Gilpin observer., 1899-07-27

| ihSedne Dotu odW uOck OI petTelo
and storm finches rise up in the moon
! light from the face of the bluff. where
they revolved above the breakers. like
a swarm of knats in sunbeam.
So If Ned and the carpenter were
mistaken in the sound, the birds were
also reused and alarmed.
Mark Hislop ridiculed their story, but
he was considerably bewildered, end
SO were we all when two days after
ward seaman named Hugh Chute
when rambling in the woods, found
one of our goats, which we knew by
the fragment of rope stifl tied round
its neck, lying dead, with bullet in its
throat
He brought it to the hut, where the
wound was cut open and the bullet
extracted. 1t was small, and had evil
IDENTIFY been fired from pistol; this
event caused the most exciting specu-
lations, amid which the carcass was
hastily buried, as none Of us would eat
of it.
What or who could this person be-?
were the prevailing questions; and
what was his reason for concealing
himself from us, in the thick woods Of
the island?
In the Thorough exploration of the
latter. caused by these episodes, our
people Fortunately discovered fine
grove of banana trees, and returned
laden with their yellow and luscious
fruit.
At the same time Tattooed Tom
found some letters "in a foreign lingo"
as he said, cut on the face of steep
rock, overhanging the river, which
formed the cascade at the beach. To
this rock he conducted Hislop and me
the next day. and after tearing aside
some masses of creepers. apd scraping
off rich coating of moss, 1--WE found
this old legend on the smoothed face Of
| the basalt:
"El Noble Caballero, D.. .Alphonso de
~. Albuquerque;
A. D. 1906.
Rvgven Dios por ell"
"The year of the discovery of the is
land!" said Hislop.
Have other eyes ever seen this in
scription since?s added-I.
TT is very doubtful. This Alphonso
also discovered the albuquerque Kays,
as he named the three islets which lie
off the Mosquito shore in the Carib-
bean sea- ,.ys
Hislop copied the Inscription in to
his notebook, and Just as we turned to
leave the spot large stone, about
sixty pounds in, weight, came crashing
down the Cliff, hurled, apparently. from
4 its summit, and, If SO. by no inexpert
hand, for it struck, the rock of the
legend within, foot OF where Hislop
stood, and was shivered into hun
dred pieces, covering him over with
dust.
Had 1t struck him instead, he had
been slain and mangled on the spot.
Had fragment broken any of his
limbs, in how miserable plight would
he have been on that desolate island,
without proper shelter or surgical aid?
Looking up to the summit Of the
cliff, which was about hundred and
fifty feet in height. l perceived among
the dense fringe of wild gouEds, shrubs,
leaves and plantain trees, then waving
in the wind, something like a human
face. that, after peering over at us. was
suddenly withdrawn.
"That stone was never dislodged.
either by goats or by accident" said
Hislop: there is not vestige Of clay
upon the fragments-besides, all the
face of the cliff is smooth and solid
rock!"
| Av,1 10 hn np1 nj uta
overhaul yesterday, Master Hlslop"
said Tom Lambourne.
Then there must be the thief Of
our biscuits-of our goats"
"Of our stunsail boom and my old
guernsey. Let us have all hands
turned up for a hunt again." exclaimed
Tom.
| now mentioned what had seen.
"a man!-do you think 1t was a
mans head2" .-,--
"I can not be certain, Hislop." said
I; "it seemed face OF some kind. and
a very hairy one, too"
| ut might be an old pumpkin" sug-
gested Tom. in his matter-of-fact way.
| "or a goat-at all events. 1t could
not have been n baboonn' said /.
NO. no; there is no such animal
hereabonts, Master Rodney" replied
| Tom. =
Man or monkey, goat or devil, We'll
overhaul the place this very after
noon" exclaimed Hislop. with increas.
| ing energy, and anger; "but first we
| shall return with all expedition to the
hut. -. .N.., as.-