The World. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1891-1896, 1893-09-16
SPIRITED AWAY.
The Exe:t:n; Adventure OF wost-
GIRL Lover


The inhabitants q Albuquerque, \,
H.. bad bscon greatly excited On nc
coant Of sesie3 81 DARN, robberics
;htt ha! been peisprtrated III their
midst
Al4aiiJ15s rs was The continuation Of
.ih r@l,be.ics,. ii WAS surpassed 81 an
occurrence that proved 10 be tho cul-
miaatio,, Of the work 81 The despera-
does
0as night the beaatifal d..u ,!tas If
Col Bic;.se., the rie4est citixe II the
city; Was kilaaps That tiic d seei
hal be done ~ tilr robhess fer tbs
pu pose of keeping Ihs Iaaieea captive
untE taey eould obtain d iipsrll ran-
soin from lie list acted sitEier there
could seateclY be doubt
Helen hal lover named Malcolm
Macdonald, s.ircwi youay lawYer,
WHO WAS confident that the headquar-
tess afthc lSianapeF were in the crater
III lava beds about twenty miles south
west u Albuquerque.
slAeD3aald knew svhat he was about
whea he resolved T. atietapt the res.
enc Of the dear girl to whom he was be-
trotlicd by organizing party 10 search
for hcrcaptors among the lava beds
fige Of hlsSffiends, ali of them stout
hearted and adventurous yoang fell
lows, agreed 70 aid him Armed to
the teeth and mounted on gooi horses
the party quietly left Albuquerque
three hoars after the abduction OK
Helen became known
The lava beds were several acres In
extent and were in tic shape 81 i low
and broken cone, the top If s. hIeh was
followed out SO as to rcsemblcsa liure
bowl The latter was all that re-
manned Of the crater Of an extinct vol
cano
The young men, holding their rifles
in readiness in case Of an attack de-
seconded Into the great bowl and all
vanced until they came to the mouth
OF the cave. The opening was Iargc
enough, and from it good-sizcd pas
sage wound downward distance. OF
ten feet to the cave, which was about
. rod long and shaped like a right
angled triangle,
The adventures satisfied themselves
by cautious exploration that the rob.
bers were not il the cavity. A little
later. while, torch in hand. they were
examining the bottom of the hollow,
they discovered square section Of the
lava floor which was slightly separated.
from the surrounding lava
The exeltcd men pounded on the slab
OF lava until they broke il sufficiently
to enable them to grasp the pieces and
remove them A deep hole wns re-
yealea, except where narrow shelves,
extending on four sides, had served to
support the edges of the block
Macdonald determined to make the
DESCENT Of the shelving sides of the
hole. lie argued that the robbers were
undoubtedly asleep at that hour, and
that the chaAce Of cqfning, upon them
before reaching the main cave was
small.
SEEING taat they could not dissuade
him. and aaEiring lis boIdncss. the
youaA Eien discontinued their objection;
sad after they HAD assured Ii,n that
they would defend him should he come
forth pursued, and would re venge his
dsath shoHid he be killed. they babe
him Bsdspscd IS lie entered the cavity.
lie vas armed with a long hunting.
knife an q brace Of pistols and ear
ried4in his hand dark lantern clos.
ing The slide Of the lantern s. as 10
conceal the light, lie crept III darkness
down the passage
The sound Of waslling waters came
10 his startled ears, ana lie inferred
that he stood upon the edge OF d sub
terranean lake After conside able4
afsElt Mi l,s6.t
light
so2n Mae Donald's attention was ar
rested w 4 singular sight A huge
mass appeared from the gloom beyond
The reach Of the lanterns rays and
slowly advanced toward him.
II was not craft belonging to the
robbers, as Macdonald had at firs.
feared, bu. was an island Of lava That
90 great mass Of laya could float
seemed incredible, until Macdonald
tethought that the mass was undonbt-
edly composed Of pumRce. lighter than
water
II inmedia9ely occurred Is onr4hero
thai the robbers We're probably Oh the
lave vessel, and he closed tie lantern
without del4y. Il
4, the island came nearer he could
discern q dim light. He at once came
70 the cohclnsion that the mass was Of
considerable size and that the light
arose near its center from a campfire.
arolna which the outlaws were proba-
bly gathered Wien tie Island had
almost reached the shore it caused 4
sli2ht swashing Of the water and guided
b3$ hels sound Macdonald could Almost
'eli where the floating lava was Cau-
lol'sly putting out his hands he felt
Then come ID contact with hard and
nto 2ing substance; and as the island
touched the shore he gave leap Of
snlfeieah power % carry him well upon
The singular craft
ilssAt ssi'l fer few moments, and
70 bis alarm noticed that the island
had not fingered at the shore, as lie had
hoped that itwould do
~ $500