The Breckenridge news. (Cloverport, Ky.) 1876-1955, 1904-08-24

wind may drive me oil again DeIofe
morning and vessel pick me up. But
would the vessel be any safer than this
islandf And how can / Investigate
without attracting attention.
Soon there was another CLEAN Of
light such as might come through an
open door from a light within. a man
was standing between Harvey and the
light lie seemed to be looking toward
the hayboat, but soon disappeared into
the same place from which came the
mysterious light
ut is an island" said Harvey. 81 am
now resting on shoal and the water
cannot be very deep between this and
the island III swim ashore and risk
it,"
He removed some of his clothing,
made bundle of it and slid of into
the water. To his surprise he could
stand on bottom. Carefully he felt his
way. For a short distance the water
grew more shallow Then it got deep
er. and he was forced to swim. After
short swim he again felt the ground
under his feet, and he waded on to dry
land. The shore was sandy.
He moved slowly and cautiously. 1t
was difficult to locate where the light
had been. He CROPPED along, wander
ing in many curves. Trees were on the
island. but he could see no trace Of a
building After cropping some time in
the darkness he discovered what ap-
peared to be a rock about five feet
high. Feeling the surface of this, he
found that il was not a solid rock, but
a rocky formation with an opening on
one side. Lying fiat on the ground
and peering in, he saw a light far in
the earth, apparently from a lantern
hung on a peg He slowly crawled in
side the cave. After advancing for
several feet he found that he could
stand up and walk.
A voice came from behind a shelter
of the rocky wall that projected into
the chamber. 1t pleased Harvey that
it was not the voice of a Russian, for
Russians were the only people he had
any reason to fear.
81 have spoken" said a calm, stern
voice within the concealed chamber.
81 have given the treasure as it should
be given"
But. no. my brother" came a voice
that seemed to Harvey to tremble with
emotion. 1t was a harsh, cold voice,
not like the other. You have done
well for yourself. You have done well
| for the clans in the mountains. But
we have not Jared as we should. Was
it not our courage that made the accu-
mutation of this booty possibleY
Eyes; that is So" answered the first
speaker. but | am Palpak, chief Of
| the Zannucks. and it was | who plan
ned everything. The wealth that came
from the ameer's people we were COM
PEELED to hide here until the amer $
! soldiers had finished their search
among our villages, and the wealth
that came from the Buddhist temples
which we found the most valuable Of
all, and the gold that came from the
paymasters of the Russian soldiers
whom we attacked and robbed. All
these are mine-mine! Do you under
stand. Domitan? 1t was Palpak, the
chief, who in the interest of all his
people, downtrodden as they are by
the wicked ameer, strOve to gain that
with which we could buy horses and
cattle and make the Zannucks wealthy.
l have given you enough. The rest
must be divided among the people,"
mo" said a third voice, thick and
cultural. "Domitan is right, Palpak,
though you be chief. We were with
you in all the ventures. 1t is not right
that you should rob us now"
"Rob your cried Palpak angrily.
"ROb you of what? In tile name of the
white bull of what can I rob you when
you have nothing save what | have
given you? | tell you | am working
not for wealth for you, my brothers, but
for the whole people. The Zannucks
| have been dOwntrOdden and robbed by
the ameer. He demands more tribute
! than we possess. He taxes us for our
wives, for our cattle, and then his sol
diers steal the cattle. He taxes us for
our families, and the soldiers steal our
children. Our boys are compelled to
enter the ameer's army, and our girls
curses upon the ameer and upon you
if you cannot see the justice of what
/ am doing. But the ameer has de-
sisted from his search. He has some
great affair now i'm progress. 1t is
time we took the treasure to the noun
tains and distributed it among the peO-
pie and then begin again to plan"
at shall not be so! | swear it,'
"There are three of usw growled the
surly voice.
"And we are determined men," said
one who had not spoken before.
"DO you intend to defy me-" de-
manded the one who called himself
Palpak.
The three laughed. "We intend to-
you will see what we intend"
Harvey began to catch the drift Of
things.
"This," he reasoned, sis what is pop
ularly called honor among thieves.
Here's a band of four who have been
successful in gathering treasure by