The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1903-12-06

onward.
II have a spare candle and a box Of
matches In my pocket. BY the way
Kennedy, have you any matches?"
NO You had better give me some"
"Oh. that's all right There Is no
ehancs OF our separating"
How far are we going? 1t seems to
me that We have walked at least q
quarter OF a mile"
More than that, think. There Is
really no limit to the tombs-at least.
I have never been able to find any
This IL a very difficult place. SO think
that viii use our ball OF string"
He fastened one end Of 1t to project
ing stone and he carried the coil In
the breast OF his coat. paying 1t out
as he advanced. Kennedy saw that n
was no unnecessary precaution, for the
passages had become more complex and
tortuous than ever, with a perfect net
work OF intersecting corridors. But
these all ended In one large circular
hall with a square pedestal OF tufa
topped with a slab OF marble at one
end OF II.
by Jovel" cried Kennedy IN an ecs-
tasy, as Burger swung his lantern over
the marble. TT Is a Christian altar
probably the first one IN existence. Here
Is the little conservation cross cut upon
the corner OF 1t. No doubt this cfrcu-
lar space was used a church"
Precisely" said Burger. IF I had
more time I should like to show you
all the bodies which are buried IN these
inches upon the walls, for they are the
early Popes and Bishops OF the church.
with their miters, their croziers and
full canonicals. Go over to that one
and look at it,"
kennedy went across, and stared at
the CHASTITY head which lay loosely on
the shredded and moldering inter
This Is most interesting" said he,
~
the concave vault. las far as my ex-
perience goes, it is unique. Bring the
lantern over, Burger, for want to see
them ALL"
But the German had stroIled away.
and was standing in the middle OF a
yellow circle OF light at the other side
of the hall.
do you know how many wrong
turnings there are between this and
the stairs?" he asked. There are over
two thousand. No doubt it was one OF
the means Of protection which the
Christians adopted The odds are two
thousand to one against a man getting
out, even II he had light; but IL he
were in the dark 1t would. OF course,
be far more difficult"
$50 should think"
And the darkness IS something
dreadful tried it once for an expert
ment. Let US try it againI" He stopped
to the lantern, and in an instant II was
as If an invisible hand was squeezed
tightly over each OF Kennedy's eyes.
Never had he known what such dark
ness was. It seemed to press uDon
him and to smother him 1t was a solid
obstacle against which the body shran<
from advancing. He put his hands out
to push 1T back from him.
THAT VIII do. Burger" said he. Let
US have the light again"
But his companion began to laugh,
that ha
seemed to come from every side at once
You seem uneasy, friend Kennedy"
said he.
60 on, man. light the candIe!" said
Kennedy. impatiently.
It's very strange, Kennedy, but I
could not in the least tell by the sound
in which direction you stand Could
You tell where I amp
mo; you seem to be on every side
of me-"
IF it were not for this string which
hold in my hand I should not have q
notion which way to co.
Il dare say not Strike q light. man,
and have an end to this nonsense
well, Kennedy, there are two things
which 1 understand that you are very
fond Of. The one is an adventure. and
the other Is an obstacle to surmount.
The adventure must be the finding OF
your way out Of this catacomb. The
obstacle Will be the darkness and the
two thousand wrong turns which make
the way a little difficult to find But
you need not hurry, for you have plenty
or time, and when you halt for q rest
now and then should like you Just
to think OF Miss Mary Saunderson. and
whether you treated her quite fairly
You devil-what do you mean?''
roared Kennedy. He was running
about in little circles and clasping at
the solid blackness with both hands.
"Good-by," said the hooking voice,
and it was already at some distance.
Il really do not think. Kennedy. even
by your own showing. that you did the
right thing by that girl. There was
only one little thing which you aD-
peared not to know, and can supply
it. Miss Saunderson was engaged to a
poor, ungainly devil OF a student. and
his name was Julius Burger"
There was a rustic somewhere. the
vague sound OF a foot striking a stone.
and then there fell silence upon that
old Christian church-a stagnant. heavy
silence which closed round Kennedy
and shut him in like water round a
drowning man.
Some two months afterward the fol-
lowing paragraph made the round Of
the European press:
"One of the most interesting discOv-
cries of recent years is that Of the new
CalaCOllO III IAOliles QlCn hes some us
tance TO the east OF the well-knOWn
vaults OF St. Calixtus. The finding OF
this important burial place. which Is
exceedingly rich in most interesting
early Christian remains. is due TO the
energy and sagacity of DR. julius Bur
ser. the young German specialist. VINO
is rapidly taking the first place as an
authority upon ancient Rome. Al
though the first to publish his dlscOV-
cry. it appears that q less fortunate
adventurer had anticipated Dr. Burger.
Some months ago Mr- Kennedy. the
well-lnOwn English student dis
appeared suddenly from his rooms in
the Corso. and il was cOnjectured that
his association with a recent scandal
had driven him to leave Rome It now
appears that he had in reality fallen a
victim of that fervfd love OF archie
oIogy. which had raised him to a dis
tinguished place among living scholars.
His body was discovered In the heart Of
the new catacomb. and 1t was evident
from the condition of his feet and boots
that he had tramped for days through
the fortuO11S corridors which make