Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1906-01-11

lies. When the sailors fascinated vi
sion could register details he distin-
guished yokes, baskets odd looking
spades and picks strewn amid the
bones. The animals were all of ona
/ type-sfnall, lanky, with long pointed
skulls. At last he spied II witbered
hoof. They were pigs
Over all lay thick coating Of flns
sand, deposited from the eddyng winds
that could never reach the silent
depths. The place was grewsome. hor.
ribly depressing. jerks broke out jptd
cammy Precipitation. He seemed Ia
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. IIa
began to critlcise. reflect, and this is
the theory he evolved:
Some one, long ago, had discovered
valuable minerals in the volcanic rock.
Mining operations were in full blast
when the extinct volcano took its re-
| venRe upon the human ants gnawin3
at its vtas and smothered them b.
n deadly outpourng of carbonlc acid
gas, the bottled up poison Of the ages.
horde of pigs, running wild over tha
island-plnced there no doubt by Chi.
neso fishers-had met the same fate
while intent on dreadful orgy.
Then there came a European who
knew how the anhydrate gas, being
/ heavier than the surrounding air set.
/ tied like water in that terrible hollow.
He, too, had strlven to wrest the treas.
ure from the stone by driving a tunnel
into the cliff. lie had partly succeeded
and had gone away, perhaps to obtain
help, after crudcly registering his
knowledge on the lid Of tin canister
! This, again, probably fell into tho
hands of another man. who, curious
but unconvinced, caused himself to he
! set ashore on this desolate spot with
( a few inadequate stores. Possibly he
had arranged to be taken off within q
fixed time.
But a sampan laden with Dyak p
rates came first, and the intrepid OK.
1 plorer'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 OWE
! dcad--for the white man fought hard
witness the empty dges-searched
| the island Some Of them, ignorantly
! inquisitive, descended into the hollow.
! They remained there The others. SUI
! perstitious barbarians, fed for theiI
lives, embarking 80 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. q
compound Of fact and fancy. 1t eX.
planned all perplexities save one. What
did 80 divided by I" mean? Was
there yet another fearsome riddle
awaiting solution?
And then his thoughts flew to Iris.
Happen what might. her bright picturs
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 chance ram
bic through the wood and the shock Of
discoyery-nay, indeed, the risk of a
catastrophe?
He rushed back through the trees IN
til he caught sight of Iris Industrious
ly kneadng the 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.
"Wcll. it is full Of carbonic acid gas, II
breathe which means uncOnscousueSs
and death 1t gives no warning to tie
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 buIked large in
her day dreams. Her nerves We're not
yet quite normal There was eaten
! in her throat as she answered;
Il don't want to die. OF course
will keep away. What n horrid island
this is. Yet it might be 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
nything-nasty-i thereT
Yes, the remains of animals and
other things. | would not have told
you were it not Imperative
Are you keeping other secrets from
me-"
''Oh, quite number"
He managed to conjure up smile.
and the ruse was effective She APP
piled the words to his past history.
II hope they will not be revealed so
dramatically" she said.
You never can tell" he answered.
They were in prophetic vein that
morning. They returned in silence to
the cave.
II wish to so inside with lamp.
May T." he asked
May l come too?" she demanded.
He assented, with an explanation OF
his design. When the lamp was in or
der he held it close to the wall and
conducted systematic survey. The
geological fault which favored the con-
struction of the tunnel seemed to di-
verge to the left at the farther end.
The face" of the rock exhibited the
marks of persistent labor The stone