The record-union., 1892-10-15

meath. a short distance to the north
ward the ravine had turn, and pro-
jecting promontory hid its further ex-
IRENE from sight. Freeman made up his
mind to follow it up on foot after the de-
scending sun should have thrown shad-
ow over it. The indications, in his judg
ment, We're not without promise that
system of judiciousiy applied blastIngs
might open up source of water that
would transform this dreadful barren
ness into something quite different.
| This shade OF the great pyramid fell
| upon him as he lay, but the tumultuous
wall opposite was brilliantly illuminated;
| the sky over it was of peculiar brassy
| hue, but entirely cloudless. The radia-
tons from the baked surface, ascending
vertically, made the rocky bastion seem
to culver, as if it were a reflection cast on
/ undulating water. The wreaths of to-
bacco smoke that emanated from Free
mans mouth also assembled until they
touched the slant of sunlight overhead.
As the young mans eyes followed these,
something happened that caused him to
utter an exclamation and raise himself
on one arm.
All at once, in the vacant air diagonally
| above him, a sort Of shadowy simmer
! seemed TO concentrate, which was rapidly
resolved into color and form. 1t was
much as II some unseen artist had swept
a mass of mingled hues on a canvas and
then had worked them with magical
/ speed into picture. There appeared a
! breadth OF rolling country, covered with
verdure, and IN the midst of it the white
walls and long, Swallowed veranda of an
adobe house. Freeman saw the vines
ciamDerlng over the caves and roof, the
vases OF earthenware Suspended between
| the pillars and overlooking with flowers,
! the long windows, the steps descending
into the garden. Now a figure clad in
white emerged from the door and All
yanced slowly TO the end of the veranda.
he recognized the gait and bearing; he
could almost fancy he discerned the be-
loved features. She stood there for mo-
ment gazing, as it seemed, directly at
| MIN. She raised her hands ana pressed
them TO her lips, then threw them OUT
ward with gesture eloquent of innocent
and tender passion. r'reeman's heart
| leaped: involuntarily he stretched out his
arms and murmured, "Miriam!'' The
next moment a tall, dark figure, with
/ White hair, wrapped i'll blanket,
came stalking behind her, and made q
| reckoning movement. Miriam did not
turn, but her bearing changed; her hands
Tell to her sides; she seemed bewildered.
Freeman sprang angrily 10 his teet the
picture became blurred, &c flowed into
streaks Of vague color; it was gone
There were only the brassy sky, and the
painted crags quivering in the heat.
| hat was not mirage; it was mira
Gle" muttered the young man to himself
Forty mles at least, and it seemed
scarcely three hundred yards! What
does it mean?'
The sun sank behind the hills, and a
transparent shadow filed the gorge.
! freeman, uneasy i'll mind, and unable to
remain inactive, filled his canteen at the
spring and descended TO the rugged trail
at the bottom. Clanlberng over bowl
ders, leaplng across narrow chasms, let
ting himself down edges, his preoccupa-
ton soon left him, ana physical exertion
took the precedence. Half an hours
work brought him TO the out-jutting pro-
montory which had concealed the further
reaohes OF the valley. These now lay be-
fore him, merging imperceptibly into in
distinctuess.
This atmosphere is unbearable," said
| Freeman. Il must get a little higher
up"
lie turned to the right and saw nat
ural archway, of no great hight formed
in the rock. Che arch itself was white:
the superincumbent stone was Of dull,
red hue, On the left flank Of the arch
! Were series of inscribed characters,
which might have been cut by human
hand, or might have been mere natural
| freak. They looked like some rude sys-
TEN nf .ieroglyphics and bore no meaning
TO Freeman's mind.
A sort of crypt or deep recess was hol-
lowed out beneath the arch, the Iull ex-
tent OF which Freeman was unable to dis
Germ. The floor OF it descended in ridges
like rough staircase. lie stood tor a
lew moments peerlng into tie gloom
tempted by curiosity to advance, but re-
strained partly by the gathering darkness
and partly by the oppressiveness OF the
atmosphere. which produced a sensation
OF glddlnesS. Something white cleaned
on the threshold of the crypt. He pick ed
1T up. 1t was human skull; but even
as he lifted 1t 1T came apart in his hands
and crumbled into fragments. Free
mans nerves We're strong, but he shud-
dered slightly. The loneliness, the ST.
I lence, the mystery and the strange light
headedness that was coming over him
combined to make him hesitate. "I'll
come back tomorrow morning early -
he said to himself.
AS, if in answer, deep. appalling roar
broke forth apparently under his feet,
and went rolling and reverberating up
and down the canyon. 1t died away, but
was Immediately followed by another yet
more loud, and the ground shook and
swayed beneath his ieet. "A gigantic
bowlder. poised high up on the other side
of the canyon, was unSeated, and fell with
a terrific crash. A hot wind swept sigh
ing through the valley, and the air rap
idly became dark. Again came the sigh,
thunderings that seemed to proceed both
from the heavens and from the earth. 4
dazzling flash of lightning split the air,
bathing it for an instant in the brightness
of day; in that instant Freeman saw the
! bolt strike the great white pyramid and
splinter lis crest into fragments, while
the whole surface of the gorge heaved and
undulated like a stormy sea. He had
been staggering as best he might to a
higher part of the rayine, but now he felt
a stunning blow on his head. He fell
and knew no more.