Scituate High School - Chimes Yearbook (Scituate, MA)

Page 18 text:

16 THE CHIMES THUNDER CAVE While traveling in Italy, I stayed a while in a small village not far from the foot of the Alps. One afternoon my guide called to my attention a dark spot over half way up one of the smaller mountains. ''That ' said he, ''is called Thunder Cave. Why is it called that? Has it ever been explored? I asked. No, it never has. It is believed to go into the very heart of the mountain, he replied. However we may go up and look at it and on the way I will tell you why it is called Thun- der Cave. Then while we walked up the mountain trail which wound its way so peacefully along, the old guide told me this story : About forty years ago a young count gave a magnificent party to all his young friends of the village. I, said the guide, was one of the invited. About fifty-three young men and maidens came to the party, which lasted for three days. It was a splendid affair. Every conceivable kind of game, sport and entertainment was provided. For the third night the count had planned to have all go at night and explore the cave on the mountain. This plan at first met with many objections by the parents, but at last they were convinced that no harm would come to so many at once. So we started at midnight from the villa. It was a beautiful night following a very hot day. We had not gone far when a slight breeze sprang up, and dark clouds began to gather. These signs passed unnoticed by the laughing, jovial crowd which made its way up toward the cave. With us was a guide who came very much against his will. He had been told to go with us into the cave. But when we arrived, the young count suggested that we leave the guide outside and have the fun of exploring the cave ourselves. It was decided to toss to see who would remain with the guide. It fell to me to stay with him. Then they passed into the darkness of the cave, their torches casting weird shadows on the musty walls as they moved along. Gradually their voices died away until only an occasional echo resounded to our ears. By this time, it had begun to rain so we moved inside the mouth of the cave. The guide prepared a fire and we sat down on either side of it. The minutes dragged slowly by, and our conversation soon ceased. Now came a flash of lightning followed by a low rumble of thunder. Each following crash was louder and each succeeding flash brighter. Suddenly we jumped to our feet; the whole mountain shook violently and from the very center of the darkness which followed the flash of lightning, came the echo of a weird scream. The guide's face turned white while we stood

Page 17 text:

THE CHIMES 15 A DOG'S LIFE In our most varied household, the family dog certainly has his trials. Mother and Dad hold opposite sides on the dog's privileges ; and I, being a girl, am Dad's partner in the battle. Mother insists that Rover shall not lie on the couch ; Dad asserts that the dog is a good dog, and has every right in the world to lie on aforementioned couch whether dog hairs are sprinkled profusely over that article or not. When I insist that the dog be my bedfellow, then a terrific and unceasing combat ensues; and dog hairs, bedclothes, cleanliness, the rights of this much-discussed canine, and all other things related to beds, dogs, et cetera become hopelessly confused. Finally this tangle becomes straightened out when, and only when, I retire in utter disgust. Oh yes, and another problem which the keenest mind would find intensely difficult to solve. How can a dog keep his feet dry? Were there every any dogs' rubbers or overshoes or even rubber boots invented? If so, I should like to purchase a pair to preserve peace in the family ! That dog has the most unusual and extraordinary faculty of seeking and finding the muddiest mudholes and the wettest water in the whole universe. Footprints on the sands of time are nothing in comparison with ''footprints on the floors of oak — at least, mother wails and moans whenever such a mark ap- pears on the living room floor. Poor old Rover, his life is surely hard! Bickerings, quarrels, and debates are held over his body every hour, yes, nearly every minute of the day. In the future I expect to arrive home from school sometime and find his body mangled and scarred; part of his limbs in one place, and the remainder scattered hither, thither, and yon over the whole city of Scituate. In Rover's case it's ''He doesn't like a family; but that's his weakness now! E. M. M. THE GOLFER There it goes, in the rough again. Why do I play the game, I would like to know? All I do is lose balls in woods and rough, and spend money for new ones. This money- wasting game! Show me the person who invented it for just about a minute. I went around in eighty-four Monday and today it's a hundred. This is the last game of golf I will play. This set of clubs goes into the fire when I get home, I'll bet. The golfer goes back to his office before going home and reads his mail. In it are four invitations to a tournament and he is all excited. Operator give me 840 quick! hurry! I hope I will be in time to get a chance to play in that tournament. I don't want to miss it. Boy, take this telegram and rush it to the telegraph office ; sent it rush. That's the way of the golfers. Clifford Blanchard, '31.

Page 19 text:

THE CHIMES 17 motionless in a dazed manner. Then he glanced about and his eyes fell on the bundle of torches. He seized one, and while he dipped it into the flame of the fire, his hand trembled. He tied a piece of strong light cord about a tree which grew near the mouth of the cave and looped the other end about his wrist. By this time I had regained my senses. I took a small bundle of the tapers and after lighting one I followed the guide into the darkness of the cave. He said we would go only the length of the rope. I asked in a shaken voice if he thought our comrades were safe. He said that they might be, but his voice did not convince me. The light of our tapers frightened the huge vampire bats which were hanging in multitudes from the cracks and crevices. From then on we walked in silence. Our footsteps echoed and died away. We heard nothing but a few low rumbles of the storm outside. We found no trace of those who had gone before us. When we reached the end of the rope, we retraced our steps. After extinguishing the fire, we returned to the villa with heavy hearts. ''Many of the parents of the youths had come to the villa to await the return of the party. They feared something might have befallen the young adventurers in the storm. Some of the mothers fainted, and the fathers' faces grew white at our awful news. ''As soon as the first ray of light arrived the next morning, a large crowd of the villagers made its way to the cave. The same guide and I, and the father of the count were to go again into the cave. We spoke not a word but labored on over the slimy rocks, through the stagnant pools, now stumbling over some ob- stacle in our path and falling against the damp moss-covered walls. On every side I imagined horrible demons to be looking and every shadow seemed alive. I longed to return to the cool fresh air. After a long time our path was suddenly blocked. A large piece of the wall had been dislodged by the storm and had fallen directly in our path. We stood stock still; the father's hand was raised and pointed as if he were a statue. We realized only too well the fate of those for whom we searched. Without moving, hardly daring to think, we stood there being slowly overcome by the tainted air. Then the guide commanded us to follow him, and he searched in vain for a passage by the rock. After a while we returned to the waiting crowd. When we told them what had happened, an awful silence fell over them. My guide's voice trembled as he said, I shall never forget for one moment the effect of that news. Many attempts were niade, but in vain. For many years no one has tried to ex- plore it. By this time we had reached the cave and it seemed that I SCiTUATE. MASS.