The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1896-04-03

fiery column from which we had fed
glnting upon the rocks and whitening
the scanty vegetation for miles around.
We saw acres of stunted evergreens be-
low us, shrinking, crisping to finder in
that inordinate glow; then the dry nee
dies sparkled, and here and there q tree
spouted up fountain of red flame.
Soon the whole forest was ablaze beyond
us, and our ravine was in shadow no
longer.
Then we crept back into the cavern of
the roaring stream, far under the mount
ain, finding precarious foothold by the
margin of the water, till at last only
we had entered. Here the rugged roof
vaulted higher and was lost in darkness
we sunk prone on shelf of rock beside
the gurgllng torrent; the spray dashed
over our aching limbs and we found re-
lief.
But the place was full of noises. Not
merely the voice of the pouring waters
that moaned and echoed everywhere.
More aud More frequent came rum
blings, followed by sound like heavy
thunder and q tremor as if the mount
ain shuddered to it's roots. Doubtless
the raging furnace above was cracking
the cliffs that walled the lake; the over
heated Lodges were bursting
l perspired under the raining spray;
it seemed to me that the floor on which
l lay was growing warmer. I layed my
nand IN the running water, but jerked it
back with cry; the stream was scalding
hot. A ruddy sparkle seethed in it's cur
cent; the vault above me was becoming
family visible; as l gazed, the fantastic
sky.
With scream of terror I sprang to-
ward the entrance; great light famed
behind me; strong gust of fire and wind
swept me onward, till I found myself
fallen on the bank Of the rayine outside.
"A pale blue blow-pipe fame went kissing
past me. With it came shrieks of agony
more terrible than all the groanings Of
the tormented hill-shrieks of human
angulsll-and a strange ape-like figure
was flung beside me and lay writhing
1t was the professor, my friend. but
scared and branded almost beyond recog-
milton. His clothing was burned away:
of his struggling locks and black silky
beard not hair remained. His long
arms twitched, and his slender fingers
clutched the parched, crumbling moss
as he lay in pain inexpressible. Thus
science had rewarded her most gifted yo-
tary.
Yet even in that supreme moment he
W. Mas not forgetf%l "Twas the outlet,
through. Oh, my God! Run! Cut off
the stream or the world is lost
PART II.
The"situation was so tremendous that
for an instant l could not grasp it.
s.epa 3motionless as if I had not Heard.
He sprang up and pushed me. In the
anguish Of his soul the torment OF his
body was forgotten.
,} ''.The sea-" he walled. 20 God. 0
1 God: Gut it off from the sea-
=. He was an atheist, but he called upon
God. Many times in that awful hour
he called upon God. 1t was not pro-
human soul in it's despair. 1t is the
cry. that will be heard OH the Day Of
Judgment! 1t is the cry of the damned.
The Day Of Judgment. 1t was upon
us. The last trump had sounded; the
earth was to be consumed, and its
oceans would be as oil in that mighty
cOntiagra ton.
/ leaped down the ravine. Already
the upper waters of the stream were
burned away, and it's bed was dry and
hot. Yet such speed did make in that
mad. desperate race, that I almost over
took the fleeing torrent which flowed and
famed before me. Then suddenly my
strength gave way: my limbs sank under
deadly faintness, incapable of thought.
Then, with a wrench of effort, | sat up,
gid1y and weak. l found myself ON the
Drink OF a vast precipice-three steps
more would have ended all-where the
torrent: had dropped its foaming waters
through sheer descent of more than
100 feet
But the torrent was gone Only a lit
tie fire still dripped from the verge, and
sspiashed in liquid flashes upon the rocks
below. And the pale light and soaring
neat no longer streamed down from the
mountain, though the red era ter chat an
hour before had held the glimmering lake
cast up lurid volcanic glow AGAINST the
sky.
Before me lay broad, dusky land
scapc, sloping toward the sea, buried in
mist and shadow. But through it ran
a flicker of light, as the envenomed steam