The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1877-02-21


they one and all deserted their Priest.
The Captain seized the opportunity
Of communicating With the ship. aud
Of exchanging q frsil canoe. which
be was i'll able 10 manage. for swift
sailing boat, capable Of keeping The
sea 10 the event Of stormy weather
As he now neared the land. certain
small sparks of red moving in the
distance informed him that the co1oes
bad been ordered back to their duty.
Steering BY the distant t0rcblights,
be reached his own side OF the isl
and without accident, and, guided by
the boats lantern. anchored under
the cliff lie climbed the rocks, adj
vanced to the door Of the hut-and
was met 20 bis delight and astonish-
ment. bv Aimata on the threshold
Il dreamed that the anger Of the
Geities had parted Us forever" said
she: "and ! came here to see if my
dream was true. Oh, how / have
been crying, all alone il the hut
Now | have seen you ! am satisfied
Kiss me, and let me 90 back. No
you must not 20 with NE NJ
father has his doubrs my father may
be cut, looking for me. r. is Won that
are in danger, not /. / know the for
est as well by dark as bv daylight.
You shall see me again at daybreak -
The Captain detained her. "Now
you are here" be said, "why should
| wait 70 place you il safety until
daybreak / have been 70 the ship
! lave brought back one Of the boats.
The darkness will befriead us-lel
Us embark while we can"
She sbraDk back as be took ber
hand My father - she said, very
family.
Your father is il no danger. The
canoes are waiting at the cape /
saw tba lights as passed"
With that reply be drew her out Of
the hut, and turned his face toward
the sea. Not q breath Of the breeze
was now to be felt. The dead calm
bad returned-aDd the boat was too
large TO be easily managed by one
man alone at the oars
The breeze NAV come again." be
said TO ber. Wait here, ny algel,
tor the chance
As be spoke he deep silence Of the
forest below them was broken by q
sound 4 harsh, wailing gcice was
beard, calling 'Aims,a, Aimafa 80
My fa,ber." she whispered; che
has missed me If lie comes here,
you are lost"
She kis- ed bin with passionate
fervor; she held him to her for mo-
ment With ell her strength. Expect
me a. DAY break, she said, aud dis
appeared down the landward slope
Of the elf lie listened. anxious for
her safety. Tne voices OF the father
and daughter Just reached him from
among the trees. The Priest spoke
in no angry tones; she had appar-
emily found an acc aptable excuse for
her absence. Little by little the
falling sound Of their voices told him
that they were on their way back 70
the Temple. The silence fell again.
Not q ripple broke on the beach, not
a leaf rustled in the forest. Nothing
moved but the reflected flashes Of the
volcano on the black sky over the
main island II was an airlcss and
an awful calT.
He went into the hut ard laid
down on his bed Of leaves, not TO
sleep, but 10 rest. Al his energies
might be requiIed to meet the com
ing events of the morning. After
the voyage to and from the ship, and
the long watching that had preceded
it, strong as he was. be stood in need
Of repose.
For some little time he kept awake,
thinking Insensibly the oppression
Of the intense hea., aided in its inf1-
ence by his own fatigue, trescherous-
" closed his eyes. In spite Of him
self, the weary man fell into a deep
sleep.
He was aroused by a roar Ike the
explosion Of park of artillery. The
volcano on the main island had burst
into 4 state Of eruption. Smoky
fame light overspread the SKY, and
flashed through the open doorway Of
the hut. He sprang from his couch
and found himself up TO bis knees
in water.
Aad the sea o7erfOwed the land
He wsded out Of the hat and the
water rose 10 his middle. He looked
round him by the lurid fame light
Of the eruption. The one visible ob-
ject within ais range Of view was
the roof Of the hat. IN every other
direction the waters Of the horrid
sea, stained blood-red by the flaming
sky, spread swirling and ripping
strangely in the dead calm. In a
moment more be became conscious
that the earth on which he stood was
sinking under his feet. The water
rose 10 his neck; the last vestige OF
the roof Of the hut disappeared He
looked round again, and the truth
burst upon him. The island was
sinking-slowly, slowly sinking into
volcanic depths below the utmost
depth Of the sea The highest OBJ
ject was the hut, and that bad drop
ped inch by inch under water, before
his own eyes. Thrown Up 70 the
surface Dy occult volcanic indueDces.
the Island had sunk back under the
same Influences 10 the obscurity'from
which it had emerged
A black, sbadowy object, turning
in wide circle, came slowly near
him az the al destroying ocean
washed It's bitter waters into his
mouth. The buoyant boat, rising on
the sea as the earth deserted il, had
dragged is anchor, and was floating
round in the vortex made by the
slowly sinking island. With 8 las;
desperate hope that Aimata might
have been saFed as be had been. be
swan TO the boat, seized the heavy
oars with the strength Of g giant. aad
made for the place $50 Ear as be could
guess at j; now where the lake and
the Temple had once been.
He looked round and r0rod him