Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1895-06-27
A Mystery
or THE
CARIBBEAN.
BY JULIAN HATHoRSE.
Continued from Yesterday

Continued from Yesterday
The sound was not repeated, and we
mad nothing to guide us. We found
ourselves in a passage communicating
with saloon, small but gorgeously
furnished. There was gold and silver
plate on the table; curtains of velvet
and hangings of silk decorated the
walls and doorways; and a carved
ebony chest IN correr, with the lid
thrown back, showed within a mass OF
splendid jewelry and other valuables.
a sword, its hilt sparkling with
precious stones, lay on the floor. The
place was like room in Aladdin's pal
ace. But no sign either of lie or death
was visible
We passed through this cabin
with only glance at n its contents.
There would be time enough for such
things later. We entered another pas
sage, and presently came to a square
aperture in the floor, opening down
into the lower region of the ship. A
vertical iron ladder offered means of
descent.
I'VE may as well take look below
there, colonel, said I, quietly. ''Will
you remain here, Or"
go on, STRIP he answered, through
his teeth.
Down we went An atmosphere Us
of ages dead and decaycd crept into
our nostrils. Arrived at the bottom,
there was not space to stand up
right. l trod on something that
caused me to start back. l turned the
light of the lantern up and down the
floor. They lay in rows, four deep;
there may have been two hundred of
them in that noisome crypt, forty feet
long by twenty wide. They were
chained one to another, neck and leg.
Their black skin chung to their bones
like wrinkled leather. But their suffer
ings must have been over ages and ages
ago. Death had released them from
their slavery centuries before the idea
of emancipation first dawned in the
mind of man.
II doubt whether that sound could
have come from here, colonel; we could
hardly have heard it SO plainly on the
upper deck" began; but l was inter
rupted by q repetition of the same
plaintive whimper, evidently from
above us. The colonel uttered an ex-
clanation, and had scrambled up the
ladder before l could turn round. ]
followed, anG found that he had groped
his way back to the saloon in the dark.
1T must be here, you know" NUT
tered he, apologetically. 81 was sure
of it from the first"
was tempted to compliment him on
his activity, but l forbore. l looked
round the little saloon. There must be
some state-rooms hereabouts. pushed
my hand against one of the sillien
hangings, and felt vacancy beyond. l
drew the fabric aside, and stepped into
small chamber some twelve feet long
by six wide. The colonel was at my
heels
A bed, or bunk, was built against
the side of the vessel opposite us. l.
was covered with drapery of fine cam
brio, with Il satin coverlid. Proppei.
upon the pillows lay woman between.
twenty and thirty years of age, up
palently, and Of remarkable beauty.
Her dark hair fell down over her
shoulders. Her eyes were closed; but
as we entered, they quiveI-d, and slow
" opened. Their glance, dark and
penetrating, rested on usfor an instant,
and then they closed once more. a
faint sigh stirred the lace upon her
bosom, and she lay still.
BY her side lay an infant, not more
than few weeks old. The little crea-
ture rested on it's back; its plump little
legs and arms were kicking and brand
| ishing in air. It's eyes were tightly
shut; but as we stared upon it, they
opened, and it uttered a quavering cry
the cry of baby just emerging from
| sleep and in want of its natural nour-
| ishmc1t.
BLESS my soul!'' faltered the honest
colonel. BLESS my soul! A live baby,
in the midst of all this
/ put my finger on the mother S wrist.
1t was already cold, and there was no
pulse. Her beautiful face changed
| even as we stood there; III became
| pinchcd and cadavcrous The figure
| seemed to sink into itself and wither
ND. 1t was as if she had been miracu-
lousy preserved during unknown
| wears, until her infant should be saved.
| But the infant--he was real and sub
stantial; he did not dwindle and van
ish before our eyes. The colonel, how
ever, seemed to fear that he would, for
he caught him up in his arms and
pressed him to his manly, but tender
old heart.
ST makes me feel like man again
10 get hcli CO it," euoth he, IN shaken
voice, while two tears ran down the
side of his warlil1e nose. "llerc's a
real piece of warm flesh and blood at
last, after all this internal hobgob-
hnry. Do, for mercy's sake let us get
out of this, before we get turned into
mummies and hobgoblins ourselves"
looked again at the mother. What
fate had been hers! Who was she?
How came she hithcr? Had her eyes
/ indeed behold US before she died, OF
was that an illusion of our bewildcrcd
y