by Gary Barnes
Embarrassed at being the brunt of a yet another joke, Frankie staunchly announced that it must be time to continue on with their trek to the cave.
Reluctantly, Johnny and Austin agreed and they all stood to continue their journey. Heading toward the stream, Johnny suddenly stopped and bent down to pick up an unusual looking rock. It was oblong in shape, about three-inches wide and six-inches long. The variegated rusty, cream-colored rock, was very smooth to the touch, even though its surface was very uneven, with several jagged edges.
“Cool, look at this flint rock!” Johnny announced.
His friends gathered around and examined the flint covetously.
“That one’s a keeper, man. You never know when you might need a good flint rock,” proclaimed Austin.
Johnny removed his backpack and placed the flint inside. Slinging the backpack over his shoulder, he and the boys continued their trek upstream.
Within five minutes the boys arrived at the mouth of Fears Cave. It had a rather small opening compared to many Ozark caves, being only about eight feet high and arching to about fifteen feet wide. The stream they had been following flowed out of the right side of the cave’s entrance, where it formed a pool about six feet deep.
The mouth of the cave was sealed shut with a lattice work of iron bars forming a grid of vertical and horizontal bars about every eight inches preventing anyone from entering. There was a door, also made of the latticed iron work, that had a padlock and chain keeping it closed. The padlock was old and rusty. Johnny immediately began attempting to pick the lock with his pocket knife.
Near the top of the door there was a sign attached to the latticed grillwork announcing that the cave had been closed to the public because of an endangered species of bat that inhabited the cave. Many of the non-commercialized caves in the Ozarks had been similarly sealed by the Environmental Protection Agency. They had even sealed up caves located on private property against the wishes of many of the land owners. Below the notice on the sign, and in smaller print, was a telephone number to arrange for a guided tour.
“I’m sure glad we called ahead to make our reservation,” Austin snickered as he pointed to the sign. Johnny and Frankie joined him in nervous laughter, stealing glances over their shoulders for fear that someone would catch them, but that was part of the excitement of the adventure.
“I’ve heard that almost all of the caves around here are barred up like this. Why did they do that?” asked Frankie.
“I think they just don’t want kids to have any fun,” Austin concluded.
Apparently officials at the E.P.A. believed that bats inhabiting the area could only be protected by preventing entrance to the cave by curiosity seekers, even though three hundred years of spelunkers, as well as extensive mining operations during the Civil War, had not significantly impacted either the bats or their habitat. Many of the locals questioned the invasiveness of the E.P.A. and distrusted their motives.
Johnny finished picking the lock. It snapped open and the boys entered the cave, closing the door behind them. From inside they replaced the chain around the latticework and placed the hasp of the lock through the links, but they did not snap the lock shut.
Once inside the cave the boys lit their Coleman lanterns. Austin and Frankie switched on their flashlights to check their batteries, then put them in their pockets for backup. Picking up their lanterns, they started walking into the cave’s tunnel.
“Wait, I almost forgot,” exclaimed Johnny.
He reached into his backpack and took out his “JOHNNY EXPLORER” hard hat, turned on the light and placed it upon his head. Then the three boys proceeded into the darkness, making their way along the passageways using their Coleman lanterns. The water in the stream they followed had deepened considerably though its gentle current was hardly perceptible. The glassy smooth surface before them reflected the formations hanging from the cave’s ceiling, making the cavern appear much larger than it actually was.
The boys passed some wondrous things in the cave, stalactites, stalagmites, flow-stone and many other types of drip-water formations. They were in awe as they viewed these sights. After a quarter of a mile they came to a room where the ceiling was covered with bats. A few of the bats dive-bombed the boys.
“Let’s get out of here, quick! I don’t like bats,” yelled Frankie.
“Oh, come on, Frankie, they’re just flying mice,” explained Austin.
“I don’t care what they are, I don’t like them,” Frankie protested.
“There’s nothing to fear in Fears Cave except fear itself,” Johnny retorted.
