The diamond drill. (Crystal Falls, Iron County, Mich.) 1887-1996, 1895-03-09

showed fiat with the plane Of the sea-
II gradually grew larger and whittier
till, all OF a sudden, like the drawing Of
a stage curtain, great rent was made
In the fog. splitting IL from top TO bot
tom. and there, bright like a huge
pearl. the moon looked in upon US.
The men gave three wild cheers, and
Murdoch. with quaint gravity, said:
There was naethin' sac pleasant as
jist bit blinlSie o. the moon; 1t was
that refreshing like"
What caught my attention most was a
monster berg floating in the very center
of the opening. It's tall, minaret-like
pinnacles glistened like purest silver
under the light of the moon, and stairs
and terraces and cupolas everywhere
glimmered and sparlled, as though all
the mosques OF Islam had been joined
TO form one splendid temple. II was
quite close To us, too. Its loom almost
fell across us. IL awed us, floating
there so silently, so majestically, with
the last swathes of breaking mist curl
ing Oft it's bright sides
Surely there's something upon it."
said 1; men, do you see, close by the
edge o. yonder cape2"
"Oh, ay." said Murdoch, sit will be a
seal, I'm thinlxin'."
A few powerful strokes brought us
alongside the berg, and, sure enough,
there sat seal, blinking at MS with his
big eyes as II nightly surprised at
such visitors. lie lay close by the edge
Of an inlet which ran right between
two immense portals for all the world
like those Of an Egyptian temple.
They shone cleaning blue in the face
of the moon.
The opening was large enough TO ad-
NIT q two boats rowing abreast, and
the water was as calm as millpond.
But the seal bestirred himself as we
approached, gave a flap of his tail,
opened his mouth, shut il again with a
clap and then Topped into the water
SO mar that the spray he raised cana
intothe boat.
l was erieved; Murdoch had manu-
fachred spear by tying his sheath
lknie To the end OF a spare oar. II the
wost came 20 the worst and we had
20 abide on the ice seals blubber
would have kept us alive for some time.
The men lay on their oars. IL was
dais ahead, and II was impossible TO
tel how the way terminated. just
th,n, however, streak of light ran
though the darkness, and | caught a
CLINT OF the round face of the moon.
fasting my eye up TO a great spire OF
ici, leaning like the tower Of Pisa, over
tle sea TO the right Of us, saw that
The berg was moving in circle. Tho
ny OF light which stood out OF the
darkness. then, must be cast through
ne center of the berg. And SO it was,
or when we cautiously entered be-
ieath the doorway we found ourselves
n 81 immense cavern. 1t was doned,
" fine white ice, thin and translucent
like glass. The moonbeams came
through a great slit, running from the
water rim right up 70 the roof. form
ing second entrance, but smaller
than the one we had entered by. A
buttress had fallen away, for part of II
lay upon bread terrace that shot out
half way across the floor of the cavern.
Everywhere there were huge icicles.
One | especially noted was as large as
the mainmast OF a full-rigged ship, and
stood mp from the middle OF the ter
race. The moon set straight on it, and
il cast a shadow like n sundial upon the
white water.
But what took us from these things
was "A cry which Murdoch gave out:
Guide salSes but the Lord haze mercy
upon us, what an awfu' sichtln and no
pointed with his finger to part OF the
wall close by the main door, and almost
fiat with the water.
1t was little in the shade, but when
my dead lights did set true my heart
gave a thump that nearly strained my
rib timbers, and then suddenly stopped
like. There was mans face, show.
ing clear through the wall, as though
IL were set in n window never wish
10 see that face again. IL was the
most drawn, CHASTITY face / ever looked
on, and the unwinlSing stare of his eyes
set my very hair on end and made tho
cold sweat break out all over my body,
but moment before my
limbs were numb with the terrible
cold.
The men were more terrified than
myself The ghostly cry In the fog,
and our exhausted condition, all con.
duced tc strengthen their natural
superstitions. After that exclamation
Of Murdoch they made no sound. They
were past that. They only looked and
looked as though they would fix that
deadly face upon their minds forever.
And then silently still they dipped
their oars in the water, and we glided
out OF that floating sepulcher
We were far out on the moonlighted
sea before n word was uttered. Then
Murdoch, who was always mouthpiece
20 the rest, said solemnly, laying on
his oar:
''Wecl, II that waurna lxelpie we
saw anoo', ] kenna the look o. ane. It's
n dead won'er we werena az the bottom
o. that deil's caldron; forbye there's
nav fire an brimstnne. there ether