The Delta independent., 1895-12-18

of land and erected this house over the
entrance. I purpose to buy the whole
two thousand acres Of wild land that
covers a great portion of 1t, and erect
here large building ostensibly san
itarium. 1t is for the fitting up of this
underground domain that have taken
such pains to secure your aid. I need
in it an electrical plant; water sys-
TEN; electric railway, and heating ap-
paratus besides means of defense and
other modern appliances. l have esti-
mated the cost of my internal-or,
perhaps, should say, intestinal-im-
provement at something like mil
lion dollars 1t is for you to say, when
have taken you over the ground, if
you will sell me your mechanical skill
for a year and what it will be worth"
Kent waited for reply.
After a moments hesitation Laport
said: ut seems to me, sir, that at this
time am not in position to make
terms. If you succeed in demonstrat-
ing to me the practicability Of your
plans, the best l can do is to offer you
my services and advice in SO far as the
scheme meets with my appreciation"
"Well, can only say that such an
arrangement will not do ut all. do not
intend to implicnto you in any of my
schemes. I wish to employ your con-
structive ability at a reasonable price.
If the work that want done is practi-
cable to the engineering and mechan-
ical mind, and you give me your serv-
ices for year, will fifty thousand dol
lars compensate you"
For the first time it flashed over La
ports mind that he was listening to a
monomaniac; one of those restless and
harmless characters who conceive pro-
djgious schemes and make fabulous in
vestments with no other capital than
their disordered imaginations. Kent
guessed what was passing in his mind,
for he said:
II see the suddenness and largenesS
of my schemes have disturbed your
confidence. Two or three days of in
vestigation will restore it. We can
talk farther of the matter after we are
better acquainted. Before show you
the underground laboratory, let me
explain to you the Typographical Pc
culiarities of the country"
As he said this he picked up map
and, moving his chair closer to La
ports, spread out the paper on the
table. "There," he said indicating
point on the map with pencil, sis
about where we are. This original
map is sketch-plan Of the subter-
ranean domain as near as have been
able to survey it. estimate the south
western extension of the cave to be
about eighteen miles in length. There
is another hidden entrance at that eS-
treme limit, but it needs n little exca-
waiting to be of practical use. l intend
to purchase that land also and erect a
house over it. That entrance, or to
speak more correctly, that exit, is
within four miles Of the great Wash
bayou on the Mississippi. The coun-
try is such that hard road can be
easily made. The bayou is one of the
deepest and widest on the river. A
sternwhcel boat can land her supplies
there entirely hidden from the river
with little difficulty. The nearest
house is eighteen miles distant. The
transportation overland is not much
of problem, but the eighteen miles
underground needs an engineers skill
That is where want an electric rail-
way. You will see the necessity of
that when you examine the place, for
it is the northeastern end of the cave
that can best be fitted up for habita-
fiop nd