The herald., 1898-01-23
called breakfast being some six mouth =

called breakfast, being some six mouth
fuls of fish apiece.
1--WE have" said the Captain, fish
enough to make three more meals like
this. or nraybe the last one may be
little lighter"
"Will the torches last as long?" I
asked.
II think longer by burning no more
than one at a time" he answered.
"And what then, Capn-tell us what
then?" said Dauphin.
"Then We'll see," returned the Cam
tain, in no way excited "I think we
had best wait here a few hours and
then make another trip to Sink Hole
Dome. 1t can do no harm, as I think
there is little danger of those fellows
finding their way up the Gopher Hole"
This trip was accordingly made, but
with no more to show for it than usual.
We found the throbbinS stronger than
ever and filling the whole cave so that
you might hear it, or feel it. whichever
it was, for half a mile, while in the
Bedroom itself it was as if a giant was
knocking on the wall with a stone ham
mer as big as a house. Still, we knew
no more what it could be, and Dauphin
was SO terTor-stricken that he vowed
we should never get him in that part
OF the cave again.
Once back we felt that 1T was time
to sleep again, and the Captain and
stood watch as before, but with moth
ing at all happening. After breakfast
| in the morning Gil Dauphin fell to
abusing London, as was his way about
every so often. By-and-by the Captain
told him that he had talked quite
enough on that subject, when he wound
up doggedly by saying that he wished
ne only had gun and he would creep
down and blow out the fellows brains; :"
whereupon 1 remarked, more as joke
than otherwise, that, eve had good
gun Tor the purpose and perhaps the
Captain would lend it,
You got gum" he exclaimed. II
never heard tell Of it. Where is it?"
"At the Trap Door," answered, "but
1T isn't of any use as we have no DOW
der"
At this Dauphin clapped his hand in
his pocket and brought out a small
copper flask and said: 1--WE got powder
in this here, and caps, too. I carried
it for my Understanding thereby
his pistolS-"but 1 amt got any bull
let's"
The Captain here pricked up his ears
and took the flask. "Are you sure it
is dry?" he asked.
Yes, I am that, Cap'n. I sealed it
up with melted candle taller and the
caps, too. They took my barkers away
before they throwed me down the put,
but had the flask in my pocket"
"Then I think we can load the gun,"
said the Captain. 1--WE have only bird
shot, but we can make other I doubt
not if we put our minds to it."
Dauphin and 1 set off after the gun,
and were no longer than need be in
fetching it. The Captain then led us
back somewhat to a place under a
small dome where we built q fire with
our wood beside little pool of water;
! and what did he then do but make
large shot out of the small like this:
On the fire he placed a stone with a
slight hollow in the top. In this he
. he put a handful of our fine shot, and
when it was melted he took a small
stick and with the end spatttered the
soft lead into the pool of water, where
it hardened into shots of all sizes
: though most of it was large. Dauphin
and I could not help speaking our ad-
miration of the skill with which he did
, it, for all the world as if he had always
turned out bullets that way; but the
Captain made no more of it than il
he had been clipping his fingernails
and went ahead and loaded the gun
putting in a good charge. L watched
, all with great glee, though IL I could
. have foreseen what was to be I think
| I should have snatched the gun out of
his hands; which shows how little we
| poor creatures know Of anything in
store for us.
J When the Captain had done he
laughed as he looked along the barrel
and said
Harry, if you ever shoot this gun
aim low, because the barrel is bent up
, an eighth or quarter of an inch by
} our using it for crow-bar at the Trap
Door"
: "Just let me carry it, Cap'n, will you
and I'll aim low enough, so I will, -
cried Dauphin. "I could shoot that
Ike London with rams horn, if it was
loaded"
Harry or I will carry the gun," an
swered the Captain, quietly. '"There
won't be any shooting with it unless
it be in self-defense," at which Dauphin
lOOhcu pIeuly us you I1ldy guess
We went back to the Robins Nest
and in short time the Captain said
Something has got to be done and that
soon. There is no more than enough
fish for one more meal, and the torch
sticks are we'll gone. We have heard
nothing of the gang for some hours
now and perhaps they have gone back
to their own cave. I think I had best
go down and scout about a little"
He accordingly set off, taking the gun
with him and going by way of the
Gopher Hole. Dauphin and I stayed at
the Nest, and in darkness, though the
Goals of the shot fire We're carefully
covered lest the Captain should come
back with his torch out. 1t was very
we'll for us that we were left in the
dark, too.
1t had been what seemed like two
hours, with us sitting there in the bot
tom of the Robins Nest like young
birds. when there was a faint gleam
of light ON the roof through a hole just
above the rim of the nest. There
comes the Captain" I said to Dauphin
and we crept up and then down the