The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1898-07-28

from EldCr the cllff just as you hung
down from the ledge. AT first ! hoped
that you would get back on the rock,
but when ! saw you try to do it and
fail thought that you were lost.
The American could not speak for ex-
haustion, but as he looked at the depart
ing craft with concern BranasEo laugh
ed again: ''Oh, you thought it had a
crew. So did at first, but it has no one
aboard. 1t is drawn by cable and
seems to be laden with coal.
did they notice our fall up there?"
painted Johnston, no6ding toward the
lights in the distance.
mo. they are farther away than !
thought
well, what ought we to dor"
Hide here among the rocks till our
clothing dries and then look about u.s..
We have nearly "a hours to wait for the
sun to return through the tunnel"
Where is the tunnel?'' =
lover on the other side of that black
hill. There; you can see the mouth Of
the tunnel through which the sun
Cunts. =
Eve need Sleep" said the Alphian,
when their clothing was dry, land it
may be q long time Lcfore we get a
chance to get it, Let as lie down in the
shadow of that rock and rest
Johnston consented, and, lying down
together. they soon dropped asleep.
They Slept soundly.
Johnston was the first to awake. He
felt so refreshed that he knew he must
have been unconscious several hours.
He touched Branasko, and the latter sat
up and rubbed his eyes aud looked about
him bewildered.
81 had horrible dream" he said,
shuddering. 81 thought that we were
in the sun and over the capital city.
when it fell down. thought the fall
was awful, and that all Alpha was
aziame. Then the fires went out. Every.
thing was black, and the whole world
rang with cries of terrified people. Ugh
dom want to dream so again; I'd
rather not sleep at all But, hush, VIVA,
is .that?".
Far away, as if in the center Of the
earth, they heard low monotonous
| rumbling. They listened breathlessly.
Every moment the sound increased.
They could feel the ground trembling al
if shaken by al. earthquake.
1t is the coming sun. said Branas
Eo. 1--WE must get nearer the tunne
and see what can be done II would be
useless to try TO go back row." - 81
Stealing along In the shadow Of the
cliffs to keep from being seen by the
workmen on the plateau above, they
climbed over q rocky incline and saw
| in the side m a towering cliff a great
black. hole. It the mouth Of tile
tunnel. Into it ran eight wide tracks Of
| railway and six mammoth cables, each
20 or 80 feet III diameter.
"The sun c.,r,not be far away now
remarked the Alphian.
Is IL not lighted?''
81 presume not. ] think il como.
through in darkness. The light Is saved
for its passage over Alpha.
Would it mot be as safe for cs to at
tempt to walk through the. tunnel to the
| palace of the king?"
Never. It would be over so miles II
utter darkness. There may be 1,0OC
trestles and bridges over frightfui
chasms For the most part have heart
the tunnel is = natural channel or sue
cession Of caverns united by tunnels
The other is the safer way, though il
certainly is risky enough.
Louder and nearer grew the Tumblins
noise, and "a faint light began to shire
from the tunnel aud fash on the CHI
opposite
It is.the sum- g headlight, "e-2laines
Branasko.
Johnston was thrilled to the ceuter G
his beirg as be saw fhe light playing
over the polished tracks aud cables ant
Illuminating the walls Of the great tun
mel.
Suddenly there WIS a deep, mellow
toned stroke cf bell III the sun, aud Il
the two men shrank involunfarily int.
the deeper shade Of the cliff the grca
globe, a stupendousz ball Of crystal 50l
feet in height, slowly emerged from til,
mouth Of the tunnel aud came To sto,
under the opening in the rock which LEI
! to the space above.
What had we better do nov r. sai,
~ 49, s7t s s.