Waterbury evening Democrat., 1888-09-01

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 I,rA
 For Mple Ht JltH r1'ont or 3l!Y cA>S giinle1ed q
 huge h7nh c1er Ht Seren."
 80 far thea the parchment had not lied Here was the trN.. noticeable and not to bt missed. and barely thirty-two paces from the spot where l Was standing lay the key to the treasure which had travelled this weary dis. tance to suck. But the time for search had not yet cone. By the clear light of day and alone I must explore the secret. It would keep for afnw hours longer.
 ' DissmisSing my pre-"rcupod manner which had caused no smaii as:onishment tC Peter and T;;JI, fixed tlr :",sition "f the tree as firmly as l could in my mind, and Savo the word tu advance.
 " We then continued in the same order as before whilst to make matters sure, counted our steps. 1 had reached six hund- red and twrnty-t though when I considered the darkness and the rough path I reflected that this W;,S but littl" hrll'-whcn we arrived at the s'r,'nd set of chains. Ny foot was be- ginning tu give me pain, but under the cir eumstancrS this would have been by far the worst Of the ascent
 Tn front the rock was almost perpendicular. Thc Fascination of gazing down was well nigh rrsistl,>,s, tat Peter ahead continually cried Hurry ' and the voice of Paul behind repeated Hurry SO that pantinG, Sasping, and fit to faiur. with fingers clinEing to the chain until the skin Nite iIis cred with every nerve throb- himg and every muscle strained to it's utmost trl.-ion, I clun!hr"rd, clanlbcrcd until with ril.. supreme e1lurt I swung myself up to the %,i+lIt. staggered f;;tiiNr lhan ran up the last t.,. feet of rock, and as my guides bent and v'1iI outSlrrtrhNd Imm@ raised the cry of 'S...l 70! S2udoo!I fell exhausted before the tn. E..lr steps of Buddhas shrine,
 "N&;r., recovered, saw just above me the or,.l ~i,"l-. prrrhrd on tiny terrace aQl: sur runndcu by loW Wnlls of stone; a yard or ly) from nlc the tipy hut in which it's guardians live: and all around the eXpansc of sky. The rr;cst+ were ;lStr to recnive the early pilgrims. and ;s Paul led n.p to the edge of the parapct I r,,uid seq far away below tEC torches of the n.ra--rvn'rrs dotted in thin lines Df fire down 1i!. n4,yum1Hin-Sidr.
 -.Frt,sQntiy the distant sound of me:lsut4<; chanting v",ne floating up on the tranquil air sank and dltcI away. and rose again more loudly. P;lrf sgd l:aar grew the heavens, ueHrrr and nr:!rrs ;3;trpt lhr chanting; and now the frs: pilgrim sW&ti:y himself up into our ViAW HunH"iI H E.s turctl iWsl bowed in homage. Other, following; di4 tlt 4arlr, all adoriiIg unlii ;hr terrace Was crowded with WurShipprlH; GaZin4; eager and bErltiiiuss into th., far cast. where brighter and lrissiltrr the criu,o.yn bars of morning were widening.
 '.lI.en i.'itI |! leap flashed up the sun, the dazzling e.l<!%: Ui i" flood of golden light God like and resp ,l>it'2 '2t he rode up on wrcaths of twiyIing mist, an@ With one stroke sent the ,hl,ows 4llivcrin,, hatk t9 ihe very corners of hr;.yen As he blazing ol2 tQppt44 the horizon every head bent in worship, every }ai,I arose ill welcome every yunit hrole out in treDs U M;: adoration, 'Sa,doo >4,is.r6! ItYcp I, the only | S,tU Mg my head and if!iE:, up my h&u,:<. 50 c;;tyied away vas 1 with the aching fer>Our uf thin D&,Y l. There they stood and bent until the Wi4oIv tniv bali was clear, then turning, paced tO the aA,, T q pf chanting up the rOH2,h steps and laid ti, .44 offerings on the shrine Thrice ut each new l2te4s "aug out q clattcr ing gong, and the worsitipprf s4-hH"d rever- catly back to make way for nnothef: ~4tjA, all the timo the ncwly-.jscn sun blrztd Go!HAt nI their robes of dazzling Yhiteness.
 As I stopI watching this strange sc%no. Petcr pluckcd IlQ by the sleeve and pointed westward, looked aud ull the wonders 1 had yet viewed became is h.2thing. For thcIy Gisrp9afQei by the crowd, but piAi3 and mani fest, rose another peak, gr;lven ill ni,adow upon the western sky. Bold and confronting it scared into heaven and, whilst gazCd in si lent awe. came striding ncareF through the void air, until it seeiuel to sweep down .upon me-and was gone! For R!any a day bad the shadow of this mighty cone lain upon my soul: here, on the very summit, that shadow took visible form and shape, then paled into the c!tas !lue. Has it's invisible horror left me now at last? l doubt it.
 But by this tim& be sun was high, and the last pilgrim with a lingering cry of 'Saadoor ? w;ls leaving the summit. So, although my ankle was now beginning to give me eaqai.;itA pain ! gave the order 10 return. We had Eono but a fr% <tHl}s when I plainly guessed from tine state of nay ankle that our descent would be full of danger, b4t tho guides assured me of their carefulness Sc ,sIlf" more We attacked the chains.
 '-How we got down 1 shall never t.iuy know; but at last. and after infinite pain We stood at the foot of the cliff and entered the forest of rhododeQdrons. And here, to the wild astonishlnent ot ii}y guides, who plainly thought me mad, l bade u4eiQ leave me and proceed ahead, remaining within Aall. They were full of protestations and dismay, b..t l was firm. Finally, therefore, they obeyed and 1 sat watching t!ntil their White-clad forms disappeared in the thickat.
 As soon as judged them to have gone Il sufficient distance, l arose and followed, eau tiously counting my footsteps. But this was needless my luther had described the tree as noticeable and not to be missed,' nor was he wrong. Barely had eOnnted five hundred paces when il rose into view. uncouth and monstrous. Its roots were partly bare, and writhcd in fantastic coils across the track. Above these rose and spread its seven trunks matted with creepers, and then united about four feet below the point where the branches began. Its foliage was of n dark, glossy green, particularly dense, and it's height, as should judge some sixty feet.
 Taking out my compass, I started from the left-hand side of the narrow track, and at alright angle to 1t. The undergrowth gave me much trouble, and once had to make a cir cult round huge rhododendron; but fought my way through, and after going as I reckoned, thirthy-two paces, pulled up in front of-another rhododendron,
 "There must be some mistake. My father had spoken Of a stone shaped like 8 mans h,,tn 9th .nRn rho