Acquiescing to Frankie’s unfounded request, the boys quickly left the bat room and pressed deeper into the cave, teasing Frankie about his fear of bats as they went.
The trio followed the stream for another half-mile, avoiding the temptation to explore the numerous side passageways and merging streams that took off in inviting directions. They finally entered a large room where the passageway abruptly stopped. The stream flowed from the ground, like a spring, at the base of the wall where the cave dead-ended. Twenty feet from the stream’s origin it widened to form a deep pool with a glassy surface about fifty feet across. A small rock outcropping jutted out into the subterranean lagoon forming a narrow peninsula.
“Looks like the creek starts here,” observed Frankie.
“Yeah,” Johnny agreed. “I’ve never been this far into the cave before.”
“Okay, Frankie, it’s time to make a believer out of you. This is where you get hypnotized. Now lay down,” announced Austin.
“Right here in the dirt?” protested Frankie.
“Yup,” Austin replied.
The boys dimmed their lanterns as Frankie lay down on the cave floor. Austin produced a very small flashlight from his backpack with a shoelace through the end loop. He turned on the flashlight and began speaking very softly and slowly:
“Frankie, I want you to watch the light,” Austin instructed.
Austin slowly swung the light back and forth. Frankie followed it with his eyes.
“Frankie, the light is your friend. You feel comforted by it. Keep looking at the light. Just relax. . . . Concentrate on the light and the sound of my voice. You can trust the light. You’re getting very, very relaxed. You can feel the weight of your body sinking into the ground. You’re getting very relaxed.” Austin spoke to Frankie in a very slow, soft, low, monotone voice. Frankie appeared to become drowsy. “Your eyelids are getting very, very heavy. Let them close.”
Frankie’s eyelids fluttered several times, then slowly closed.
“Just relax and listen to my voice. My voice will be your guide. Just listen to my voice. I’m going to count backwards from ten to one, and as I do so you will feel yourself becoming more and more relaxed. As I say each number you will sink deeper and deeper into a restful state, and you will hear only the sound of my voice.”
Austin slowly began to count backwards while continuing to assure Frankie with his soft, low, monotone voice. When he completed the backwards countdown he addressed Frankie more directly.
“You are now under my control and will obey only the sound of my voice. Do you understand?”
Frankie slowly nodded his head up and down.
Austin proceeded with his ritual, “From now on when I say the words “Fears Cave” you will automatically fall into a deep and restful trance.”
Johnny softly giggled, “Whenever you say Fears Cave?”
Austin glanced at Johnny and winked a mischievous grin, then continued addressing Frankie in his soft, soothing, low, monotone voice, “Nod your head if you understand my instructions?”
Slowly Frankie nodded his head affirmatively.
“Good. When I count to three you will wake up, but not until I finish counting to three. Until then you will remain in the same relaxed state as you currently are.” Austin glanced at Johnny, flashed a broad, joking smile while slowly nodding his head up and down, then continued his instructions to Frankie. “You are
a very wealthy man.” Austin pointed to the ice-cold spring-fed pool of water. “This is your heated indoor swimming pool. It’s time for your daily swim. Get up and dive in.”
Austin and Johnny snickered as they raised the brightness of their Coleman lanterns. Frankie stood, stripped to his shorts, and dove into the cold water. He swam around and appeared to be having a very good time splashing and rollicking in the freezing water.
“How’s the water Frankie?” yelled Austin.
“It’s great, why don’t you guys come in and join me?” Frankie yelled back.
“Thanks but we’ll pass – maybe some other time,” Johnny yelled.
“Aw come on in . . . you don’t know what you’re missing,” yelled Frankie.
“Uh, I think we do. And we have a surprise for you,” yelled Johnny.
“What’s that?” Frankie yelled back.
Frankie was now about twenty feet from shore, almost in the center of the deep, cold pool.
Austin shouted, “1 . . . 2 . . . 3!”
