The morning call., 1893-04-09

was almost on a level with the highest
points in the great wall. The surface was
entirely covered with dark crust of lava,
in which only one OF two cracks appeared.
Not single fountain sent up its spray, but
through openings il had made in the wall
on the right hand and on the left poured
forth in great burst, the molten fire that
ever churns and bnils beneath that SEEM
ingly solid crust. Out it rushed, not ma king
much noise but kissing like huge serpent
and pouring forth its flaming hosts as
though the imprisoned goddess were deter
mined once for all To burst the DO ds that
bound her and reassert her supremacy over
the earth. Down across the lava bottom,
foot or two of the trail to the
TOP of the cliff where l stood with
the guide aud others whom l found
already on the scene, the flames pour ed in
glowing pathway, spreading out upon the
broad floor III every sort OF fan astic form.
Now it was a giant fern. with its graceful
frondS waving by the fiery streamside in
that Valley of the Shadow of Death; then a
light-winged bird with cleaning eyes,
roising in Its fight. held. apparently by the
destinations OF fiery serpent in whose
gaping jaws it was presently swallowed up;
again, q crouching beast of prey, vending
its steathy way along the foot of the black
ledge, seeking whom u might deyour, but
soon ii, too. succumbed to the burning
death and disappeared.
Then the cooling breath of heaven famed
down across the glowing stream. and the
lava began to lose its light and turn black.
1t was cooling.
Gather your hosts. Pele; summon all
your legiOns from that internal fiery pit,
and pour out your everlasting flames afresh
or the day is lost!
The goddess hears.
Through the dark, heaving crust OF the
lava a little tongue of flame lcks out. Then
another, another, another, like arrows
pierce the tlackuesS; and there are seven
flaming fountains sending their burning
drops high into the air. Now the lake be-
gins TO roar. With terrible rush and
sound like mighty wind the two streams
at the left join, and plunge over the wall in
a flaming cataract a hundred feet wide OR
more. The lava crust breaks up. and great
blocks OF 1t are carried over the horrible
falls as | have seen ice blocks go over
Niagara in spring breakup. Other black
blocks are tossed up and turned over in the
seething current like lost creatures in
agony. They writhe and twist and sink
and rise as The horrible mass hesves and
falls like troubled sea. Blood red
waves break upon the black coast
line, ana send their shining spray far
over the wall, then sink back only
TO rise again and renew the awful
bomba rdment with yet more fieDdtsh yiCor
Another stream breaks out on the left and
cuts fiery causeway over the lava flow
The hosts of hell are rallying. aud the hiss
ing roar of their terrible battle-song rises
and beats at the very gates of heaven. Up
on high the far. cold stars look down, and
great cloud that hangs directly over the
crater CLOVIS like pillar of fire leading the
hosts OF the powers of the air to the con-
flict Down they sweep in a cold breath.
rushing across the black plain and blowing
their chilling blasts over the burning lake,
where Pele sits in her fiery rage directing
the onslaughts OF her helish horde. The
molten flames hiss and sputter as the cool
breeze strikes them, as though cursing in
their wrath, but the heavenly power is
strong, and almost imperceptibly tt c tossing
lake subsidies once more; the fiery fountains
are quenched; the dark crust reappears.
and only the fiery streams flow sulleDlv
down the crater's sides, lesitatiBg and
slowly ascending emiDenees that but mo-
ment before they took at a single bound
The hardening lava is almost black, with
only here and there a fiery eve cleaning
through the darkness to show that the
horror yet lives. Then, without N instant's
warning, but with a horrible roar and n
rush OF burning heat, eight fountains leap
suddenly into life, sending their flashing
Jets thirty feet into the air. just at the
right wall Of the great lake one of these
suddenly spreads; the black lava crust
melis as the dew dries la the morning sun !:
the whole surface of the lake suddenly
begins to move and sway in that direction !;
then 1t rushes forward in mighty tide.
oio"iS a. MOI bub gathering force as IL
proceeds. II beggars description. The words
flame, hre, burning, convey no idea of the
glowing, leaping, burning fierceness of this
blazing onslaught. 1t comes down upon
the opposing wall with fiery, resistless
force. 1t CLEANS at the edge for moment.
like glistening CORY giant before the
final awful rush in which it leaps the wall
and pOurs down in a steady stream
steadily, steadily rising. retreating, ad
vaneing, spreading out hundreds Of feet
wlde, rising, falling, running river OF
molten iron. sweeping great masses of black
lava along on its heaving bosom. Down.
down u comes, until it has covered the
crater moor and presses against the cliff be-
low you. A lava flow cannot be checked or
turned, 1t just piles and piles against the
sides OF an obstacle until 1t finally climbs
ana overilows u. But this stream cannot
climb the cliff-the day is past for that. but
IL assaiis 1t with uBquenchable heat, and
you hear a great crash in thu darkness that
tells you mighty mass of rock has fallen.
Another stream arises in the fiery lava.
aud with kissing scream of mingled rage