The Rock Island Argus., 1885-09-05

Iect, tell me something more about William
Tones.n
81 hate William Jones. hateevsrybody-
out yo,t."
"Reallyg'
'sYes. do.n
''Well, feel greatly fiattered. But about
The gentle Jonesa You say he was out all last
night"
Matt nodded.
'He goes out nigh every night, " she said,
"and often don't come home till morning.
Sometimes he finds things and brings 'em. He
finds bits o gold, and old ropes, and bottles
o rum"
every odd Where"
"He don't tell; KNOW"
''I wish you'd tell me, Matt. Do. I have
particular reason for wanting the inforna-
ton"
Matt hesitated.
"Ycu won't say I tolda William Jones
would be downright wild, he would"
''rll keep the secret faithfully. Now?'
Thus urged, Matt informed her friend that
on two occasions, out of curiosity, she had
followed her guardian on his nightly pill
grimages, and watched him 60 in the direc-
tien of the Devils Caldron On both occa-
sions the night was very dark. On getting
clear of the coastguard station, and among
the sandhills, Jones had lighted lantern
which he carried. Trembling and afraid, she
had followed the light along the cliffs, then
out among the sandhills. But all at once the
light and its bearer had disappeared into the
solid earth, leaving her to find her way home
in terror.
The explanation of all this was, in Matt's
opinion, very simple. William Jones was q
bad man, and went to ''visit the fairies"
"Yes," she cried, ''and every time he goes
the fairies give him summat, and he brings
it home"
Each time yen followed him." asked
Brinkley, thoughtfully, "he disappeared at
about the same placer
eyes" said Matt; "and the light and him
| sunk right down and never come up again.
The result Of the Information thus commu-
| nicated was to leave the young man of the
| caravan far more curious than ever He de
| termined to turn tho tables on William Jones,
and to watch his movements, not in the day
| time but during the summer night, waiting
| for his appearance in the immediate neigh
| borhood Of the DEVILS Caldrou.
| The first night he saw nothing-it was
stormy, with wild gusts of rain The second
night was equally uneventful. Nothing
| daunted, he went for a third and last time,
and lay in the moonlight on the cliffs, looking
toward the village
The night was dark and cloudy, but from
time to time tho moon came out with sudden
brilliance on the sen, which was gently stirred
by a breeze from the land.
He waited for several hours About mid
night he rose to go home AS he did SO he
was startled by the sound of oars, and, lying
down, perceived n small boat approaching on
silver patch of moonlit sea. The occupant
| of the boat was a solitary man.
1t approached rapidly, making direct for
the Devils Caldron. Lying down on his face
and peeping over, Brinkley saw it stop short
just outside the foaming passage, while the
man stood up, stopped, lifted something
heavy from the bottom, and threw it over
board. Then, after watching for moment
dark object which drifted shoreward, right
into the Caldron. he rowed away until he
reached sheltered creek close to the scene Of
the swimming adventure. Here he ran the
boat ashore and leaped out.
The next minute Brinkley heard him COM
ing up the cliffs.
Trembling with excitement he lay down
fat on his face and waited. Presently the
man emerged on the top of the cliffs, within
few yards of Brinkley's hiding-place just
then the moon flashed brightly odt, and
Brinkley recognized him!
It was William Jones, carrying ON hisshoul-
ders something like loaded sack, and dang
ling from his left wrist hornfsntern-
He looked round once or twice and then
hurried toward the Sgndhills. Brinkley fol-
lowed Stealthily. The moon now went in,
and it became pitch dark. Presently Jones
paused, set down his load, and lit the lantern
then he hurried on.
For fifty or sixty yards coarse carpet of
greensward covered the cliffs; then the sand
hills began. Passing over the first sandhill,
Jones disappear q Quick as thought the
young man followed, and, peering over, saw
the light in the hollow beneath; itrose higher
and higher till it reached the top Of the next
sandhill, where tpaused. Crawling on hands
and knees, Brinkley slipped down into the
hollow and then crept upward half way NJ
the mound; he found a huge rock, behind
which he crouched and peeped
As he did so William Jones, light in hand
seemed to dive down into the solid earth and
disappear