St. Tammany farmer., 1901-08-31

the site Of an immense volcano tha,
was blown out bodily in an eruption
'Pve heard that story often," Gran
mere commented, impatiently.
$50 have I. And that it's water,
used to be salt?"
''Yes. Where does the gold come
in?"
"This is Mantaps idea: Bombon ha.
an outlet, but no inlet; therefore il
must have subterranean sources, and
he holds that it is fed by an under.
ground river that flows from the
heart of the island. He believes that
he could enter this river by diving
and by it's means go straight to the
mountains, where he will find gold
The whole foundation for his theory
is blind fish found in Bombon."
"A blind fish! That means a good
deal. Does he expect to try his ex'
periments alone?"
mo; he is looking for some Amer.
lean fool enough to go with him. He
is afraid to trust the natives"
'I'm his mani"
'You?''
II believe there is something in it,
''Death, most likely.''
"You will send that fellow Mantal
to me tonight"
"See here, Cranmere, this is the
craziest scheme ever started. That
lake is a hundred fathoms deep and
covers a hundred square miles,"
HE was pearl fisher" Cranmere
continued, without noticing his
friends interruption, "and dare say
still has his diving rig. We would
need boat, but that can be
managed. It is no use kicking
Ford. I'm going to give this thing
a trial. tell you, man, rather
than ask that little girl to wait an.
other six months for me I'd go to
the Internal regions if there was Q
chance of making enough by the triI
to get married on"
Ford's jaws snapped upon vigorous
protest. He could write to Lucy to.
night. A beastly two weeks, but when
he came back everybody would be
talking oil.
'There is Mantal now. I'll send him
to you," he muttered. "Good luck
old man."
They shook hands warmly, and the
nextday it was reported that Corporal
Cranmere had gone to neighboring
village to spend his furlough.
Ford, writing to his sweetheart GER
,ain passages to be read aloud, drew
! vivid description of the desperate
"He told me once" he
"that for the sake of get
ing enough together to be married
IN he would cheerfully make trip
% hades. Well, he has struck some.
hing worse than hades this trip, |
Whoever his girl is, she must be al
most as lovable as somebody else
le's awfully gone on her. Poor fell
ow, hope he will come back alive,
low that his land promises SO well.
"And I hope" he muttered, as he
'osted the letter, ''that she will be
O scared and miserable for the next
tx weeks she'll learn some sense.
We no patience with girl that can't
e satisfied when man has told her
hat he loves her. Histrionics be
anged. I'm glad Lucy doesn't go in
Or that sort of thing, dear, sensible
tile soul that she isl"
This was how it happened that
hen Corporal Cranmere, none the +
'orse for his wild goose chase to
AXE Bombon and the long homeward
oyage that had followed close upon
, dashed into the private parlor of
San Francisco hotel and found
girl with big eyes and
hite cheeks, who had no high-fowr
roffers of freedom to make. Only
! eager whisper that she was glad,
glad he had not been killed in that
orrid volcano.
"Never mind, sweetheart" he said,
'othingly, ''the Philippines are not
bad. But Texas is the place fer
). Isn't it?"
wherever you are, dear boy" she
cOntentedly.