and that being closely watched I
had been seen to bring that money, which they knew I expected to
receive, home from the railway station the evening before.

"Finally their leader said: 'Well, Major, ef you are bound not to own up
till we force you to, we'll have to try a dose of the Black Hole, and I
reckon that'll fetch you to terms quicker'n most anything.'

"I had heard of the Black Hole, and the suggestion thrilled me with
horror. It was a pit in the lime rock reputed to be of fabulous depth
and was located at some distance from my cabin in one of the most
impenetrable of the forest recesses. From it, so the negroes had told
me, issued uncanny moanings and groans which they attributed to the
ghosts of those who they declared had been flung into it by the
bushwhackers when they wished to effectually remove all traces of some
of their numerous deeds of blood.

"I protested and made promises, but to no purpose. My money or the Black
Hole was the only answer I received, as I was hurried away through the
forest. No other word was spoken, and, left to my own bitter
reflections, I took no note of the direction in which we were going, nor
of the distance traversed. When we at length halted I became conscious
of a hollow moaning sound that seemed to come from the earth at my feet.

"Once more the question was asked, 'Will you give in, Major, and tell us
where the money is, or shall we drop you into the back door of hell?'

"I answered, 'For God's sake, gentlemen, believe me when I say that I
have received no money. If I had I would gladly give it as the price of
my life.'

"A mocking laugh was their only reply. In another moment a slender rope
was knotted under my pinioned arms and a sudden push left me swinging
helplessly in the mouth of the awful pit beside which we had halted.

"'We'll wait here just one hour, Major,' came to me in Case Haffner's
voice, 'and give you a chance to consider the situation. If you decide
to let us have the money inside of that time, jest holler, and we'll
pull you up. If you decide to go to hell and take the greenbacks with
you, why, we'll jest have ter bid you good-by, that's all.'

"Then I was slowly lowered down, down, down, through the blackness. So
slow was my descent that I seemed to be suspended for hours and to sink
miles into the heart of the earth. The pain of the slender cord cutting
into my flesh was well-nigh intolerable, and I bear livid evidences of
it to this day; with