the vicinity of the Cheyenne River and probably ford the South fork, as
these waters carry in solution a quantity of alkali that renders them
unfit for drinking, although the effects would not be fatal but simply
the extreme reverse of pleasant.

No caves have been discovered in the Bad Lands, unless that name be
applied to some of the geodes which are really grottoes, they being of
sufficient size for a man to stand in. The Black Hills, however, contain
some of the most remarkable caves ever yet discovered, of which those of
greatest importance are Wind Cave and the three Onyx Caves near Hot
Springs, in the southeastern part of the Hills, and Crystal Cave near
Piedmont, in the northeast. All of these occur in the Carboniferous
Limestone which forms an outer belt around the central mass or core of
the Hills and no doubt, as previously suggested, owes its fissures to
earthquakes which preceded or accompanied the porphyry intrusions by
which in some localities its strata have been thrown into a vertical
position.

CHAPTER IX.

WIND CAVE.

Wind Cave was discovered in 1881 by a hunter named Thomas Bingham, who
being weary of a fruitless chase sat down to rest, and was soon startled
by the sound of rushing wind on a calm day; and at the same time by a
singular hair-raising sensation, as his hat was lifted from his head and
thrown high in the air. He is said to have afterwards declared that
although frightened nearly out of his wits, he determined to find the
cause of his alarm, and on turning slightly discovered a hole about
eight by twelve inches in size through which a roaring wind was issuing
from the earth. As his hair maintained the aggressive attitude taken,
the recovered hat could not be returned to its usual place, so an hour
was spent in laying it across the opening and watching its instant
projection into upper space; after which he set out to tell of the
wonderful discovery. The announcement, however, was not received
seriously and he was assured of the impossibility of the wind blowing
through a hill of solid rock, and his brother explained to him that he
had been too self-indulgent and consequently imagined the whole affair.
A protest of total abstinence failed to inspire confidence, but the
brother promised to go the next day to see for himself, and did. The hat
was again placed over the opening as before, but instead of taking the
expected lofty flight, it was drawn in and has never since been seen