The Delta independent., 1896-03-11

lanterns, and thus provided anu nc-
companied by an officer he redc-
scended with the growing conviction
that Hendricks had withdrawn all his
forces from the cave and abandoned it.
The moment he arrived Mt the
mouth of the arena passage and held
up the lantern he perceived that some
thing extraordinary had taken place.
On either side of the entrance to the
shaft were the bodies of men-two of
them had apparently been hurled
against the wall of the arena with ter
rife force, for their bodies were dislo-
Gated and their skulls fractured, and
they were covered with blue mould
that made their faces indistinguish-
able. A few seconds later the co2di-
ton of the arena disclosed the destruc-
tion that had taken place. The resi-
dences on the western wall were shat
tered and in ruins. The machinery of
the great dynamo stood out gaunt ard
awry like the bones of corpse from
which the flesh had been suddenly
Here and there bodies lay exposed
upon the floor of the arena with the
clothes torn from them.
Word was Immediately sent above
for men aud lights, and strong recon-
noitering force was with difficulty
lowered into the cave.
Then the full extent of the appalling
disaster was investigated. Stocking
forced his way with some difficulty into
the rooms where he had spent SO many
hours, and there with tho lanterns of
the men held high and throwing u dis
NAL cffulgcrcc on tho scene he saw in
extrieably mingled with the debris of
the place the members of the group to
whom Calicot had communicated the
last words. All wore the same hor-
rible mask of blue mold. Hendricks
himself was sitting in chair, but his
neck was dislocatcd and his head hung
down upon the side of his body. Cali
cots body was in the corridor. 1t
alone had escaped the blast of disiigur-
ing color; his face wore n grim smile
and in his hand was n pad covered
with writing.
Stocking vrcnched it from the dead
fingers and held it to the lantern. In
q distorted hand was written: "All
particulars on my person. have saved
you and the country. 1t was my duty.
] am happy"
Shocked beyond all power of speech,
Stocking silently secured the papers,
and went with the party through tho
coal passaTe to the mouth of the ro-
tunda and there the most stupcndous
feature of this unprecedented tragedy
was revealed.
The whole of that great space was cov-
cred with blue corpscs, in every conceiv-
able attitude of sudden death, a blue
stratum of smoke lying above them
and still dcpositing its sulphur and
carbon upon their forms.
Death reigned. 1t had come like
lightning stroke. 1t had spared moth
ing. The end of the dismantled cleo
trio engine, hurled from the trestlc,
rested upon the floor of the ro.unda
with its tender hanging to the iron
benches. Against the eastern wall
hundreds of men had been hurled in a
mass, and there commingled in sicle-
ening pulp, from which stared the blue
and hideous faces and polsed the un-
wrought limbs.
AS Stocking slowly realized what his
friend had done sense of his heroism
overcame everything else. He opened
the papers and read the hastily written
memorandum, from which this account
has been compiled.
81 got" it said, "the dynamite
cartridge from Laports woriroom,
and also the fuse. I let it down the
ventilating tube to the floor OF the
magazine. 1t burned twenty minutes.
have made notes of all the disclosed
plans Let the government act quick.
The brains and the organization are
destroyed.
'.The great Laran rebellion is at an
end"
TIE END.