The Delaware ledger. (Newark, Del.) 1879-19??, 1885-07-18

For minute after the disappearance
Charles Brinkley lay as IL petritied; and, in
deed, he was altogether lost in wonder. What
had happened2 Hadan earthquake swallowed
the mysterious one, or had he tumbied down
In ftl Brinkley waited and watched; five
minutes had passed, ten minutes, ard still the
light did not rs-emerge. At last, overcome |
by his curiosity, Brinlley rose, and, STOPPING |
close TO the ground, crept from the rock be
hind which he had laid concealed, and crawled |
across the summit of the sandhill Suddenly |.
he stopped short and went down on hands
and knees, for he now clearly discelned, |
coming out Of the solid earth or sand, the
glimmer of the light.
1t glimmered, then disappeared again. just
then the moon slipped out of her cloud,
Illuminating the hillocks with vitreous rays;
and he perceived, close by him, dark hole,
opening into the very heart of the hllock
He crcpt closer and looked down, but could
see nothing. He held his head over the holo
and listened; all he heard was a dull, hollow
moaning, like the sound Of the sea. The light
of the moon, however, enabled him to per
ceive that the hole had been covered with
loose piece of wood, or lid, about four feet
square, and with an iron ring-bolt in the cen
ter, which lid was now lying by the side OF
the opening, ready to be replaced A num-
Der of large pieces of stone, such as were
strewed everywhere about the sandhills, lay
piled close by.
He lay for some time waiting and listen hg.
Ali at once, far beneath him, the light g.im-
mered again, Quick as thought he rose and
crept away, only just ia time; for he had no
sooner regained the shelter Of the rock, md
crouched there watching, than he saw tho
light re-emerge, accompanied by a human
head; human body followed, and tb a h
clearly disccrned William Jones standing in
the moonlight without the bUr1en he had pre-
viously carried, and holding in his hand a
lantern.
Setting the lantern down, William busted
himself for several minutes, and finally, hay
ing concluded the work on which he YVES en-
gagged, extinguLshe1 the light. Then, after
CHANGING suspciUusly round him on every
side, he walked rapidly down the sandhill,
and disappeared in the direction Of the sea.
Not until he distinctly heard the plash Of
cars, and saw tic black silhouette Of the boat
pass out from the shadow Of the rock on to
tic moonlit sea did Brinkloy again begin tc
stir; and even then lie did so very cautiously
lest his figure should be perceived against the
moonlight by the lynx-cved rover Creep
ing on hands and knees he again crawled t.
the mysterious spot, and found, as he had in
deed anticipated, that the hole was covered
upand the wooden lid or trap door 50 care
fully covered with stones and loose sand as Il
he completely hidden.
His first impulse was to displace the debri
and ut once to explore the mysterious place
but rejecting that he was unprovided wit
lights Of any kind end that tho cavity beloN
would most certainly be in total darkness, h
determined to postpone his visit Of inspectio
until daylight By this time there was n
sight or sound Of the Loaf. Rising to his feet
lie unused. It was all very well to talk Of r,
turning another time, but how YVES he to fin
tho spot9 The sen If sandy hillocls stretche
On every side and lie knew by experienC
how difficult it was to distinguish one hilloc
from another. As to tho cairns of loo
stones, such cairns were nearly as nuInerol
as the hillocks themselves.
At last he thought Of the rock where he he
first concealed himself Such rocks we
numerous, too; hut pulling out his case
crRyons ho marked the base OF the rock wi
q small streak Of color. Finally, remembg
ing that the drift sand might cover this ma
so made, he drew out his pcnlinife and ma
large cross in the hard snnd Having talk
there precautions he made the best Of his wi
down to the cliffs and, following the op
Grecnswnrd which fringed tho cTags, wa
dered back 10 the caravan.
At daybroalI the next dry he strolled ba
along tho Crugs, first taking bird's-eye VII
Of the village, AID perceivinS no sight
William Jones, who had doubtless no 81
piciOn that he would rise so early he SO
found the spot where he had stood over mig
watching the approach Of the Loaf, and, I'll
rcconnoiteriug the naighborho0d, struck
among the saudhiIls At first he was guild
by footprints, but rs the sand grew hare
these disappeared. At length, after soH
what bcwillarug search, lie found the sal
hill he sought, the rock with his mark up
it, tho crossmarked in thoEround, and fiuG
the wcll-c3ncaalrl mouth Of the hole.
lie looked lonnIy to right and left,
ono was visible STOPPING down he diplnt
the stones md loose sand and disclosed
trap-,uar with It's iron ring, A long pull
strorg pull and up came the trap Open