did not venture, though 

 the view of the water is beautiful from 

 the ledge. 



Back down the little slope, we reach a 

 grass grown path where the stream once 

 more winds into view and again disap- 

 pears into one of the peculiar caves. This 



cave is of easy access as the stream is 

 near the surface. The archway is scarce- 

 ly three feet high, but quite dry inside as 

 the stream goes some distance under- 

 ground before entering the cave or tun- 

 nel, and where it does enter, the passage 

 way is high enough for a person to walk 

 upright. The unimportant fact that one 

 had to enter the cave on all fours, owing 

 to the smallness of the entrance, did not 

 dampen the ardor of those who wished 

 to explore its mysterious windings. How- 

 ever, as scrambling into the narrow en- 

 trance was found to end in disaster in the 

 matter of clothes, only a few made the 

 trip. 



A few yards further down the path 

 the stream appears, deep in the ground 

 again, and from the arched opening the 

 fumes of sulphur and smoke floated out 

 upon the pure, fresh air. The exploring 

 party had struck a match to light a lan- 

 tern when the twilight of the tunnel suc- 

 cumbed to Stygian darkness. 



At this point the threatening clouds 

 caused a halt in our onward progress. 

 The weather-wise ones advised going 

 home, but those who did not mind a wet- 

 ting were opposed to going, but gave in 

 about visiting the site of the old dam, 

 where once upon a time this noisy little 

 stream had been used to turn a mill- 

 wheel. So we retraced our steps and 

 went to the cave on the other side of the 

 foot-log. 



The path went round the curve in the 

 road now, and led through a bosky dell 

 of wet grass and tall weeds until a little 

 bridge over a dry gully brought a halt to 

 further going. 



"This leads to the cave," said Ben. 

 "But wait until I call you." Jumping off 

 of the bridge he disappeared through the 

 bushes, followed by the other boys of the 

 party. 



Everything was so wet that it was 

 pleasanter to wait until some pioneer 

 hewed the way. 



"Where is the cave?" asked the last 

 comers. 



"The boys have gone to locate it, as 

 it has lost itself," was the answer. "Have 

 you found it ?" we called to the boys. 



"We are making it now," they replied. 

 And from the sound of cutting, one could 

 well believe that true. 



1:27 