Frankie immediately came out of the trance, screaming at the cold of the water. He thrashed his way back to shore and climbed out shivering uncontrollably. Johnny and Austin were beside themselves with laughter at Frankie’s predicament. Frankie, on the other hand, was extremely angry, confused and freezing.
“How in the heck did I get in there? And how did my clothes get off?” Frankie angrily demanded.
Austin stiffened his back, standing as tall as he possibly could, opened his eyes very wide and raised his eyebrows up and down several times while glaring ominously at Frankie. “Now do you believe in my powers?” he said very seriously in a deeply resonating voice.
Frankie refused to answer as he shot Austin a look of disdain. He quickly dressed and flailed his arms to warm himself as his companions continued to reel with laughter.
Just then something shiny on the ground near the far wall of the cave caught Johnny’s eye. He crossed over to the other side of the passageway, going slightly uphill in the process. Reaching the shiny object he bent down beside a large boulder and picked up a somewhat rusty Bowie knife with a bone handle, protruding halfway from a beat-up leather sheath.
“Wow, look what I just found!” cried Johnny.
The other boys came rushing over and seeing the knife, openly coveted his finding. Austin handled the knife, turning it over and over to give it a careful inspection. The knife blade had a little rust on it but was otherwise in relatively good condition. The sheath, however, had dry-rotted severely. As he tried to put the knife back into the sheath, part of it crumbled and broke off.
“Dude, that’s so cool!” said Austin.
“Man, are you ever lucky,” Frankie added, somewhat covetously. Then, trying to boost his own ego by sounding authoritative he added, “I’ll bet Jesse James lost it. He used to roam these parts you know.”
“No way, man, Jesse couldn’t have lost it. That was over a hundred years ago,” Austin chimed in, bursting Frankie’s bubble. “Besides, even if Jesse’s gang had been here they’d be sure to not leave anything behind that could be traced back to them.”
As they were talking Johnny noticed a small tunnel at floor level, secluded behind the larger boulder. He knelt down and peered through it with his Coleman lantern. “Hey, guys – this room picks up on the other side of the wall. That river must just go under the wall because it picks up again on the other side. There’s a great big room, and there’s a cool light that looks like its coming from underwater. Come on, let’s check it out.”
Johnny quickly wiggled through the small opening followed by Frankie. However, Frankie was much fatter than Johnny and he got stuck in the opening. He panicked and cried for help. “Hey guys, I’m stuck!”
“Well, if you weren’t such a blubber-gut,” said Austin. He and Johnny laughed.
“That’s not funny guys,” Frankie angrily retorted. “I’m really stuck!”
Johnny grabbed Frankie’s wrists and called to Austin on the other side of the tunnel. “I’ve got his arms, Austin. I’ll pull while you push from that side.”
Austin was convinced that this idea would not work but got down on his knees anyway, placed his shoulder against Frankie’s feet and pushed while Johnny pulled on his arms from the other side of the wall.
“I don’t think this is going to work guys, I’m just getting stuck tighter. Now I’ll never get out,” Frankie lamented.
“I’ve got another idea . . . Let’s pop him out the way he got in,” Johnny yelled to Austin as he sat down on the floor of the cave in front of Frankie. “Extend your arms all the way forward.” Then he yelled to Austin on the other side of the tunnel. “I’m going to put my feet on Frankie’s shoulders and push. You grab his feet and pull hard.”
“You got it, dude.” Austin yelled back as he placed each of Frankie’s feet into his arm pits, dug his heels into the soft clay and awaited Johnny’s command.
Johnny got his feet into position while leaning back on his outstretched arms for support. “Okay, on three – one, two, three.” Johnny pushed hard on Frankie’s shoulders with his feet while from the other side of the tunnel Austin pulled on Frankie’s legs.
“It’s no use. I’m going to die here,” Frankie cried resolutely.
“Don’t be such a crybaby,” Johnny responded. “On three again okay?”
“Ready,” Austin yelled from the other side.
“One, two, three – Pull!” yelled Johnny.
