Evening star., 1902-01-04

| went. butsfeeiing driven to move must
have roamea about for. hours without know
| ing it, and was, only brought to myself by
a hard peiteof cold rain on my bare head.
You know how thunderstorms come up
In the mountains. The sky had turned
| a iivfd purple. and at that moment a flash
OF lightning iexpleded wiln noise like the
crack of aswhips. followed instantly by a
terrific clap l ran for the house, which
was not more than half a mile distant. The
ram came heavier, shot through with vivid,
| near lightning. As approached the build
fngs saw the puffs of steam from the en-
gtne shed, and remembered that had or
dered the machiHery to be started at 8
half-past 10.
Il hardly dared to think what might have
happened. had just reached the door of
the mouse when the world seemed to turn
70 white IRE. was knocked down on the
threshold, and distinctly felt the earth
Quake at the fearful peal of thunder that
came with the fash
Tut the discharge had missed me, after
all. 1t had struck our lightning arrester.
ana when l got up dizzily and went into
the nut 1 saw the ravage it had made.
jumping from the conductor, 1t had smash
ed and melted the instruments. split and
SCARED the table. and finally seemed to
nave gone down the electric wires leading
underground
Il went down, and then returned to lift
t~e lid of the cold box by the tackle that
ran above. When descended again the
10 stood open, but there was no corpse
tASfS-uotGInE DQt What you see.
The horror of the thing almost upset my
mlnd. l couldn't touch the golden image.
covered it up, paid off and dismissed my
englnemen and went to Denver, where you
found me- was free of my tormentor,
but l had become a murderer 1 didn't
dare think of Helen. What to do l didn't
know 1 think 1 would have shot myself
II you hadn't turned up"
me that you should feel that most Of your
troubles are done with
80 l argued the case with him for an
hour in that cold cavern in the rock over
the yellow image. Finally he cheered up a
little. and consented to adopt my view.
Tell her the whole story as You have told
1t to me- I advised. IF she's any good,
shell stick to you. Report the whole af-
fair to the authorities, and take what they
give you. But / think can safely promise
that you won't be badly treated"
And what will We do with this?" said
Gienny, pointing to the image.
L would remark said, that you are
poor man now, and that you have here al
most hundred and eighty pounds of ex-
mint"
Never" he declared 81 could as soon
rob grave. No.. wait. 1 have better
plan. Let's see if the engines are in work
ing order"
They appeared to be, and got up steam
with an enormous expenditure of time and
unskiled labor, while GIenny busted him.
self with numerous occult preparations.
Finally, We started the apparatus and
waited
After an hour the machinery was stopped
and we raised the lid of the cold box by
the rope and tackle in the upper chamber.
A freezing blast swept up the shaft, fol-
lowed by cloud of white vapor. It's touch
made me shudder. l hardly knew why.
Glenny was pale and impatient.
Presently We went below There was
nothing in the box, absolutely nothing.
Melted to air" he muttered. Melted
to air! My God, Kirkman, from this day
never touch these devils arts again.
Then we ascended the shaft for the last
time and went out to where the horses were
stamping under the pines.