The Chanute times. [volume] (Chanute, Kan.) 1897-1913, 1900-02-16

But Rob coulG not eat this. Thsre
were casks of liquor, but Rob had
never touched drop of it, and even
the bottles of which there were many,
did not seem to point to a way to
spare him any pain.
He found plenty Of bales AZ st@,
silks, cassimeres and everything In
that line that was dutiable. But not
thing to eat
! After traversing room after room
and vault after vault, Rob entered
large rock chamber, dry and cool, and
, there he stood, more amazed than
| ever.
1t was an arsenal. Here were stored
hundreds OF rifles, pistols, swords,
knives-in fact every kind of weapon.
And around the sides of the chamber
were kegs-probably containing pow
der-and cases-probably containing
| cartridges.
Even to Rob's young mind 1t was
evident that this was more than a
mere smuggler's resort. All those
arms were there for a purpose-he
knew not what.
But he could not eat them.
Weary, hungry and disheartened,
Rob went back and examined his bed.
Finding it clean and dry, he dragged
it to the opening, and extinguished
his light. Rob's object in getting near
the opening was twofold. In the first
place, there was a little light there,
and it was less grewsome than back
in the black recess he had slept in be-
fore. In the second place, he would
be in the way Of any person entering
the cave, and could not be overlooked
as he might be if he went to sleep in
a hidden spot And Rob had now be-
come so terror-stricken at the gravity
of his situation, and the awful pros
pect Of starving to death in that place
that he would have welcomed any one
even Lemuel Starne himself, If that
worthy had appeared to let him out.
Rob sat on his bale Of cloth for
long time, blinking at the little streak
of light, and listening to the trickling
and dropping of the water in the cav
erns around him. To his excited mag
ination it seemed as il this noise was
growing louder, and he thought per-
haps the roof was breaking, and would
let in the water from the river. This
meant a speedy death by drowning.
All the events Of his past life cams
I'D before him. He thought of his
mother, and the tears ran down his
checks. He wondered if his uncle had
missed him, and If search would be
made. But he dismissed this hope, for
it would surely have been reported
that he was lost overheard from the
Royal Mail.
The WEAKNESS was too much for him
at last, and with great sobs shaking
him he fell asleep.
Even this time he did not know how
long he slept. But he was awakened
by hearing some one outside the cave.
He sat up and listened intently. There
was no mistake about it. Some one
was certainly outside.
Rob's heart now beat violently. Was
this some wandering native, who
would release him from his prison, and
enable him to go to Buenos Aires and
find his uncle? Or was it Lemuel
Starne returned to finish his fiendish
work?
The eagerness to get out was great
er than fear of Starne, and Rob plac-
ed his mouth near the crack and gave
a loud "Halloo!"
"Hov' came in the well-known
voice of Captain Torreyo, of "El Cato
Negro. Are you there, after all?"
"Oh, yes! Let me out! Let me out!
Please, Captain Torreyo, let me out!'
"You are a jewell" exclaimed Tor
reyo in tone that Rob did not I'M
derstand. BE easy"
Rob was now flushed with hope, and
looked, expecting to see the great
stone roll away, leaving him free. But
the noise suddenly ceased. Bob waited
a moment longer, and then called |
again.
Captain Torreyo! Dear Captain! |
Let me out, won't your"
(To be continued.)