The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1889-10-18

"What is to bedone now?" inquire
when Hazelreturned to her si.le, pant
cheerful.
I'VE must await the rising Of the.
fear We are imprisoned here for tGreehours ut
lenst."
There was no help for it. Helen mud, light
OF the misfortune. The spot where they had
landed was inclosed between tho two issues
of the lagoon. They walked along the shore
to the more easterly, and the narrower canal,
and, on arriving. Hazel found to his great
annoyance that there wns ample water to
hive aoated the cutter hnd he selected that,
the least promising road. He suggested a
return by the road they came, and passing
intO the other canal, by that to reach the sen.
They hurried hack but found by this time the
tide had left the cutter high aud dry on the
sand. SO they had no choice hut to wait.
Having three hours to spare, Hazel asked
Miss Roleston's permission to ascend the
mountain. She nssented to remain ncar the
bout while he WIS engaged in this expedition.
The nscent was too rugged and steep for
her powers, and the sea-sliore and adjacent
groves would find her ample amusement dur
ing his absence. She accompanied him to
the bunk of the smaller lagoon, which he
forded. and waiving an ndieu to her he plung-
ell into the dense wood with which the sides
of the mountain were clothed.
She waited some time, and then she heard
above. The mountain-top wns about
where she stood, but seemed much nenr.
Or. She turned back toward the boat, walk
ing slowly, but paused a. q faint ind dis.
tant cry again reached her eur. 1t was not
repeated, and then abe entered the grove.
Playground beneath her feet was soft with
velvety moss. and the dark folinge of tho trees
rendered the air cool and dcliciousIy fragrant
After wandering for some time, she regained
the edge of the grove near the boat, and se.
Letting spot ut the foot of an aged cypress,
slle sat down with her hack against it's trunk.
Then she took out Arthur's letter, ind be-
gan to read those impassioned sentences; as
she read she sighed deeply. rs earnestly she
more than she regretted her own. She fell
into reverie. and from reverie into droway
languor. How long she remained in this
state she could not remember, but u slight
rustic overhead recalled her senses. Believ.
ing it to he n bird moving in the branches,
she was resigning herself again to rest, when
she became sensible Of u strange emotional
her with fixed gaze. She cast her eyes
around but saw nothing. She looked up
ward. From the tree Immediately above
her lap depended IL snake, it2 tnil coied
around Q dead branch. Tho reptile hung
straight, its eyes Rxed like two rubies upon
Helen's, IA very slowly it let itself down by
it's uncoiling tail. Now it's head wns on Il
level with hers; in another moment it must
drop into her lap.
She was paralyzed
CHAPTER XVIII.
After toiling up rugged and steep ascent
encumbered with blocks of grny stone. Of
which the island seemed to be formed. forcing
his why over fallen trees and throupi
tho tonn1aI ,,.XI, IF
wild vine, which abountled OH the mountain.
ride, Hazel stopped to breathe and peer
around ms well Us the dense foliage permitted
He was up to his waist in scrub, and the
stiff leaves of the bayonet plant rendered
caution necessary in walking. At moments,
through the dense foliage, he caught q
glisten OF the sea. The sun was in the north
behind him, and by this alone he guided his
road due southerly and upward. Once only
he found small clenred space about IN acre
in extent, and here 1t was he uttered the cry
Helen heard. lie waited II few moments in
the hope to hear the voice in reply, hut it
did not reach him. Again he plunged up.
ward, md now the ascent became ut times
NO arduous that more than once he almost
resolved to relnquish, or, at least, to defer
his task; but u moments rest recalled him
to himself, and he was one not easily bnfiied
ny difficulty or labor, SO lie toi!ed on until he
judged the summit ought to have been
reached. After pausing to take breath and
counsel, he fnncied that he had borne to1
much to the left the ground to his right mp.
peared to rise more than the path that he
was pursuing, which had Income level, ard
he concluded, that, instead OF ascending. he
was circling the mountnntop. He turned
aside, therefore, and nfter ten minutes harrl
climbing be was pushing through thick and
high scrub. when the enrth seemed TO give
why beneath him, and lie fell-into IN abyss
He vas ingulfed. He fell from bush to bush
-down-dQwn-scratcl-rip-plump until
he lodged in prckly bush more winded than
hurt. Out Of this lie crawled, only to dis.
cover himself thus landed in a great and Der Der:
fectty circular plan Of about thirty acrcs in
extent: or about three hundred and fifty
yards in diameter. In the center was n lake.
also circular. The broad belt ofslore around
this lake was covered with rich grass, lev.
as bowling-green. and all this again WI. 6
surrounded by nearly perpendicular cliff,
down which indeed he had fallen: this ciifi
was thickly clothed with shrubs and trees.
Hazel recognized the crater of an extinct
valcano.
On examining the lake he found the water
impregnated with volcanic products. III
bottom was formed Of asphaltum. Having
made u circuit Of the shores. he perceived on
the westerly side-that next the island-o
break in the cliff; and on n narrow examina.
stou nS osoSOsgttu oulWt. IL unUeNfGu 10
him that the lake ut one time had emitted
it's waters through this ancient Intercourse
The descent here was not only gradual, but
the old river-hed was t0lernbie free from OH
structions, especially Of the vegetable kind.
lie made his why rapidly downward, and
in half an hour redchei mnrshy ground. Tie
cane-brake now lay before him. On his LEFT
Of q mile. He knew that to the right mus
be the sea ON the north, about halt u mile OF
so. II" hent his way thitipr. The edge OF thu
swamp was very clear, and, though some
what spongy afforded good walking unim
peded, As he approached the spot where hs
judged the boat to he, the underwood thick
ened. the trees agnin interlucu,l their arms
At length he struck the smaller lagoon, and
as he was not certain whether it was iortiab!c
he followed its course to the shore, where h,
had previously crossed, In .ew moment,
he reached the boat, and was pleaced to fini
her afioat. The rising tide had even moved
her u few feet buck into the canal.
Hazel shouted to apprise Miss Rolleston o
must to its place, and replace the rigging ant
the oars. This occupied some little time. II,
felt surprised that she had not appeared
He shouted again. No reply.
CHAPTER xxx.
ihIet advanced hurrle0ly into tho grove
which he hunted thoroughly, but without ef
feet. He satisfied himself that she could no,
have quilted tho spot, since the marsh in
closed it on one side, the canals on the sec
ond and third, tho sea on tile forth. III,
wnite,l awhile. and ngain shouted her name
stopped-listenel-no answer.
Yet surely Helen could not have been more
than hundred yards from where he stood
His heart bent witha strange sense of nlpre
hension. He heard nothing but the rustlinl
Of the foliage and the sop ofthe waves on til;
his eyes roved in every direction, he cnugh,
sight OF something white near the loot OF a
wlthered cypress-tree not fifty yards from
where he stood. He approached thu
bushes In which tho tree was PARTIAL,
concealed on that side, md quickly recog
niEed portion OF Helen's dress lie run to
ward her-burst through the underwood
and gained the enclosure. She was sitting
there, asleep, rs lie conjectured, her bacL
leaning against the trunk. He contempla.
ted her thus Tor one moment, and then ht
advanced, about to awaken her; but wai
struck speechless. Her lace was ashy pale
her eyes open and widely distended; heI
bosom heaved slowly. Hazel approached
rapidly, and called TO her.
Her eyes never moved, not limb stirred
she sat glaring forward. On her lap WINS
coiied snake-gray, mottled with muddy
green.
4.