St. Landry clarion. (Opelousas, La.) 1890-1921, 1895-02-02
CHAPTER v.-coNTINuEp.
ICoPYR1GHT, 1894 ]


ports mind that he was listening to
monomaniac; one of those restless and
harmless characters who conceive pro-
digions schemes and make fabulous in
vestine1ts with nd other capital than
their disordered imaginations. Kent
guessed what was passing in his mind,
for he said:
Il see the suddenness and largeness
of my schemes have disturbed your
confidence. Two or three days of in
yestigation 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 ssThere, he said, Indicating d
point on the map with q pencil. "is
about where wa are This original
map Ii q sketeh-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 ut that ex-
treme limit, but it needs q little exca-
waiting to be OF practical use. Intend
70 purchase that lana saft lfa ana ersft
speak more correctly, that exit, is
within four miles of the great Wash
BAYOU on the Mississippi. The eo1n-
try Is such that hard road can be
easily made The bayou is one of the
| deepest and widest on the river u
| ssarnWileel 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 q problem, but the eighteen miles
underground needs an engineers skill
| That is where I want an electric rail
wav. You will see the necessity o.
| that when you examine the place. fol-
it is the northeastern end of the caVs
that can best be fitted up for hab1ta
ton and workshops
ssThe difficulties to be overcome, a
| YOU will readily understand, ar
nhysical difficulties and involve light
ing. ventilation, transit and defense
NV idea is that the subterranean do
main offers magnificent field for tn
abode of an army of mechanics an
soldiers y
Iaport was amazed. Would it b
impertincnt," he asked, "if ] inquire
what you are going to do with tn
soldiers?"
= s'Not at ALL replied Kent. But
would be better perhaps If You wer
kept in ignorance of my ultimate plan
or at least not made acquainted wit
| them until You had grown to unde'
stand their possibility. In case yo
! did not approve of them, it would :
better not to be implicated in then
Let me ask you one questionable yo
not offer to the government a gun col
structed ON novel plan?'
Eyes. did" replied Laport.
> aAnd the government rejected it?''
aThe government laughed at it. ar
I spent months and all my money tn
ing to lobby through an appropriate
d 10 get it tested.
eWhen was that"
1t Is e1anb years HB u
: Every good said Kent. Il shou
like to have talk with you about th
gun later on. The first thing to do
10 give You a sense of security and
do that shall have to show you
Y hidden retreat Before we go dow
let me say that this house IS
cessible only by one road, and we G
see anyone approaching by that ro
for two miles. Besides, keep a sent
in the woods who can communicate
signal with the house. If by any
cident an officer or detective shot
pet into the other apartment. y
have ample time to disappear. !
- me show you.
Here Kent got up and going TO
corner of the room, leaned with
hands upon the wall and pushed Wig
ouslv with his feet upon the IL
which instantly moved as If it were
rollers, and as it withdrew from the
Il. ner in which Kent stood, smo'
rock showed itself about foot
W meath. He jumped down upon
..- rock and with his foot gave the floor
q push and 1t receded about three II
/ exposing a descent to which had b,
fitted a rude wooden rail and steps.
Laport stepped to the edge OF
floor and looked over. He saw part
rough shaft which was apparer
ten or twelve feet in diameter,
an sank away ohlique1y IN q westerly
= rection and was very dark and re
liant. s.
my possessions you had better