The Union times. [volume] (Union, S.C.) 1894-1918, 1901-03-15

rr walk prudently. therefore. rove our
eyes and kennel our tongues.
"Why all this cautIon:" said I With
. laugh. There's never tive tpcd foot
trodden these thickets since deluge
time"
Very possibly. Jack. But have ycu
% sense besides those keen eyes OF
yours? Turn your nose up wind. man."
"WellT'
Now snifr.'
There's nothing but n smell Of heat
cd marsh and rOtting leaves, with q
sprinkling OF pungent flower odors ev-
cry now and again." >
"Yes? And what bush do you think
those same flowers grow on. Jack?"
How should know? l never learn.
ed their outlandish names. Firetree
perhaps. 1t smells something like
smoke"
Something like smoker replied
Alec dryly.
"Why, IL is smoker
"Aye, smoke sure enough. saw II
thin blue wreath Of 1t floating up above
the clump Of bushes ahead there not
minute since. Look! There goes an.
other"
''Pheww said I. "PhRistines, TOR nm
emperor's ransOm.' ."
Exactly" said Alec. "and therefore
Il seems to me we had better advance
carefully and reconnoitcr their position.
They may be only one or two. or they
may be hundreds. So forward to tho
bushes. Keep the cover OF the ioEg
grass as much Is possible and bc ready
to duck down your sconces smartly IL
any one puts In m appearance. There's
no Use In bringing the whole rookcry
round our ears by carelessness."
AYE. aye. captain" said Jan Pen.
Eony, with n grin. Trust me an Cargo
here for that. We haven't forgotten
how Dartmouth decrs poached yet,
an we've got the wind o. this I'm, so
It's as easy as making n riled Spaniard
swear
We went on again through the rank
vegetation. startling more pigs and
keeping n bright lookout for chance
snakes. but not a trace Of Spaniards
did we see. and in a very short space
ve were peering through the farther
end OF the copse. Neither house mar
Are was In sight but the thin trunk or
amoke rising In front Of us could mean
nothing but that there was a fire burn
Ing somewhere out Of our sight. 1t rose
from rocky fssure In the open
ground. clrcled listlessly into the mir
and was carried away on the wings OF
the gentle breeze.
"The Lord be good to u.s." said one
Of the men In awcd tones: "we'se got
ten on n burning island that'll belch
out fire an melted rocks. like the vol
canoes they tell Of on the Peru coast"
"Snlaf 1t, Cargo; sniff IT," said Pen.
| gony. Smoke like that baIn't come
from the DEVILS stlthy. There's brim-
stone In hls'n. an this be honest wood
reek or never smelt my mothers fire.
Lift up your bottle nose an sniff.
Cargo"
and as he sniffcd poDdercd ut some
length.
| "Aye, woodreek sure enough" he
Fumbled out Mt last and relapscd into
puzzled silence.
| Meanwhile Alec and had advanced
to the fssure md tried to look down IL.
but the punscnt vapors made all the
afr In the shaft to dance, and at the
same time bit our eyes SO smartly that
VIC were glad to draw our heads BACK
out Of their reach as quickly as possi-
bic. We could see nothing at all. ;:
"I have 1t. Jack" said Alec in a whis.
per. There's n cave somewhere below
as, and Its occupants are cooking theii
breakfast; that's the meaning or the
vsod smoke"
"A cave? Then 1t must have some
other opening besides this chimney, Il
. there are men In It,"
"Of course; at the foot Of the clin. i
, We 20 to that knoll In front there. W
. | anaht TO command a view Of 1t"
"Forward, then. and We'll find out
"Cautiously, Jack: cautiously! W.
don't want to bring the whole hornets
I | nest about our ears. We had bette
, tell the other two to hide In the cops
E and ill their bellies with plantains
! while YOU and reconnoiter.
We did so. and then crept cautiousi
forward to the brow OF the clih. LII
e ! sight that met our eyes when we gan
q | ed the crown Of the knoll and locke
+ ont from among the graceful Ter
i | sronds which sheltered 1t was one
make a sailors heart sad.
. There before us lay landlocked Ia
IS bor. sheltered from outside view Q
n every side. yet capable OF giving a.
1t choraae to an armada II need De. ~
o. q vessel foated on Its smooth water
g. and solitary seal was sWimmi'
ct about near It's upper end, now hshi'
y for his breakfast beneath the s"r!nt
,e now erecting his head and staring an
* iously about him. We paid but iit'
Ill heed to him. however. for at the hf
n bor entrance We saw that which to Al
kc trpe mariner - the sedAsat sight IN I