The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-03-05
YOUTHS PAGE

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They knocked the old chests asunder, and
parted them with a cry and white per
picked faces. Gold aud jewels there were
none-nothing but books and papers and
clothes and trash. There came fearful
crash in the sky and yell of agony from
Donnereau in the woods. Sir Roger dash
ed into the jungle crying In that tumult:
Justin! Justin! My son.
BY the scattered altar Lynch ana Ga
brel Murrin faced each other, and sud-
denly. as dogs over q bone, in their fury
Of disappointment they began to blame
each other for the fault and flew together
with cutlasses drawn. The other men
stood apart stupefied. AS they were
thus postured for one instance, the thun-
der rolled again, the sky seemed 20 close
in on them, and the earth cracked in all
directions. Up rose the lake, kissing and
bubbling, and with a mighty roar the
whole point of land, the place OF sacrl-
flee and of battle, crumbled and sank,
while the hideous shrieks of the doomed
treasure seekers rose to the skies and
echoed in the mountain tops and at last
ceased, as Dixey Lynch and old Gabriel
fell together, fighting still. mid rocks and
ruins to the bottom of the lake.
After the Earthquake.
Before the crash Of the earthquake had
passed Sir Roger was we'll into the wood,
nor saw the final catastrophe and the dis
appearance of the white men. To his
continued crying of his sons name at last
he heard an answer, and recognized with
joy Ozers voice. Running on, he came
to the great chasm in the earth, on whose
brink lay the two friends, Justin still
white and insensible. Oziel, utterly ex-
hausted. and in a dreadful state of mind
at these commissions of tropical nature
which he could only account for. in his
unlearned simplicity, as direct judgments
of an angry God upon so wicked land.
Poor lad, he was on his knees In earnest
prayer when Sir Roger found him, and so
Sir Roger reverently left him, while he
attended to the care of his son, whom, at
last, he was able to embrace.
When the sorely tried lad was restored
after a time to consciousness, the old man
Gained their fears and told them of the
search for the chests. The earthquake
had passed; the thunder rumbled more
distantly, and a heavy, cooling rain de-
scended. Through this downpour the
three made their way to the open eau
tiously, for Sir Roger did not know of
Lynch's death and feared his rage. But
the scene that met their eyes dispelled
all alarm The ruined cape, the mud and
| rocks thrown up, the altered aspect of
the angry lake told their own tale, and
the three gazed awestruck, at the mighty
| grave of the gold robbers. The Judgment
was too recent, too appalling for COM
ment but to the lips of Justin came Gu
riously the words Of Dixey's song, and he
muttered them as now he pressed OziePs
hand in safety:
Where the moon sails In southern sky,
where the south wind blows softly by,
There's the red gold where the dead men
lie,
Whore all hold lads are sailing.
He paused and his father looked on
him thoughtfully.
mot sign of the chests. Justin" he
said, "they rest in the same grave with
the wretches who valued them at the price
of human life"
Justin shuddered.
LET them be, my father" he said. IT
have had enough of treasure hunting"
Sir Roger said no more then, but Oziel
laughed for the first time for many weeks.
'"rhen there is some prospect, lad" he
cried. 'if that be so, of our seeing good
Boston town and peace and quietness
again."
Indeed, no other thought had honest
OzieI now that the Williams were safely kill
ed than TO bear Justin back to Marian
in safety, and say to that lone maid:
III have obeyed you; have been faith
full
The treasure might lie for him TIL
doomsday at the bottom of the lake But
Sir Roger grew strangely thoughtful, and
| at last, when there were no signs of the
frightened savages, he proposed that they
| should make their way at once to the
schooner. That they agreed TO, and Sir
Roger, knowing the way, they fortified
themselves with food from his hut and
started out. The road was long, but long
er the confidential talks between the re-
| stored father and son, when OZiel kept
| modestly out of the way. 1t was Oziel,
though, that the old man went to for in
| formation about the men left on the
schooner, and when Oziel told him that the
master was plain. duh man of no imag-
! nation, content to obey orders for his
| proper pay.
To Be Continued.