Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-02-26
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stood close at hand.
Iris was the first to recover degree OF
self-possession. For Jnoment sine had
barred her soul. With reaction came a SEN
sitive shrinking. Her British temperament
no less han her delicate nature, d.sap-
proved these sentimental displays. She
wanted to box her own ears.
With innate tact she took a keen interest
in the telling of the tree.
What do you want it for?' she INQUIRED,
when the sturdy trunk ereaked and fell
jerks felt better now.
This is change of diet" he explained.
mo; we don't boil the leaves nibble the
bark When l split this palm open you will
find that the interior is fuli of pith. i will
cut 1t out for you. and then 1t will be your
task to knead it with water after well
washing 1t, pick out all the fiber, and fin
ally permit the water to evaporate. In IL
couple of days the residium will become a
white powder. which, when boiled, is sago."
Good gracious" said Iris
1.-THE story sounds unconvincing, but
believe l am correct. 1t is worth a trial.
II should have imagined that sage grew
on stalk like rice or wheat"
Or Topsy!'
She laughed. A difficult situation had
passed without undue effort Unhappily
the man reopened it. Whilst using a crow
bar as a wedge he endeavored to put mat
ters on straightforward footing
"A little while ago. he said. you seemed
to imply that 1 mad assumed the name of
jerks"
But Miss Deane's confidential mood had
gone. Nothing of the kind" she said cold
ly. Il think jerks Is an excellent name
She regretted the words even as they fell
from her lips. The sailor gave mighty
wrench with the bar, splitting the log to
its clustering leaves.
You ARE right" he said. "It is distinc-
tive, brief, dogmatic. l cling to it passion
ately."
Soon afterward, leaving Iris to the manu-
facture of sage. he went to the leeward
side of the island, a search for turtles be-
ing his ostensible object. When the trees
hid him he quickened his pace and turned
to the left in order to eNplare the cavity
marked on the tin with skull and cross
bones. To his surprise he hit upon the
remnants of a roadway-that is. line
through the wood where there were no
Well-grown trees. where the ground bore
traces of humanity in the shape of a wrin-
killed. and widowed pair of Chinese boots, a
wooden sandal. even the decayed remains
of 3 palki or litter
At last he reached the edge of the Dit.
and the sight that met his eyes held him
spelbound.
The labor of many hands had torn a
chasm, quarry, out of the side of the
hill. Roughly circular in shape. it had
diameter of perhaps a hundred feet and
al It's deepest part, toward the cliff, it ran
to depth of forty feet On the lower side,
whefe the sailor stood, it descended rap
idly for some fifteen feet
Grasses, shrubs, plants of every yarte,v
grew In profusion down she steep slopes.
wherever seeds could ind pfecarious nur-s
ture; until point was reached about ten
or eleven feet from the bottom There all
vegetation ceased as If forbidden to cross;
a magic circle.
Below this belt the place was a charnel
house The bones of men and animals min
gled in weird confusion. Most were nnara
skeletons. A few bodies--nine the sailor
counted-yet preserved some resemblance
of humanity. These latter were scattered
among the older relics. They wore the
c Wos nan OF Dyaks Characteristic hats and
others, the first harvest of this modern
Goigotha, might have been Chinese coolies
w nen the sailors fascinated vision could
register details he distinguished Jokes, bas-
amid the bones. The animals were ali Of
one type, small lanky, with long. pointed
skulls At last he spied a withered hoof.
They were pigs oA'
deposited from the eddyine winds thai
could never reach the silent depths. The
place was gruesOme, horribly depressing
jerks broke out into ciammy perspira-
crets of the grave -
Al last his superior intelligence asserted
itse1. His brain became clearer, recovered
It's power of analysis. He began to crit
evolved: "e
a..
Die minerals in the volcanic rock. Mining
operations were in full blast when the exo
tinct volcano took it's revenge upon the
human ants knawing at its vitals and
~ carbonic acid gas. the bottled-un
poison OF the ages. A horde of pigs. run
ning wild over the standardized there no
uouot, py Cninese fshers-had met the same
iate while intent on dreadful orgy
Then there came European' who knew
now the annydrate gas, being heavier than
the surrounding air. settled like water in
tn that terrible hollow. He, too. had striven
driving tunnel into the cliff He had
partly succeeded and had gone away, per-
maps to obtain help, after crudely register
ing his knowledge on the lid of tin canis-
yer. rms, again, probably fell into the
hands OF another man. who, curious but I'M
convinced, caused himself to be set ashore
on tnis desoiate spot, with few Inadequate
stores. POSSIBLY he had arranged to be
taken off within a fixed time
But sampan. laden with Dyak pirates.
came first, and the intrepid explorers bones
rested near the wei, while his head had
gone to decorate the hut of some fierce vii.
iage chief. The murderers, after burying
rneir own dead-for the white man fought
hafd witness the empty cartridges -
searched the island. Some of them, ig-
norantly inQuisitive, descended into the hol-
low They remained there. The others. SUI
perstitious barbarians. fied for their lives.
embarking so hastily that they took from
the cave neither tools nor oil. though they
would greatly prize these articles.
Such was the tragic web he spun, com.
pound or fact and fancy. 1t explained all
perplexities save one. What did "3l-1"
mean? Was there yet another fearsome
riddle awaiting solution?
And then his thoughts few to Iris. Hap
pen what might. her bright picture was
seldom absent from his brain. Suppose,
egg-hunttng, she had stumbled across the
valley OF death! How could he hope to
keep It hidden from her? Was not the
CHASTITY knowledge better than the horror,
of chance ramble through the wood and
the shock of discovery nay, indeed, the
risk of catastrophe?
He was q man who relieved his sur
charged feelings With strong language =
habit of recent acquisition. He INDUCED In
1t now and felt better He rushed back
through the trees until he caught sight of
Iris industriously isneadsilg tile sage pith
in one OF those most useful dish covers.
He called to her. led her wondering to the
track. and pointed out the fatal quarry,
but In such wise that she could not look
inside it.
You remember that round hole we saw
from the summit rock?, he said. We'll,
II Is full OF carbonic acid gas. to breathe
which means unconsciousness and death. 1t
gives no warning TO the inexperienced. 1t
Is rather pleasant than otherwise. Prom
ise me you VIII never come near this place