Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1892-01-30

Il ledge, which like gallery extended
along the landward side of the cave. 1t
took him but moment to spring upon the
lowest step, tue foaning waters pursuing
him as he assembled. He was soon in a
place of safety. Here he could await the
subsistence of the tide, for it was clear that
| the waters never reached this elevation
From his perch he watched the inflowine
of the sea. The floor upon which he stood
was now covered, and Solomon's sarcoph-
agus was being rapidly swallowed up.
A faint green light filtered through the
waters that filed the entrance, which
glowed dimly like an immense emerald.
The candle which the boy held in his
hand had hitherto burned quietly and
steadily, but now it suddenly flared and
was extinguished by strong current of
air which seemed to issue from the back of
the cave.
I Remembering that the gallery extended
some distance beyond him, he moved for
ward cautiously, feeling his way with
hands and feet. He desired TO obtain
more sheltered position before relighting
| his candle
Darkness, thick and impenetrable, sur
| rounded him. The light from the outer
| world had grown fainter. seeming to re-
| cede to an undesirable distance
Frank was not reckless, neither was he a
coward, but the tension of body and mind
were well nigh intoerable. lie painted
and trembled, but pushed bravely on. He
was now beyond the reach of the current
of air, which began to sob and moan as it
was driven to and fro through the unseen
passage by the rise and fall of the waves
Frank now paused, sitting down upon
the rock floor and extending his hands in
order TO acquaint himself with the nature
| of his immediate surroundings.
| His fingers in their search encountered
something, he knew not what, but it
seemed to be a human foot incased in a
shoe. At the same time the horrible odor
of putrefaction greeted his nostrils 1t
took but moment for the boy to assure
himself that his conjecture was true, and
an involuntary cry burst from his lips.
| Wrought up almost to madness he would
have fled but for the imprisoning dark
| ness.
When with trembling fingers he sue
| ceeded in relighting his candle he saw the
body of a man lying before him, his feet
| extending toward the spot where he sat-
The man was dead. His head was pill
lowed upon stone. Beside him were the
remains of burned out candle, a pick and
a shovel The face was swollen and dis
colored, and dark spot that spread over
the floor beside him indicated that he had
died from some injury which had been at
tended with profuse hemorrhage.
The dead man was well advanced in
| years. His hairwas gray, verging to white
| His thin but muscular body was clothed in
! threadbare garments, covered with darns
| and patches. He presented every appear
| ance of extreme poverty.
| hp1raD To f fol- Ii
with the unfortunate man who had to all
! appearances entered the cave on an errand
similar to his own, and for the moment
failed to discern the sinister lesson taught
by his CHASTITY discovery.
| Determined to know more of his silent
neighbor, he proceeded to examine his
pockets y well filed purse, q pocket
knife, Il small quantity of tobacco and a
bunch of keys rewarded his search.
There was growing impression in the
mind of the boy that he was about to I'M
ravel the mystery which had agitated and
perpleXed the minds of the good people of
ROclspOrt for the past two months.
Thus far he had discovered no clew to
the identity of the dead man. Jasper
Karch he had never seen. for this was his
first visit to Rockport since his mothers
removal when he was an infant few
months old. \ closer examination of the
bunch of keys brought to light a small
brass check, which had engraved upon it
the name of Jasper Karch.
So intense had been his interest in his
search that Frank had forgotten every
/ thing but the mystery which was being re
solved under his hands. When the flicker
ing light of the candle revealed the name
of the man for whose murder Jack Hast
ings was that day held responsible at the
bar of a court of justice, he shouted aloud,
his voice min%lug with the strange sounds
that filed the cave:
Il have found him! have found him.'
The sound of his own voice recalled the
boy to a sense of his isolation, and raised
the question with increased interest as to
how he should effect his escape with the
important information be had so strangely
acquired.
He could not grasp the matter in all its
bearings, but he felt that he held the key
of Jack Hastings prison cell in his hands.
He looked down into the cave below
him. 1t was filed with surging waters.
He must wait until the tide fell. But
when would that be- He had been told
that the sea rarely recedcd sufficiently to
clear the mouth of the cave. Indeed, he
remembered that it was "A matter of com
mon report that for years the assure was
not seen at all. 1t was then the merest &C
cident that enabled him and his unfortu-
nate companion to enter at all. He knew
that, ut best, the attempt was regarded as
so hazardous that no living inhabitant of
the village had ever undertaken to visit
the cave.
The horror of the situation, intensified
by the presence of the dead man, who lay
among the shadows like an efIigy carved
f,rr+p # ba ba &c, l.,
young treasure hunter.
As a last resort be thought of the aper-
ture through which the current of air flow
ed, and had but little difficulty in finding
the place.
His light was eXtincuished us he came
before the opening, but he was able to sat
isfy himself that it was sufficiently ca
pacious to admit the passage of two bodies
as large as his own.
Carefully Placing in his pockets the arti
cles taken from the body of the dead man