Maryland independent. [volume] (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1874-current, 1899-10-27
tcopyrign,. by ROBERT BoSsER's soSs.
CHAPTER XXI.


little attention to him. He was there
to do our bidding He was tractable
enough, and would cause no trouble
The sight of SO many soldiers ha6
driven all the wickedness out of him
And, indeed, he was not so wicked as
be was demented. Long familiarity
with the worshipers. of Pele had SO
worked upon his weak intellect that il
had been an easy matter for him to be.
come one Of them. And, like all
Frenchmen, once in their ranks, he
threw his entire nature into the idol
airy and became the worst fanatic OF
the lot. But Pele could not save him
from armed soldiers. He was looking
out for the safety of Jean Chicot, and
this safety lay in obedience.
Secamp sat near tn e old Frenchman
and smoked. At times he would at
tempt to lead the old man into CONVEX
sation, but found in him a very iu-
different listener. Chicot's eyes were
fixed on me. He did not care what
Seacamp was saying.
Gordon and L paced the deck i'm
patiently.
Making turn forward, I stepped
alongside my comrade, who had for
the moment paused, and stood with
his glass in hand scanning the heights
OF Lanai
II am trembling with excitement, F"
I said.
A grim smile played around his
mouth. He was a contrast to me.
He was so calm, so. strong. There
was on his handsome, rugged face a
purpose well defined. 1t meant bat
little good to the person We were go
ing to seek.
"Whatis your purpose?" he asked.
Suppose we find this wretch-Kau-
mai OF Helene or the devil-whicheve
she is? DO you mean to say you will
give your uncle's estate over into her
hands?"
'It was my uncle's wish"
'But she is the murderess of Win
ME. :"
81 know. She could have saved
her. But she is my uncle's daugh-
ter"
"But she played you false"
Eyes; but the will must stand. She
must have what is hers"
Gordon moved impatiently.
''After that?" he muttered.
"She deserves punishment. There
is law il the land. Let her abide
by it."
Law at any time is SLOW"
True. 1 have sworn to kill her,
but cannot have the blood of my
cousin on my hands-or yours"
Cousin? An outrage on the rela-
ton"
"True. An outrage on all woman
hood if you will, but she is the heiress
of The Corals.'
I examined the rapidly nearing
coast.
'If I am not mistaken" 1 said,
pointing to what seemed to be a little
bay in the rocky shore, 'that is
where Patua landed me. Let us go
ashore there. From there [ can easi-
ly find my way. Tho map of that
horrible place is burned into my
brain. I can see it aldo see it
have seen it since the day hell
opened and peace departed from my
life"
We were both very pale. We were
on an errand the like of which no
man had ever been on before.
We were going to place upon a
pedestal of gold heather idol A
woman who had falsely claimed she
loved me, only to wiring my soul in
agony; woman who had spurned the
love that in the great gratitude she
might have won, would have been en-
during for all time; woman whose
cruel adherence to hideous unearth-
ly form of worship had lost to me a
beautiful and loving sister, and to
Gordon the one he hoped to wed; this
woman We were-or l was-bound by
my uncle's will to tenderly care for, to
place in possession of her great in
heritance. 1t was hardl 1t was hard
to forget the horrid scenes that had
been through, to sink my hatred OF
the traitress behind my obedience to
Uncle Tom. The struggle hal cost
me dear, but right was triumphant.
Helene should have her own.
Again the Aumo's boats were low
cred, aud we went ashore.
A large fishing-boat was lying up on
the rocks high out of reach of the
tide. l examined it. 1t was Patua's
boat. Ii had been thrown on the
rocks by storm, and was battered
and broken.
This is Patua's boat" said "Ii
is the same one that L came here in.
The fisherman must have been over.
come by the volcano"
Il see no evidences of volcano"
said Gordon.
you could not see any signs of il
here, no matter how sewers an erup-
ton there was. Between us aud Kap.
atoli there arc high walls of rocks
which would stop the flow. The lava
could sweep down the mountain side
and across the plains on the Other
side, but would be held in check on
this side"
Hurry upF said Seacamp. Lets
get the job over with and get back to
Christianity. This place and that
other we have just left, fills nc with
chills aud fever. It's enough to give
man perpetual horrors. After this
I'll attend to my own business. !
can run a hotel as well as anybody in
Hawaii, good grub, good beds and
first-elass American home comforts.
But when it comes to hunting spooks
and goldesses and crazy priests, [ am
not in it any more. No, sirreel Cone
on, let's fad the beautiful Helene and
yank her ont of this before she gets
us fired into a volcano. "
Gordon gave him look that sill.
enced him.
"Lead the way, Tom, said Gordon.
''You know the road. We will fol