The times., 1900-12-30
CHAPTER ".
THREE YEARS TREASURE"

L L..
On the fourth day after this meeting we
turned into Kaiser wllhelm Bay. with the
lead constantly going until we brought up
in ten fathoms OF opposite dirty. muddy
beach. lined with mangoves and dotted
with elnmps OF driftwood. Towering sky
ward, but far inland, was lofty range Of
tree-clad mountains, and between them
and the sea seemed one great unbroken
ex2arse OF forest country.
Leaving Jim on board the three OF US
got into the dinghy and pulled off, armed
with the only weapon on the Ruby. small
bulldog revolver, the property o. Now
bray.
For awhile. as We laid aground on a bank
of stinking mud. which was the nearest
approach we could make to the shore, We
saw nothing of any budding where, &C
cording to the plan. one should have been.
But at length Pa:--on detected the shape
of a house perched on little bluff and
nearly hidden in greenery.
Jumping out over our knees in black
ooze. we hauled the dinghy up and fIoun-
dered sshore-some 200 yards of hard
struggling, to say nothing Of the mosqui-
toes that came at us in savage clouds.
"A picnicn' gasped Mowbray. as ct last
we reached the shingle and put our boots
on. And fit ending to the expedition"
Wait a Bit" replied Paxton. slapping
himself furiously "At all events. Well
call on the mailman and congratulate HIN
L say, isn't that the German flag over yon-
der?"
"Rema ms OF It." said Mowbray, staring
to where, on our right, over some low
tree tops, waved a few red. white, and
black tatfers.
After rest we made df along the beach
three dilapidated-looking customers
enough, mud-incrusted, clad IN
clothes the poorest begsar IN
UP at; and each surrounded by his own
particular swarm of big, grey blood
suckers.
Presently, climbing the little bank and
forcing our way through lot of Thick
bushes and young underground, We stoJd
in front of a house-a two-roomed ruin,
built on six-foot piles. and shadowed by
a noble great tree with broad and glossy
Iesves-exactly as in the sketch. Mount
ing the ladder. we found ourselves on a
yeranda full of holes and gaps. The
thatch Of sago-palm leaves. too. had
fallen In several places, and in others was
only kept from doing so by bamboos with
a fiat board nailed to their tops.
stretcher Of sacking. some cooking uten-
sils. quantity of gourds. calabashes and
clay pots, evidently of native manufact-
ure; a few German newspapers a year
OLD. rusty double barreled gun, and
dirt. dirt. everywhere, completed the in
ventory.
Originally the house had been well
enough. but neglect as much as the cli-
mate had wrecked It.
Nobody at home" remarked Paxton.
hurriedly turning UP his trousers, "ex-
cept feas. Imported, I presume. And a
credit to the Fatherlandl Any more lux
uries. l wonder?"
THE Germans replied Mowbray, as
We shook and. scratched ourselves out
side again. who named such a God-f for
saken. pest-infested hole after their En-
peror nust have had queer sense of ap-
propriateBess."
Come along" l said, having turned my
clothes and put them on again inside out
as the speediest way of routing the
jumping hordes. I'm getting tired let
US have look for the cave Perhaps tho
tenant has shifted his quarters to that"
Not bit of it, growled Mowbray,
hes eaten-eaten skin and bono by his
Internal compatIiots-a fate that will be
ours unless we hurry"
Taking q line from the centre pile, We
fought our way through the underbrush
past a cooking shed with o great heap of
ashes underneath 1t. and dozens Of shal--
low clay pans. some round, some oval.
and about tho size Of ., common milk
dish. Then. all at once. Mowbray. lead
Ing shouted, The caveii the cave!' and
In a minute OF two we stood before black
hole In limestone ridge quite plain to
see. ALE around grew the denas Jungle.
stenminEs In the midday heat. Ants. hiE.
red. and black. moved mp in battalions to
inspect us; mosquitoes and files buzzed