The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-05-22

N@ANh %NSA4Nt We iGS AONAl CA4 Tie sdAlu eAAaNi
slept.
The next morning we had our break
tase in the open air, and then prepared
10 explore the cave. one thing that we
had not yet decided TO our satisfaction
was how we We're to OBTAIN sufficient light
for our purpose. OF our supply of candles
six had fortunately been brought ashore;
but as We would each have TO carry one.
these you'd not be enough, especially if
we had TO encounter drafts of air.
However a happy thought occurred to
me We had a small can OF lard. l melted
the grease, soaked it in pieces of dry wood
ABOUT eighteen inches long, and in this
way made eight fairly good torches. WITH
these stuck In our belts, our small stock
OF provisions on our backs, and our fresh
iy-t1led water bottles slung over our shout
ders We commenced our journey AS we
went on, the floor became sleeper and
sleeper, until at last we had to climb. and
JOINS idea of possible outlet began to
seem reasona Bile
For about half an hour our exertlons
kept us silent, but all at once John Hal-
low, who was in the lead, gave a cry of
warning and we stopped. We were stand
ing on the edge of what appeared to be a
great expanse of mud, or water on touch
ing il with my foot, however, ii proved TO
be sand, covered by a thin crust which
gave may under the slightest pressure.
MY partner hesitated about advancing
any further into this unknown country.
Alas! 1t was that suggested we should
continue on our way. l pointed out. thar
even though we had no landmarks to
guide us, and our compass might be In
nuenced by deposits of mineral. stin we
should leave such plain track on the per-
Iectiy smooth sand, that we could easily
return II we wished, without any danger
OF getting lost l had no difficulty i'm
bringing John to my way of thinking; for
ne was more adventurous man than /
bur did not like to take the whole respon-
slollity on his own shoulders. on we went
for an hour and more and low reefs OF
partly decomposed rock began TO make
thelr appearance, like a succession of
dark waves rolling toward us. Suddenly
John Harlow dropped on his knees so I'M
eApectedly that | shot over his head ex-
ungulshing both his torch and my own.
AT the same moment there was a terrific
cfash-a crash so terrible that the earth
shook at the conclusion; the air DISPLACED
by the fall of some huge mass of rock
rushed past and the whispering echoes
became less and less, then died away.
What has happened l cried
We come to the emeralds," shouted my
partner still on his knees, nearly putting
out his freshly-lighted torch as he waved
il wildly above his head
What do you mean? Have you gone
MAD! DID you not hear that awful crash?
l exclaimed, shrinking back from him.
Crash? Well, let it ctash-Jem, my
boy, see Aere-7look" and with trembling
hands he scooped up some sand and held
IL towards me. "Emeralds! Emera}ds'
he shouted, hoarse with excitement. The
grounds alive with them! We're million
airesr'
l could see little green specks shining
amongst the sand and had I not previous
ly received great fright I should prop
ably have been as much excited as my
partner Instead of this l felt angry.
"Millionaires are WEI" l said, pushing
away his hands. yes, miliionaires. and
with all our wealth we could not purchase
a crust of breadr
My words brought John to his senses.
ana after short silence he said in his
usual manner:
You are right Jem. Still, would rath-
Ell be somewhere else with my pockets
full of emeralds than in here with a crust
of bread as big as a church" Then while
trying to scratch one of the green crys
tails with his knife, he continued: .Thev
are emeralds right enough, and more OF
them than I have ever seen together IN
the richest mines in the world"
We now picked up handfuls of the send
blew away the finer particles put tbs,
stones in our pockets, and continued to do
so for some time. How long / would have
remained thus employed ii is hard TO tell.
for as | felt my store increasing l became
more ana more excited, until my partner
lmpatlenty pulled me to my feet and de
spite my angry protests, fairly dragged
me away. My excitement soon subside1
yet as we ploded on thought of wealth ana
happiness in the future made me almost
forget the dangers and difficulties of the
present.
In half an hour or so the air became
much warmer and the sand gave place
to rocks, but the thick dust with which
they were coated still retained our tracks.
And now we had to stop and discuss a
matter on which our lives might depend.
we had lighted our last torch The can
dies, however, being still untouched we
determined to use half of them before
giving up. all hope of an exit, for we
thought that If we used but one at a time
on our return journey they would carry
us back to the entrance of the cave. We
were encouraged to pursue this seeming
lyfeckless course by circumstance
which John considered faVora BILE: and this
was that the warm air must have an out
let somewhere, or the temperature would
have been the same throughout the draft
less country we had left behind So with
out wasting any more time we again pro-
ceeded on our way.
Shortly a great change took place in
Our surroundings. The ground became
rougher as we advanced, and we were
Obliged to climb nights and depths of
which, in the intense darkness. we could
form no definite conception. Yes. judg-
ing by the time it took US 10 descend some
of these crevices, a false step meant death.
And now 10 add to our danger the air
became damp and the rocks slippery. At
last we reached comparatively level
ground but dense mists enveloped us so
closely that we were constantly tumbhng
over protruding rocks. Then it gradually
became clearer and the moisture overhead
was drifting along in clouds.
"Ham cried my partner there must be
a draught of air to carry the mists along
like that; somehow 1 feel that our trou-
bles are almost a an end"
Scarcely had the words left his lips than
his feet slid from under him, and he roll
ed down an incline towards-oh God! the
awful sight comes again before my eyes,
towards a dark, oily turbid substance
through which bubbles of gas forced their
way, accompanied by little jets of steam.
With a shrek that froze my blood he dis