The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1905-05-10

seen demon with the tenaci.y Of taeir
race until tie place became accu:sed
and banned Of all living thirgs. Yet
had they dug a little ditch and per-
mitted the invisible terror to flow quiet
ly downward until its potency was dis
sipated by sea and air they might
have mined the whole cliff with i'm
punity.
The unfortunate unkBown, ]. She
Of the whitened bones-might have
done this thing too But he only pos
sessed the half knowledge Of the work
ing miner and while stunning the
plague stricken quarry adopted the
more laborious method Of making an
adit to strike the deposit. he succeed
ed, to perish miserably in the hour
when he saw himself a millionaire.
Was this a portent Of the fate about
to overtake the latest comers? jerks,
Of course, stood up. He always stood
square on his feet when the volcano
within him fired his blood.
.Nov' be almost shouted. 81 will
break the spell. I am sent here by
Providence, not to search for gold, but
to save a woman's life, and if all the
devils Of China and Malay are in league
against me I will beat themr'
The sound Of his own voice startled
him. What was all the fuss about?
With q barrow load Of gold he could
not buy an instant's safety for Iris.
not to mention himself. The language
difficulty was insuperable. Were it
otherwise the Dyaks would simply
humbug him until he revealed the
source Of his wealth, and then murder
him as an effective safeguard against
foreign interference.
Iris! Not once since she was hurled
ashore In his arms had jerks so long
forgotten her existence. Should he tell
her? They were partners in erything
appertaining to the island. Why keep
this marvellous intelligence from her?
Yet was he tempted, not ignobly,
but by reason Of his love for her.
Once years ago, when his arduous pro-
fessional studies were distracted by
a momentary 1nfatuation for a fair
face, woman had proved tickle when
tempted by greater wealth than he
possessed For long he was con-
Armed misogynist, to his great and
lasting gain as a leader Of men. But
with more eQuable judgment came a
fixed resolution not to marry unless
his prospective bride cared only for
him and not for his posit1on. To
staff corps officer, even one with a
small private income, this was no
unattainable ideal. Then be met with
the shame and agony Of the court mar
tial. While his soul still quivered
under the lash Of that terrible down
fall Iris came into his life. He knew
not what might happen If they were
rescued. The time would quickly pass
until the old order was resumed, she
to go back to her position in society,
he to become again disgraced e2-
officer, apparently working out mere
plates In saloon.
Would it not be sweet defiance OF
adversely were he able, even under
such conditions, to win her love and
then disclose to her the potentialities
Of the island? Perchance he might
fail. Though rich as Croesus, he would
still be under the social ban meted out
to a cashiered officer. She was girl
who could command the gift Of coro-
nets. With restoration to her father
and home, gratitude to her preserver
would assuredly remain; but alas. love
might vanish like a mirage! Then he
would act honorably. Half Of the
stored wealth would be hers to do as
she chose with 1t.
Yes, this was a possible alternative.
In case Of accident to himself and her
ultimate escape he must Immediately
write full details Of his discovery and
intrust the document to her, to be
opened only after his death or six
months after their release.
4uc IOSd pOSSSSSCo GlAh oO SAOAOoOA@
" that he could brook nc delay. He
searched for one of the notebooks tax
en- from the dead officers Of the Sir
dar and scribbled the following letter:
Dear Miss DeanAWhether I am living
or dead when you read these lines. you
will know taat love you. Could I re-
peat that avowal million times in as
many varied forms should find no better
phrase to express the dream have cher
ished since a happy fate permitted me to
snatch you from death. So l simply say,
81 love you" I will continue to love you
while life lasts and it is my dearest hope
that in the life beyond the grave I may
still be able to voice my love for you.
But perhaps I am not destined to be
loved by you. Therefore, in the event Of
my death before you leave the island, I
wish TO give you instructions how to find
a gold mine of great value which is hidden
In the rock containing the cave You re-
member the sign on the piece Of tin which
we could not understand. The figure g
denotes the utmost depth Of the excava-
ton, and the i signifies that one foot be-
low the surface, on reaching the face Of
the rock. there is rich vein of gold. The