San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1886-02-22

We'll. gOOd-day," said Monk, with an
uneasy scOWl. IF | can be of any SER
vice to You, command me-"
And, raising his hat again. he Stalked
away,
Now, what in the name of all that is
wonderful, does Mr.. Monk, of Monks
hurst, mean by becoming so ciyil?"
This was the question the young man
asked himself, as he StrOlled away sea-
ward. He could not persuade himself
that he had wrOnged Monk, who was in
reality an amiable person, instead of a
dOmineering bully; no, that suggestion
was COntradicted by every expression
of the mans baleful and suspicious face.
What, then, could be the explanation
of his sudden attack of courtesy?
An idea! an inspiration! AS it flash
ed into his mind, the young man gave
vent to prolonged whistle. Possibly,
Monk waS-iealOuS.
The idea was a prcpOSterOuS one, and
almost amusing. 1t was not to be con-
cpived. on the first blush of it that ieal-
Ousy world make Il Smly man civil, a
savage man gentle; it would rather have
the contrary effect. unleSs-here Brink
ley grew thoughtful-mleSS his gloomy
rival had some sinister design which he
wished to cloak with pOlitemeSS?
But jealous of little Matt. Brinkley
laughed heartily. when he realized the
abSurdity of the notion.
lie crossed the samd-hills. and came
again to the path which he and Matt
had followed the previous day. \ smart
breeze WAS coming in from the SOU
west, and the air was fresh and cool,
though sunny; but clouds were gather
ing to the wndward. and the weather
was evidently broken. Reaching the
cliffs, he descended them. and came
down on the rocks beneath \ long
jagged point ran out fr0m the spot
where he stood, and the water to lee
ward Of the same was quite calm,
though rising and falling in strong,
troubled sWellS. So bright and tempt
ing did it look in that sheltered place,
that he determined to have Il swim.
He stripped IeisUrely. and, placing his
clothes in safe place. took a header off
the rocks. Ii was clear at once that he
was q powerful swimmer. BreaSting
the smooth swell. he struck out from
the shore, and. when lie had gone about
a hundred yards. lloated laZily on his
back and surveyed the shore.
Tie cliffs were not very high. but
their forms were finely picturesque.
Here and there were still. green creeks,
fringed with purple weed; and large
shadOwy caves, hewed roughly in the
side of the cragS; ard rocky islets, COW
cred with Shiny weed and awash with
the tapping water. A little to the right
of the spot from which he had dived,
the cliff seemed followed out, forming
a wide passage which the sea entered
with tramp and a rush and a roar.
Toward this passage Brinkley swan.
He knew the danger of such places, for
he had often explored them both in
Cornwall and the West of Ireland; but
lie had confidence in his own natatOry
skill. Approaching the shore leisurely
with strong. slow strokes. he paused
outside the passage, and observed that
the sea-swell, entering the opening,
rushed and quickened itself like rapid
shooting to the fall, turning at the base
of the cliff into aClOud of thin prismatic
spray. Suddenly. through the top of
the spray, cloud of rock pigeons
emerged, winging their flight rapidly
along the cragS.
Brinkley knew by this last phenomc-
non that the spray concealed the en-
trance of some large suhterranean cav
ern. If any doubt had remained on his
mind, it would have been dispelled by
the appearance Of solitary pigeon,
which, leaving its companions, wavered
lightly back, flew back through the
spray with rapid downward Il ght, and
disappeared.
He was floating a little nearer. with
an enjoyment deepened by the sense of
danger, when figure suddenly appear
ed on the rocks close by him, wildly
waving its hands.
Keep back! Keep back" cried voice.
lie looked at the figure, and recog-
nized William Jones. lie answered
him, but the sound of his voice was
drowned by the roar from the rocks.
Then William Jones shouted again
more indistinctly, and repeated his ex-
cited gestures. 1t was clear that he was
warning the swimmer against some hid
den danger. Brinkley took the warn
ing, and struck out from the shore, and
then back to the place where he had left