The Florida agriculturist. [volume] (DeLand, Fla.) 1878-1911, 1890-08-27

found the heart or the earth Identical In
composition with the illimitable stars
The result of all these studies, though
they should never have any other, was to
vastly increase his reverence for the
sublimity of creation.
In the neighborhood of his dwelling
he had found a series of caverns, and
these he turned to use as receptacles for
his garnered treasure. They were Of
various shapes and sizes, some connect
ing too among themselves, others stand
ing singly. They were formed, like his
hut, of shell of lava which had cooled,
while an inner stream, still fluid, had
passed on. leaving them high and dry
above it.
Every day Walter collected and stored
away it's own accumulation and INSTALL
ment. How slowly the amount seemed
to grow, to the view of his ardent i'm
patience! The normal return was liberal,
and even princely, but there were days
when the stream did not flow pure, be-
ing mingled with, or even almost wholly
composed of, IL lava initiating it's color
These drawbacks. which seemed to fol-
low especially some of the volcanic
tremblings and oscillations in the valley,
reduced the expected average Of value.
He made an arrastra or crusher, of large
revolving stones, to break up the bulky
pieces, and a smelling apparatus, to re-
duce the portions thus alleged to the
condition Of the rest.
His caution led him to do much of the
storage work at night, so familiar was
he with the ground that he could carry
it on then almost as well as by daylight.
The fragments of rough Stag along the
way took every variety of eccentric
shape, and often startled him at first
with the vivid likeness toScouching wild
beasts or human figures with weapons in
their hands. but no real peril arose.
One night he returned late from visit
to his caverns Jupiter was shining very
brightly at the time, and he was looking
up at q nebulous halo about the brilliant
planet Suddenly there flashed before
him something like lantern swinging
in mans hand. It came from behind
rock directly into the path, and was too
near for him now to retreat.
WHO goes there?" he asked, at the
same time raising his revolver
With the commingled voices of the val
ley in his ears, he thought he heard muir
INJURED words, but no definite answer was
vouchsafed. The light approached near
er, so near that its CLEAN fell directly
upon him. He fred-once! twice! the
bullets singing to their mark as in a
vicious way. The appearance merely
lifted, shot up into the air, and exploded
with q bright effulgence and slight crack
ling sound 1t was q sort Of will-o'-the-
wisp or st. Elmo's fire.
After this such vagrant dancing flames
were not infrequent; they were perhaps
connected with the beginning of some
new period in the weather. Walter was
not superstitious. but he had heard many
old wives tales, and one had need to be
stout of heart indeed, for if goblin shapes
and spectral visions ever appeared this
place should be more favoroble to them
than most others.
The time came round for him to con-
vey his letters to Amy. He prepared the
missive for his aunts, using in it the
points she had given him. If these lacked
little freshness, they, in their small
experience, would never detect it. He
had thought he would employ his long
periods Of leisure at the Barranca in
writing pages upon pages to Amy, laying
open every thought before her; but when
his labors were over he dropped half
eo+ir IL,