Coming out, the way was somewhat varied, but more difficult, as the passages through the onyx beds were more irregular and more nearly closed; Onyx Hall being only a fair specimen of the marvelous results achieved here by the persistent regularity of an uninterrupted but slow drip, continued through hundreds of years.

[Illustration:  White Onyx Masses.  Page 170.]

[Illustration:  Looking out of White Onyx Cave.  Page 171.]

It is surprising that in all these heavy beds there is no line or tint, or slightest trace of color anywhere, while the other Onyx Cave, so near as to suggest connection, has a gorgeous variety of rich coloring.

The view looking out from the entrance of White Onyx Cave is wonderfully fine, and equally so whether the rain falls or the sun shines, a timely shower giving us an opportunity to enjoy both.

Before leaving the ranch, a promise was made by Mr. Sidey to write a short description of the other cave, which he kindly did, and it is here given.  He says: 

“In trailing a deer I came across a hole on top of a long divide.  On throwing a rock down the opening, I could hear it rattling against the walls until the sounds gradually died away, but there seemed to be no bottom to the hole, and I resolved to come again prepared and make explorations.  After the snow had gone my twelve-year-old son, Ray, and I, mounted on our trusty horses, Bonnie and Dee, equipped with ropes, candles, hammers and a pocketful of matches, set out to explore the new cave.  It was a beautiful, bright spring morning, and after an hour’s hard climbing over fallen timber and rocks, we reached the summit of the mountain.  A search of half an hour revealed the opening which was barely large enough to allow me to pass through.

“Fastening our ropes securely to a stout log rolled across the chasm, we began to pay it out, and although we did not feel it touch bottom, I started down to explore, the length of the rope at least.  As I descended I found the opening gradually widened out to eight or ten feet, a sort of inverted funnel-shaped hole with irregular wall but smooth and affording little footing.  As I neared the bottom I saw the end of the rope was within four feet of it, so I landed on terra firma and called to Ray, ‘All right, come down!’

“Lighting our candles we found ourselves standing on a mound of pure onyx, and on looking around could see we were in an immense cavern, whose walls sparkled and glittered as if studded with diamonds.  Going down twenty feet we found a smooth-floored room that measured three hundred feet in length, twenty five feet in width, and thirty feet in height.  The walls were solid white onyx lined or banded with pink and golden stripes.  The ceiling was arched, and draped in fantastic shapes, and hung with stalactites innumerable.  The room was so large and the drapery and festooning so delicate and beautiful, that we were filled with awe and could not speak for a time.