Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-11-16

ct 1t is, SO to say, a double-decker island !;
1t has an external superticies, clothed with
mortal green and diversified with peaks and
ravines; and below there is another sub
terranean world, hidden from the light of
day, in which grow stalactites and stalag
mites, and where bats take the place of
birds. Caves and sinkholes here and there
afford entrance to this lower region and 1t
occasionally happens that stream. in the
midst of it's career, suddenly disappears
down ore of these UNEMPLOYED holes and is
seen no more. or perhaps emerges miles
away and continues its course as II nothin G
had happened.
Now, although I knew nothing of this
particular river 1t had occurred to me-
in flash of nspirat ion, that 1t might be
one of the jack-int he-box species, and that
our friend Tom, having rashly attempted
the ford, had been swept off his feet and
carried down to the abyss. 1t was true
that 1mosen, in her vision. or whatever 1t
was, had seen the tumultuous torrent in
the guise CT band of bowling robbers and
murderers; but that was much less sur
prisins than that she had seen anything at
all, and the thing to be done now was to
act upon such light we had.
l had not made a dozen yards through
| the tangled growth that bearded the banks
when l heard her behind me- | would
rather she had stayed behind, for it was
possible that the adventure might have a
tragic ending; but she was not the girl to
sit inactive under such circumstances She
had reached the end of her initiative, how
me.
We fought our way along in silence for
about ten minutes. A hollow sound au-
dibe from the first, had grown stronger
and stronger, above the rush and tumult of
the torrent Now the channel of the stream
narrowed and it's banks became mere
masses of nearly naked rock, through
which the yellow waters boiled and foamed
like the rapids of miniature Niagara. We
crawled around huge howlder, and be-
held sight worth seeing An archway of
black rock spanned the current; above it
was the apparently solid earth with ancient
trees growing upon its surface: below was
a black vault, like the yawning mouth of
| some nameless monster of Tartarus. Into
this bottomless NAV leaped headong the
whole mass of waters, and We're utterly
swallowed up, with a long-drawn, caver-
nous roar, appalling to hear. But just at
| the lip of the fall a peak of jagged rock
like tusk in the monsters jaw, and di-
vided the stream right and left. Imogen
grasped my arm convulsively.
Hes there" she said, in an intense
whisper. ''See-the headstall is round the
rock. We shall save him.
Looking more narrowly, 1 perceived in
| fact something hitched round the tusk
which might have been some part of a
| horses harness; it resembled a headstall
| as much as anything. The loop of the
| bride Of it We're still attached to it, was,
| of course, out of sight on the other side
| Was Tom hanging to it? My heart migave
me; it was desperate chance to say the
best of it.
| BY getting on the top of the arch, it
would be possible to look down into the
| abyss and determine whether the young
| man were there. l glanced at Imogen, seek
| ing for some preteXt to induce her to stay
where she was; for my expectations of a