The Red Cloud chief., 1905-06-23
Ole Wings IF the |
Morning . g.: ~: ~ ';!!' ); |
=. Edward J. Ciode :

noted their nationality. The others,
the first harvest of this modern Col
gotha. might have beer Chinese COO
lies. When the sailors fascinated vi
sion could register details lie distin-
guishcd Jokes. baskets, odd looking
spades and picks strewn amid the
bones. The animals were, all of one
type-small, lanky, with long pointed
skulls. At last he spied n withcrcd
hoof. They were pigs.
over all lay Il thick coating of fine
sand, deposited from the eddying winds
that could never reach the silent
depths. The place was grcwsome, hor-
ribly depressing. jerks broke out into
q clammy Precipitation. lie seemed to
be looking at the secrets of the grave.
At last his superior intelligence as
| serted itself. His brain became clear
er, recovered its power of analysis. He
began to criticise, reflect, and this is
the theory he evolved:
Some one, long ago, had discovered
| valuable minerals in the volcanic rock.
! Mining operations We're In full blast
when the extinct volcano took its re-
venge upon the human ants gnawing
at its vitals and smothered them by
a deadly outpouring of carbonic acid
gas, the bottled up poison of the ages.
A horde of pigs, running wild over the
island-placed there no doubt by Chi
nese flshers-Aad met the same fate
while intent on dreadful orgy.
Then there came II European who
knew how the anhydrate gas, being
heavier thar the surrounding air, set
tied like water In that terrible hollow.
He, too, had striven to wrest the treas
ure from the stone by driving Il tunnel
into the cliff. He had partly succeeded
and had gone away, perhaps to obtain
help, after crudely registering his
knowledge on the lid Of a tin canister.
This, again, probably fell into the
hands Of another man, who, curious
but ~unconvinced, caused himself to be
set ashore on this desolate spot with
q few Inadequate stores. Possibly he
had arranged to be taken off within n
fixed time.
But Il sampan laden with Dyak pi-
rates came first, and the intrepid eX-
plorcr's bones rested near the well,
while his head had gone to decorate
the hut of some fierce village chief.
The murderers, after burying their own
dead-for the white man fought hard,
witness the empty cartridges-searched
the island. Some Of them, ~ignorantly
inquisitive, descended into the hollow.
They remained there. The others, SUI
perstitious barbarians, fed for their
lives. V~mbarking so hastily that they
took from II cave neither tools nor
Oil, though they would greatly prize
these articles.
Such was the tragic web he spun, a
compound Of fact and fancy. 1t en-
planned all p%erplexities save one. What
did 80 divided by l" mean? Was
there yet another fearsome riddle
awaiting solution?
And then his thoughts flew to Iris.
Happen what might, her bright picture
was seldom absent from his brain.
Suppose, egg hunting, she had STUN.
bled across this valley Of death! How
could he hope to keep it hidden from
her? Was not the CHASTITY knowledge
better than the horror Of a chence ram
BILE through the wood and thu shock of
discovery-nay, indeed, the risk Of a
catastropheI
He rushed back through the trees I'M
til he caught sight of Iris Industrious
~ kneading the sage pith in one of
those most useful dish covers
He called 20 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 Z" he said.
well, it is full Of carbonic acid gas. to
breathe which means Inconsistencies
and death. 1t gives no warning to the
inexperienced. 1t is rather pleasant
than otherwise. Promise me you will
never come near this place again.
Now, Iris, too, had been thinking
deeply. Robert jerks bulkcd large in
her day dreams. Her nerves were not
yet quite normal. There was a catch
In her throat rs she answered:
II don't want to die. OF course
will keep away. What a horrid island
this is! Yet it might be a paradise"
She bit her lip to suppress her tears;
but, being the Eve in this garden, she
continued:
How did you find out? Is there
anything-nasty-in thcrc?"
"Ycs, the remains of animals and
other things. | would not have told
you were it not Imperative"
"Are YOU keeping other secrets from
p1ngp