Maryland independent. [volume] (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1874-current, 1899-10-27

You must have had creepy sensa-
tions when you went through here
alone" said Gordon.
Il felt better than T do now. /
was full Of hope. Now all is misery.
Look out there, the road is rough and
the light poor.
''Confoun6 that rockr heard
Seacamp sputter back Of us. "Tll
break my American neck over this
heathen business before get
through"
I walked more rapidly than 1 had
on my first visit. seemed to know
the road perfectly. l found NJ diff
Guilty in picking my way. Gordon
came along splendidly, but Seacamp
and Chicot stumbled aud fell and
cursed aud grumbled as we hurried
them along.
II see light ahead, Gordon said.
''It is the Temple of the Glistening
Rock, l said. "That is where wait.
ed for Nimolau, who took me before
Kaumai."
We quickened our steps.
There is some one thore," said
Gordon.
rushed into the broad basin called
the Temple of tho Glistenin3 Rock.
A man sat with his back TO the rock,
facing the gulf or entrance to the TEN.
pie.
He was calmly eating banana,
II was Nimolau.
sprang toward him and seized him.
"Hell-dogT 1 roared, hardly able to
desist from Staying him on the spot.
But that 1 needed his assistance to
find Helene, he would have died that
moment. "You miserable curl You
worthless pup OF Satanl Murderer
Do you know l have come to kill you?"
shook him roughly. The soldiers
crowded around. They needed but a
word to put Nimolau ont Of the world.
But Nimolau was the same calm
Nimolau.
81 thought you would come" he
said. 81 have been waiting for you. p"
Waiting for me'' 1 cried. "Has
the place not done me harm enough
that it should wait for me again2 But
1 am here, and if your numbering
priestess lives, wan. to see her"
st is an easy thing" he said
''Follow me-"
'Devilish cooll" muttered Gordon.
"One would think he had done you a
favor once"
Just So" said Nimolau, turning
to me. 'The last time you were here
you had some good cigars. Got any
now?"
i roared an oath at him.
mol" 1 said. "Lead US to Kaumai,
or I'll scatter your brains on this
Glistening Rock. "
Come on" he said.
We followed him, as l had done be-
fore, through the dark passage-way.
the guide going ahead of us with his
lantern.
When We emerged from that pass
, age and came out on the mountain
side, 1 saw fresh lava here and there.
''There it is, | said. ''The erup-
tion was slight, after all. "
sit was the sacrifice, said Nimolau,
looking at me. There was a curious
light in his eyes.
clutched him by the throat.
Wait" said Gordon. LET him
take us to Helene, and then we car
deal with him"
We followed him up the mountain
and down into the crater. He entered
the temple where L had seen SO many
horrors. A cold shudder crept oveI
me. There was one relief. No priests
could be seen.
''Where are the priests?" I asked
Nimolau.
"5ome are down there, he replied,
pointing into the lake oflava, no longer
rumbling or smoking. ''The soldiers
killed them and Patua and l buried
them in there. The others are wan
dering about the island. There was
no way to leave it, for Patua's boat
was broken in storm"
"And the Observation-Disclosures?
1 asked. "What of that?"
He did not answer. He stepped
toward that chamber in which Kaumai
had sheltered me and had raised my
hopes and had bade me trust her.
Nimolsu gave peculiar cry.
"Go in," he said.
Gordon aud ], with our nerves
braced. dragging Jean Chicot between
us, stepped into the chamber of the
priestess.
Tremblingly. paralyzed in limb and
tongue, we stood there.
Two beautiful women came to gree
us.
One was Kaumai, more radiant, more
lovely than ever. The other-God oper
my eyes clearer that l may seel-wa'
Winnie.
"Winniel".I cried at last, lost in 1
fog Of bewilderment. ''Winnie" Ny
voice was broken; my sight dim.
could say no more than that. "Win
nien'
1t was no phantom. My sister
arms were around my neck. She wa
weeping and kissing me, and l wa
weeping aud kissing her.
'God be praisedl" L exclaimed a
last. "But 1 saw you thrown into tn
lava lake. How were you rescue,
and by whom?"
A happy laugh drove her tear
away.
81 wasn't thrown in, Tom dear,
she said. and now she found time I,
stretch out her hand to Gordon, VIII
stood staring at her and at Kauma
aud at the room in which we stood
1T was only bundle that was throw
in, Tom. Kaumai was true, an,
saved me. Nimolau and Patua wer'
true to US and her aud did not betrs.
the secret" Now she lowered he
voice to whisper. And Kauma
loves you, Tom, and saved me fo
YOU. and l love Kaumai
My eyes were swimming with tears
Through them / could see Kaumai
beautiful Kanmai, cronching upon
cushion, her face buried in her hands
Gordon found his tongue, and wit.
the light of a resurrected love strug