The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1905-04-12
Copyright. 1905. by
Edward j. Cfode

fully. Would you mind Holding the
lamp while use crowbar?"
In the stone was visible a thin vein,
blush white In color. He managed to
break off fair sized lump containing
well defined specimen Of the foreign
metal.
They hurried into tie open air and
examined the fragment with curious
eyes. The sailor picked It with his
knife, and the substance in the vein
cane off in laminated layers, small,
brittle scales.
els It silvery Iris was almost ex-
cited
81 do not think 50. am no expert
but have a vague ideal have SEEM
He wrinkled his brows and pressed
away the furrows with his hand, that
physical habit Of his when perplexed.
s .I have It" he cried. TT is anti
mony.''
Miss Deane pursed her lips in dis
dain. Antimony! What was anti
mony?
$50 much fuss for nothing" she said.
esIt is used in alloys and medicines" !"
he explained. saTo us 1t is useless
He threw the piece Of rock contemp-
tuously among the bushes. But, be-
ing thorough In all that he undertook,
he returned to the cave and again
conducted an inquisition. The silver
hued vein became more strongly mark
ed at the point where it disappeared
downward into collection Of. rubble
and sand. That was all. Did men
give their toll, their lives, for this? So
It would appear. Be that as it might,
he had more pressing work. If the
cave still held a secret it must remain
there.
Iris had gone back to her sago knead-
ing. ShouIdering the ak, he walked to
the beach. Much debris from the steam
ser was lying high and dry. It was an
easy task for an athletic man to reach
the palm tree, yet the sailor hesitated
with almost mperceptible qualms.
"a baited rat trap" he muttered-
Then he quickened his pace. With the
first active spring from rock to rock
his unacknowledged doubts vanished.
He might find stores Of priceless util-
ity. The reflection inspired him.
Jumping and climbing like a cat, in
two minutes he was near the tree.
He could now see the true explains
ton Of its growth in a seemingly i'm
possible place. Here the bed Of the
sea 5uiged upward in small sand
cay, which silted round the base Of a
limestone rock so different in color and
formation from the coral reef. Ma
ture, whose engineering contrivances
can force springs to mountain tops,
managed to deliver to this Isolated ref
uge a sufficient supply Of water to
nourish the palm, and the roots, firmly
lodged In deep creyices, were well pro-
tected from the waves.
Between the sailor and the tree in
tervened small stretch of shallow wa.
ter. Landward this submerged saddle
shelyed steeply into the lagoon. Al
though the water in the cove was twen-
ty fathoms in depth, its crystal clear
ness was remarkable The bottom,
composed Of maryelously white sand
and broken coral, rendered other OBJ
jects conspicuous. He could see plentE
Of fish, but not single shark, while
on the inner slope Of the reef was
plainly visible the destroyed fore part
of the Sirdar, which had struck be-
yond the tree, relatively to his present
standpoint. He had wondered why no
boats were cast ashore. Now be saw
the reason. Three Of them were Still
fastened to the davits and carried
down with the hull.
Seaward the water was not so clear.
The waves created patches Of foam,
and long submarine plants swayed gen
tly in the undercurrent.
To reach Palm Tree rock = antici-
pating its subsequent name-he must
cross space Of some thirty feet and
wade up to his waist.
he mdQS IGS pStSStiSC Will case.
Pitched against the bole of the tree
was long, narrow case, very heavy,
iron c!amped and marked with letters
in black triangles and the broad arrow
Of the British government.
'.Rifes, by ali the gods!.' shouted the
sailor.
The Sirdar carried a consignment Of
arms and ammunition from Hongkong
to Singapore Providence had decreed
that a practically inexhaustible store
of cartridges should be hurled across
tie lagoon to the island. And here
were rifles enough to equip half com
pany. he would not risk the precious
Ak in an attempt to open the case. He
must go back for q crowbar.
What else was there in this store
house thrust by Neptune from the
ocean bed? y chest of tea, seemingly
undamaged; three barrels of flour, ut
terly ruined: a saloon chair, smashed
from its pivot; battered chronometer.
For the rest. fragments of timber in