Waterbury evening Democrat., 1888-08-25
CHAPTER III.
TELLS OF TWO STRANGE MEN THAT WATCHED
 THE SEA UPON PoLKIMBRA BEACH.

111s
 TELLS OF TWO STRANGE MEN THAT WATCHED
 THE SEA UPON PoLKIMBRA BEACH.
 MORNING came at last, and with the first gray light the storm had spent it's fury. By degrees my mother had grown calmer, and was now sleeping peacefully upon her bed, worn ut with the passion of her terror. I had long ago dressed; but even had wished to sleep again curiosity to know the meaning of that awful cry would have been too strong for me. So, as soon as I saw my mother was asleep, took my boots in my hand and crept down stairs. The kitchen looked so ghostly in the dim light that had almost resolved to give up my plan and go back, butr effected that 1t beloved me to play the man, if only to cheer my mother when I came back. So, al- belt with my heart in my mouth, I drew back the bolt, that surely, for all my care, never creaked so loudly before or since, and stepped out into the cool air. The fresh breeze that smote my cheeks as I sat down outside to put on my boots brought me back to the every day world, a world that seemed to make the events of the night unreal and baseless, so that had, with boyish elasticity of temper, almost forgotten all fear as I began to de- sosnd the cliffs towards Ready Money Cove.
 Before go any further, it will be necessary to describe in a few words that part of the
 
 as have said, looks down upon Ready Money Cove from the summit of Pedn-glas, it's north ern arm. The cove itself is narrow, running ill between two scared and rugged walls of serpent1ne and terminating in a little beach of whltest sand beneath frowning and prccipit- out cliff. It is easy to see it's value in the eyes Of smuggle"s, for not only is tho cove difficult of observation from the sea, by reason of it's straitnesS and the protection of it's projecting h,,A cliffs also give it seclusion from the land side For Pedn-glas on the north side rises sheer from the sea, sloping downwards little as it runs in to join the mainland but only enough to admit of rough and winding path at it's inmost point, while to the south tho cove is guarded by strange mass of rock that de- mands somewhat longer description.
 For some distance the cliff ran out as on the north side, but, suddenly breaking off as if cleft by some gigantic stroke, left Q gloomy column of rock, attached to it only by an isthmus that stood some six or seven feet above high water mark. The separate mass went by the name of Dead Mans Rock. Under the neck that joins it to the main cliff there runs a natural tunnel, whck at low water leads to the long expanse of Polkimbra Beach, with the village itself lying snugly at the other end So that, standing at the entrance of this curious arch, one may see the little town, with the purple cliffs behind framed between walls of glistening serpentine. Tho rock is always washed by the sea, except at low water during the spring tides, though not reaching out so far as Pedn-glas In color it is mainly black as night, but it is streakedWith red stains that bear an awful likeness to blood: and though it may be climed, and myself have done it more than once in search of eggs, it has no scrap of vegetation save where, upon it's sum- init, the gulls build their nests on a scanty patch of grass and wild asparagus.
 By the time I had crossed the cove the western sky was brilliant with the reflected dawn. I passed through and clambered out towards the south side of the rock to watch the sea, if perchance some bit of floating wreckage might explain the mystery of last night. I could see nothing.
 Stay! What was that on the ledge below me, lying on the brink just above the recedins wave! sailors cap! Somehow the sight made me sick with horror. It must have been full minute before I dared to open my eyes and look again. Yes, it was there! The cry of last night rang again in my ears with all its supreme agony as 1 stood in the presence of this silent witness of tho dead-this rag of clothing that told so terrible a history.
 Child as was, the silent terror of it made me faint and giddy. I shut my eyes again, and chung all trembling, to the ledge Not for untold bribes could I have gone down and touched that terrible thing, but, as soon as the first spasm of fear was over, I clambered des- perately back and on to the sands again, as though all the souls of the drowned were pur- suing me.
 Once safe upon the beach, I recovered my scattered wits little. I felt that I could not repass that dreadful rock so determined to go across the sands to Polkimbra and homewards around the cliffs.
 was half across the beach, when suddenly