Frankie inched backwards. “It’s working, it’s working. Keep it up guys,” Frankie yelled excitedly.
Slowly Frankie worked his way free and was back in the room with Austin. “Thanks guys – I thought for sure I was a goner,” he confessed.
“Man, now I know what it’s like to wrestle a beached whale,” commented Austin with a big smile, while Johnny snickered from the other side of the tunnel. Frankie mockingly drew back his fist as if to take a punch at Austin, but Austin dropped to the floor and quickly wiggled through the opening, not waiting to learn whether Frankie was bluffing.
“Wait up Johnny, I’m not gettin’ left behind with old blubber-gut,” yelled Austin and again the two boys broke out in laughter.
*
Frankie looked around and realized he was alone, in the dark. The only thing keeping the smothering darkness at bay was the small sphere of light cast by his Coleman lantern. Not wanting to appear afraid, even though in reality he was terrified at being left behind, he timidly yelled back through the tunnel, “You guys go on and explore. I’ll just stay here and stand guard.”
*
“Ew . . . what’s that horrid smell?” asked Austin.
“I don’t know . . . must be something dead in here. Come on, let’s check out where that light’s coming from,” Johnny responded.
The two boys followed the river toward the light. On this side of the wall the river was much deeper and wider than the relatively small stream which flowed from the base of the wall on Frankie’s side of the cave tunnel. About halfway to the lighted portion of the river, they encountered a large pile of dead fish, measuring fifteen feet across, that was stuck together by a sticky mucus mass. The fish ball floated in the water, anchored to the riverbank by the sticky, mucous substance. Hundreds of small amphibious creatures, new hatchlings ranging in size from two inches to ten inches in length, were all feeding upon the dead fish.
“Ew, gross!” exclaimed Austin, referring to the ball of smelly dead fish.
“Yeah, but look at those critters. They’re just like the one we caught at Rymer’s Ranch, only smaller.”
*
Frankie was on his hands and knees peering through the short connective tunnel trying to see what his friends were doing. From behind him, a young alien amphibian about the size of a cocker spaniel approached. As it did so it dislodged some rocks on the cave floor making a slight noise in the otherwise silent room.
In the perfect silence of a cave even a single drip of water can sound explosively loud, and this noise resounde
d thunderously loud in Frankie’s ears. He immediately backed out of the tunnel and whirled around to see what had caused the disruption, holding his Coleman lantern high. Surprise crossed his face, then fear. The young creature was quite inquisitive, though, and eyed Frankie curiously, not aggressively.
Frankie, however, was not amused. He kicked rocks at the young creature to keep it at a distance. Becoming more frightened he called through the tunnel to the other boys. “Hey guys, come on back, there’s a critter out here watching me.”
“What kind of a critter? A bat?” Austin yelled back. He and Johnny again broke into laughter.
“No, it’s some kind of a salamander or something. Guy’s, I don’t like this, come on back! – This thing’s a big sucker,” yelled Frankie.
“Well, just play with it for awhile, we’ll be there in a minute,” Austin yelled back.
*
Austin turned to Johnny and disgustingly added, “Afraid of a salamander! Man, I knew we shouldn’t have brought him.”
Johnny nodded in agreement.
The two boys continued to follow the river toward the underwater light which cast eerie shadows on the cave walls. The river curved in a semi-horseshoe bend to the left with an arc of about 120 feet. A little over halfway around the horseshoe they reached the source of the light. They stopped, standing on the opposite bank from the light source, and gazed at the beauty of the radiantly blue light that streamed from a hole in the cave wall, about twenty feet below the surface of the water of the forty foot in diameter subterranean lagoon before them.
“Wow, I’ve never seen anything like that before. How far down do you think that hole is?” asked Austin.
“Probably twenty feet or more. Lots deeper than I can swim. That hole must lead to a spring, or lake, or something,” responded Johnny.
“Yeah, but where?”
“Beats me.”
“Look, there’s another pile of dead fish. I wonder what piled ‘em up like that?” said Austin as he pointed upstream.