CHAPTER V.

OTHER STONE COUNTY CAVES.


GENTRY CAVE.

The cave nearest to Galena, and the first visited by us, is Gentry Cave,
situated a mile and a half from town. We started in the mail coach, but
that vehicle met with a misfortune by no means unusual in that region,
the total wreck of a wheel. Having only that morning arrived from the
rich agricultural portion of the State where no surface rock can be
found, we were pleased enough with the prospect of a walk in such
charming spring weather, and set out with a cheerful certainty that the
rough place in the road would soon be passed. But the school of
experience is always open for the reception of new-comers and we were
admitted to full duty without question.

The topography was nearly as broken, in its way, as the natural "piking"
spread over it, and very beautiful with the dense forests lighted by the
slanting yellow rays of the afternoon sun. The way leads up to the
"ridge road" which is at length abandoned for no road at all, and
descending through the forest, more than half the distance down to the
James River flowing at the base of the hill, we come suddenly in view of
the cave entrance, which is probably one of the most magnificent pieces
of natural architecture ever seen.