Maryland independent. [volume] (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1874-current, 1899-08-11

bad rested but once during the long
row, and then for only a few minutes.
| had smoked until my tongue felt
blistered. 1t was with a combined
sense of relief and danger that fel.
the keel of the boat CRATE over the
smooth rock and come to standstill
with her nose well out of water.
I'VE are here said Patua. pulling
the oars into the boat.
I stepped onto the land.
Are you not coming also, Patua''
l asked.
mo. Irest here-get some, sleep
and return at night"
But you must cat. "
81 shall eat. "
Have You brought food with your
u shall have plenty to eat. Do
you know your way?"
81 have Lowai's directions. There
is path here.
"Lowai is great. Lowai's soul will
be with Pele in Haleakala, for he is
her faithful servant.
Just so. And you are Poles faith
full servant, are you not, Patua?"
"Pele knows how faithful. You
had better go. The path is there,
where you see the openings in the
head-lands.
The shores Of Lanai were high and
jagged. But in the direction shown
by Patua, there was rift. / went
toward that. carefully picking my way
along narrow ledge of rock down by
the waters edge. / carried my grip.
sack in my hand.
Upon reaching the rift, 1 found it 10
be the entrance to q deep ravine or
chasm, running into the island and
getting deeper farther away from the
shore. Along the bottom was what
might be called path, but had not
known it was so used, | would not
have called it one. The walking was
laborious aud slow, as l had TO pick
my way over fallen pieces {: Yock and
Chamber around the edge of deep holes,
which, in the darkness, were exceed
ingly dangerous.
By the time l had travelled a mile
of this path, it was daylight. And
yet, so high aud overhanging were the
walls Of the chasm, that at the bottom,
where | was, it was as dark as night.
1 toiled on, frequently tempted to
rest, but spurred to renewed exertion
by my hope of soon seeing my sisters
face.
Az 1acf raoobod H. ,,.I..t. ..zt-
Here the sides Of the chasm widened
from each other, and the character Of
the place seemed to undergo a change.
The bottom spread out into a basin
like place, covering, perhaps, half an
ucre. The walls we're high, perpcn-
dicular and smooth. Apparently, the
only exit was through the ravine
whence had come. 1 could get no
further, even had Lowai not given me
strict injunctions to wait at the rock.
feared had made a mistake, for l
could see no possible way for Nimo-
lau, the guide, to reach me, unless he
followed me in by way of the chasm or
let himself down from the top by
meaus of a rope. But l had so far
done Just what Lowai had told me to
do, and l had found everything as he
had said | would find it, So here was
the white, glistening rock, standing
like sentinel at the end of the path,
cleaning like alabaster on it1 polished
surface. 1 examined the rock. II was
evidently polished by hand, and the
sides were ground to a wonderful
smoothness. 1t was a large rock, prob
ably thirty feet high, yet it seemed rs
nothing compared to the superior
height of the wall Of rock around it.
Nimolau was not to be found. Won
dering if my adventure had ended in
failure, as the hundred others 1 had
had, all with the purpose aud hope of
finding Winnie. had ended, l sat down
on a stone TO eat my lunch. / was
very hungry, and while 1 waited for
Nimolau, 1 could satisfy my hunger
with the lunch the Chinese host had
put up for me.
Stone does not make comfortable
seat, but there was nothing but stone
around me.
/ spread my coat on the stone for a
cushion, and rolled another near itfor
a sort Of table.
Upon this put my lunch. and with
my knife | cut .he thick sandwiches
into squares and went at them heart
lily.
So interested was I in my repast,
that 1 did not notice the advent OF a
second person.
"What are you doing here?" asked
a voico near me.
] sprang to my feet. An ordinary
looking native stood not far from me,
looking at me with an evident distrust.
He was a small, wiry individual, and
was armed with a gun. He wore q
ring similar to mine, aud l knew that
my visitor was Nimolau.
II came to meet you, sail, Offer
ing him my hand in salutation. He
did not take it.
"Who are you, that you know me?'
asked the guide to Baumsi.
~ am the successor OF Lowai, o.
Oahu, the priest of Kammiloakauili-
naval" | replied. "Lowal IS deaf.
"If you are priest Of Pele, why do
you profane the Temple of the ellis
tening Rock by eating in it?"
because 1 was hungry" +" l replied.
still munching on a sandwich. 81
conld not move the rock nor the tenn
pie. Neither could get away with
ont missing you, so l ate here.
There's no harm in it, ] eat to tho
great glory Of Pele. Is that a sin?"
''It is a sin, but it can be atoAed.
What are you eating?"
Sandwiches"
"Give me q sandwich"
Nimolau took sandwich and de-
voured it. 1 never have seen a man
sin with so much relish as when he
ate that sandwich.
LET me greet you." he raid, hold
sno orf hfs hand for tho frat time