The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1880-04-10

Ills Keen eye nau detected cleIu Ill
the rock, just wide enough for the boat
to enter.
Pierre had barely time to obey, when
there came tremendous crash, and
the boys found themselves laundering
amid weller of foam, nets, sand, dead
fish and broken timbers, in deep, dark
hollow that looked like the mouth of a
cave. flows
There goes fathers boat sput-
tered Pierre, as soon as he could clear
his mouth of the salt water
And there go our fish," added Jack.
"Here's that loaf that we put in the
locker, though; and even wet breads
better than none in a place like this.
Now, then, let's be getting higher up,
for the tide will be upon us here in no
time.n r..t4t r
But to get higher up was no easy mat
ter They were in utter darkness, and
(as they had already found by cropping
about on the brink of chasm of an
known depth. The ledge upon which
they had been cast was evidently very
narrow, and almost as slippery as ice;
and Jack, being encountered with the
loaf, and Pierre badly bruised against the
rocks, they were not in the best condi-
ton for climbing.
But the roar of the next wave as it
came bursting in, splashing them from
head to foot where they sat, was Won
derful quickener to their movements,
and away they scrambled through the
pitchy blackness, clinging like limpets
to the rough side of the cavern as they
falt oil do he, oh
rocks, and thought of the unseen gulf
below.
Onward, onward still, deeper and
deeper into the heart of the cold, silent
rock, fearing at every moment to feel
their way barred by solid wall, and
find themselves cut off from escape and
doomed to be drowned by inches. But,
no; the strange tunnel went on and on
as if it would never end, their only con
ISOLATION being that they were unmis-
takably tending upaC0rd, and already Gas
they calculateD beyond the reach of the
| flood-tide.
Suddenly Jack uttered shout of ioy:
Hurrah, Pierre! here's one of the
lantern candles in my inner pocket. and
| know Eve got my matches somewhere.
Wen be able to see where we are at last,
my boy!'' .'' }a
The matches Quickly still dry) were
produced, the candle was lighted, and
our heroes took. a survey of their sur
roundings.
They were in long, narrow passage,
rising to a considerable height overhead,
and with another ledge on its opposite
side, sleeper and more broken than the
one on which they were. In the center
lay the chasm already mentioned; but,
instead of the frightful depth which they
had imagined, it was only six or seven
feet deep at the most, and more than half
full of water.
" There's our terrible precipice, "
laughed Jack, STOPPING over it. d"
don't think that would hurt us much.
But-holloa! say, Pierre, this isn't sea-
brine; it's fresh Uater, running water.
It's a stream that's tunneled its way
through the rock; and if we follow it far
enough Wen get out. Hurrahr"
Hurrah!'' echoed Pierre, brighten
ing up" We sha' 'trun short of water,
anyhow; and as for food, we may as well
have bite of that loaf before starting
again.
The underground breakfast was soon
finished, and the adventurous lads start
ed once more.
But the pain of Pierre's bruises, which
he had manfully concealed hitherto, be-
gan to master him at last. His tired
limbs began to drag more and more
heavily; his feet slipped again and again,
and only the strong hand of his comrade
h
fall.
Better sit down and rest bit, old
fellow" said Jack, kindly; there's no
hurry, for this candle will burn long
while yet. know you won't own it,
but you did get nasty bump against
thatrock yonder."
Il fancy you re right there" answered
Pierre, sinking YEARLY upon the ledge.
''But we don't need the candle while
we're sitting still, you know. Blow it
out, and light it again when we start. :"
Jack did so, and they sat silent in the
darkness. All at once Pierre heard his
comrade call out:
Il say, don't you hear water falling
somewhere?n m lf.Hf I.5
''To be sure l do replied Pierre,
after listening a moment. "We must be
close to the place where this stream falls
down into the tunnel, and now We'll
have a chance of getting out at last
Bravor'
Jack slapped his hands together with
shout that made the cavern echo.
"rve got an idea, Pierre, my boy!
What fool | was not to think of it be-
fore! This stream that we've been fol-
lowing is the Larve, and we've got to the
very place where it falls through the cleft
Now if we can only get out with whole
bones, it's fifteen hundred francs apiece
to us. Come along, quickr' M
All Pierre's WEAKNESS was gone in
minute. Already, in his minds eve, he
saw his ailing father comfortably pro-
vided for, and Jack and himself standing
out to sea in a brand-new boat. The in
slant the candle was lighted they were
off again at pace which would have
seemed impossible a few minutes before.
Guided by the increasing din of the
waterfall, they were not long in reach
ing huge perpendicular funnel or chin
ney in the rock, down one side of which
poured stream of water, while through
a cleft above, dazzlingly radiant after
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