cellar would be unhurt. Several of these ingenious
little fortifications remain in Page County, Rhodes Fort and the Egypt
House being good examples of them.

In the Hawksbill neighborhood, not far from Luray, there lived a long
time ago John Stone and his family. In 1758 the Indians came to his home
while he was away. They had little difficulty in carrying off Mrs.
Stone and her baby, a son about eight years old and another boy, George
Grandstaff, who was sixteen.

The marauders sacked other residences in the neighborhood and killed a
number of persons. It is possible that when they set out for their own
settlements some distance off they found Mrs. Stone's progress impeded
because of carrying the baby. At any rate, they murdered those two and
continued on their way with the boys.

Three years later Grandstaff escaped as their prisoner and returned to
Mr. Stone. Young Stone remained with the savages for a number of years
and when he did come home he sold his father's property and with the
money in his pockets he went back to the Indian village. No one ever
heard of him afterwards.

Luray was laid out in 1812 by William Staige Marye, son of Peter Marye,
who built the first turnpike--a toll-road--to cross the Blue Ridge from
Culpeper into the Shenandoah Valley. Near Luray is the Saltpetre Cave.
During the War Between the States the Confederates established a nitrate
plant there and used the products in their manufacture of ammunition.

One of the most beautiful drives in Virginia is that leaving Luray,
crossing the mountain and entering the Valley Pike at New Market.

Of particular importance to this section are the Luray Caverns. An
entertaining history is attached to them. As far back as 1793 there was
knowledge of the existence of the caves, for Joseph Ruffner's son had
explored several passages just about this time. Ruffner's property took
on the name of Cave Hill.

The Ruffners were among the largest landowners in the Valley, their
property extending twelve miles on both sides of Hawksbill Creek. They
received a part of the land through inheritance and bought other tracts.
Dr. Henry Ruffner, a member of this distinguished family, was at one
time President of Washington College, now Washington and Lee University
at Lexington.

Fighting during the War Between the States occurred near the town of
Luray and about two miles south on the Lee Highway there is an old oak
tree which marks the place where Sheridan's