The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1897-09-03


gazed down into the ominous depths
of the crater that yawned before them.
1T is there, senor," the boy said,
simply, pointing toward the black
mouth of cavern, half obscured by n
cloud of steam that shrilly escaped from
some unseen crevice.
1T is the mouth of hell" exclaimed
Juan. Even the sturdy doctor shrank
back, but the lust for gold will lead
Il man to brave the greatest danger.
Come, then!" he cried.
The Indian boz detained him. Not
that way, senior. see where you would
go. 1t is none 20 sure, senior. Mira"
He took machete from Juan and
struck it through what seemed to be Il
solid rock, but which proved but a mass
of light ashes. 1t was on this that the
doctor would have stepped, and be-
meath which, had he done so, he might
have disappeared forever.
Testing each foot of the way with
the greatest caution, he took the lead.
now through cloud of white vapor.
now across a bottomless seam from
which a cloud of black smoke poured.
filled with deadly gases, till the mouth
of the cave lay before them.
1T is suicide!" muttered Juan. Il.
for one, will not go further"
Into the cavern the young lad crept,
and the doctor, first lighting a torch
that he took from one of the saddle
bags they had brought, followed after
as best he could.
1t was not far that they had to go.
But few short rods from the entrance
the doctor saw the thing he sought
gold, virgin gold, mass of gold, such
as men might have dreamed of. but
none had ever beheld before!
Mad with the sense of sudden power
the doctor clutched it; he fondled it;
with tears of joy he kissed it, swear
ing, laughing and crying by turns. and
then
There was sudden trembling of the
rock, the cavern seemed to sway in
space, and there came a sound as of the
earth splitting in twain from it's center.
Juan turned and fed. The doctor
threw the gold from him with curse,
and frantically endeavored to follow,
but the boy held him back.
mo, no, senor, if you would live!" he
pleaded.
But the doctor did not hear him.
There was the din of chaos without.
A wide crack opened across the cave
and suffocating vapor poured through
it. Again the rocky walls trembled and
swayed and the crack closed it's Jaws
with vicious snap, like some gigantic
animal, enraged that it had not en-
quilted them.
Cur! Dog!" the doctor cried, striv-
ing to free himself, and striking the
boy who clung to him. Let loose,
say, ere l kill you'll"
But the youth would not loosen his
desperate hold. He clung with the
strength of demon, and, fighting to
gain each step of the way, the doctor
dragged him to the mouth of the cave,
where, by supreme effort. he freed
himself from the grasp of the youth.
Gasping for breath the doctor rose
TO his feet and blindly plunged out of
the hideoug place, only to pause at the
entrance, speechless with terror at
what he beheld. The air seemed blast
from a furnace-the bed of the crater
rose and fell, boiling, surging. seeth-
ing cauldron, with the rushing roar of
tornado.
Huge powders rose to it's surface,
to sweep around the maelstrom and dis
appear in the clouds of steam that i'll
termittently burst from it. AS he
peered out through the lurid haze, with
eyes that seemed to him to be starting
from their sockets. spur of rock, a
hundred feet high, that crowned the
opposite wall of the water, toppled and
fell with a deafening crash and was
swalloped up in the horrible depths.
The path they had taken to reach the
cave had been split but yard beyond
him by yawning chasm whose oppo-
site wall he tried to, but could not. dis
tinguish. The semidaylight that had
prevailed suddenly changed to dark
ness-not the dark of q summer night,
but the horrible dark of the catacombs.
CHASTITY flames of yellow and blue shot
up from the depths and pierced it, max
ing its blackness visible. A hot fleck
of ashes touched his cheek as shower
"a eA'NAA ASAA obOuG mn, anu lucn ~
deluge that hemmed him round;
mass of vapor puffed suddenly out and
enveloped him like winding sheet,
and, clutching wildly at empty space,
he felt himself falling, falling down,
down through an unknown void that
seemed to have no ending. And then
Then he opened his burning eyes and
dimly looked about him. seeing but
scarcely comprehending.
Juan" he called, feebly.
The Indian boy bent over him, plac-
ing his pocket flask to his lips: "There
is no Juan now, senor."
Where did he-ah, 1 remember!"
"Yes, senior, you remember"
"How did come here?
Il carried YOU"
Carried me whereP"
Where, but through the cavern,
senior; here to its other entrance"
"You-you brought me out of that
hell? You carried me here to safety
you-how were you able to do it?"
The Indian lad smiled proudly: ut
was the dog in me, senor!"-Illustrate
American.
Almost n Hint