Maryland independent. [volume] (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1874-current, 1899-09-01

woke and looked at my watch could
scarcely believe that so much time
had elapsed. / rose from my hard
bed, rested, it is true, but sore at the
joints from the very hardness OF it.
| lost no time in getting to work.
Seizing the steel instrument, | be-
gan pounding on the wall to see where
the thinnest place seemed to be.
In one spot the detonation seemed
hollow, as if there the wall might NOT
be more than two or three inches thick.
1 attacked it with vigor.
Lava stone, while hard to the touch,
is not difficult stone to cut. | found
l made progress.
The noise 1 made was considerable,
hacking away without regard to the
countless echoes that thundered about
me.
Piece after piece of the lgFa wall
crumbled and broke under my aepsated
assaults and fell at my feet. Iworksd
a place a foot in diameter, If Winnie
was found to be on the other side Of
the wall, / could enlarge the aperture
enough to enable me to get to her.
Hour after hour 1 worked, until the
muscles Of my arms seemed ready to
refuse to move. Perspiration poured
from me at every pore. The hollow
ness of the sound when l struck the
wall increased. And as it increased
my energy increased, for hope came
with it. Hope of what, / knew not.
But / thought if 1 could but get to
Winnie we might do more toward re-
gaining our liberty than by remaining
separated.
At last, oh, joy, the point Of the steel
went through the wall, making little
opening, perhaps half an inch wide.
1 put my eye to this hole, and
peered through.
1t was Winnie's prison sure enough
1t was small room, not bare and
comfortless like mine, but comfortably
furnished with chair, a couch and
other comforts indispensable to health.
On the side Of the room opposite me
stood Winnie.
She was alone.
She stood with clasped hands, star
ing with frightened eyes at the little
hole through which 1 was looking at
her.
''Winniel" 1 called, to reassuro
her.
''Toml' she cried, springing toward
the place she heard my voice come
from. SIS it you, dear Tom?"
SIT is. I have worked nearly all
night to make hole in this wall to
get to You"
'And have sat here nearly fright
ened to death, listening to you. II
they have not heard you, it is fort
innate.
''Suppose they have?"
"Tbey will kill you, Tom"
''That's so. But don't let US worry
about that now, while everything is
going we'll. Wait till 1 break
through" "
vigorously attacked the wall again,
and soon had a hole broken into it
large enough for me TO squeeze
through.
| clasped Winnie, hugged her and
kissed her, and she wept a little, ]
suppose with renewed hope and joy.
''Have they hurt you?" / asked.
"No. / seem to be sacred in their
eyes. But l am to be sacrificed to
some deity called Pele. They keep
shouting that at me. Those horrid
priests"
"And Kaumail'
sThat beautiful terror! She is like
a goddess. She is grand. But she
must be cruel and heartless, for she
will not save me- | have wept and
prayed and implored her to help me,
but she always says the same thing:
The commands Of Pele must be
obeyed.' Who is Pele?"
"a myth. There are fools who be-
Iieve she is goddess, living in Hale
akala, the extinct volcano of Maui.
Kaumai is her priestess here. And
the cranks and fanatics around her are
Pele's high-priests. F"
"And what place is this? They do
not tell me"
''This is Lanai. You have heard
me speak of it, small island of
Moloksi."
Sand how is dear old Uncle Tom?
"Uncle Tom is not well at all. ii
is mourning for you"
"And Mr.. Captain Gordon?"
"Oh, the general The good Lor'
only knows where he is, and how h
is. Gordon is now commander of tn
army. We have had revolution
The queen is not queen. We ar
now a republic. Mr.. Dole is presi
dent. But there is time enough to tel
you all that. Gordon and l hav
hunted for you increasingly. We hav
secured the country. But we coul
learn nothing until one day old Iowa
died"
cold Lowail The servant of Uncl
i Tom?"
''Yes. The same"
"He brought me here"
'.The scoundrel / am sorry he i
dead. l would like the privilege q
killing him. Before he died he tol
me where You we're, and made me
priest so that | could come here an
rescue you"
''His SIN was more than he eoul
! carry to the grave"
+ apparently, but his work is onl
half done. got here all right, bu
how are we to get away? That mus
be nnr study now. We must look ou