The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1906-06-28
BY WILLIS
BOYD ALLEN.

Dathed IN sunshine; vineyards and
gardens stretched away from the foot
of the mountain, dotted with villas
and little hamlets; and to the west lay
the wonderful Mediterranean, perfect
turquoise in color, with shadings Of
deeper blue where the breeze touched
the shimmering surface. In the dis
tance slept the fair island of Capri.
But the boys were more interested
in their immediate surroundings than
in the dreamy Italian landscape far
below and beyond them.
Just in front of them yawned the
awful crater, its sides streaked with
sulphur and dimmed by ascending
curls Of steam. The crust of Stag and
ash on which they stood was warm
to their feet, and here and there were
crevices coated with bright yellow sui
phur and giving forth hot fumes Of
nauseating gas.
"Whew! exclaimed Harry, with
disguised face. "I can't stand this
long! Let's
He was interrupted by hollow roar
| from the volcanic depths, like the dis
charge of ships broadside. A shower
of red hot stones flew upward, to fall
back again into the crater, while a
cloud of black smoke drifted away
against the blue sky. The boys had
started back, and were a good deal
! shaken.
Lets hurry round the thing, and
then go down." said Dick. Il never
thought of its being so awful, did
you?"
They cautiously circled the great pit,
carefully avoiding the steaming cracks
in their path, and then paused for a
last look.
wouldn't it be horrible to tumble
inv' shuddered Dick, as they crept a
little nearer the edge and peered down
into the black, steaming depths.
They say an Engl:shman went
down a few years ago." said Bob.
Gle got too near and-Dick! Dick!
Come back" he screamed, springing
backward, with Harry beside him.
Dick was little in advance Of the
others. AS Crothers spoke, crack
appeared in the Stag, and moment
later, just as Dick started to his feet,
a section of the edge crumbled down
ward, carrying the boy with it. His
two companions gazed at each other
with blanched faces. It was too awful
= &o In A
were three of them, talking merrily
enough; now-now thee were but two!
"What-what shall we do?" gasped
the trembling Harry. 20 Bob, he's
gone, he's gonev'
At that instant a faint voice was
heard, as if from somewhere far away.
Harry! Harry! Bob!''
The two boys dropped fat on the
earth and wriggled to the edge Of the
crater. There, some twenty feet be-
low them, they saw their comrade. He
had fallen on his back, and glided
helplessly downward with the mass
of loose ash until his feet touched a
layer Of the underlying hardened lava,
|
which formed the real crater.
Digging his heels in, he had sue
ceeded in arresting his progress, and
lay there with uptu-ned face, knees
slightly bent-he dared not straighten
out his legs-and outstretched hands
clutching the Stag on each side. The
loose esh almost covered his hair. mis-
hands and his feet.
"Hold on tight, Dick" screamed
Harry, hardly knowing what he said.
"Well get you out. Hold on for your
life!
Dick heard the voice Of his friend
calling to him. although he could see
nothing but the opposite wall of the
crater, the ascending steam, and a
piece of blue sky above. He closed
his eyes as he hung there within six
inches of horrible death, and nerved
himself to wait. After a pause the
voice came again:
"Bob has gone for help. I must keep
back from the edge, for fear it will
crumble again. Hold on with all your
might, old fellow. 1t will only be a
few minutesv'
The air was filled with sickening
fumes of sulphur. and the hot sun
beat down pitilessly on Dicks white,
upturned face. To keep his senses, be
tried to imagine himself on the green
banks of certain trout-brook in
Maine; then he repeated, without NOV
I ing his lips, the multiplication table;
after that the twenty-third Psalm,
which he had learned as child.
Just as he reached "the valley Of the
shadow of DEATH" he heard an in
creased rumbling in the volcano. far
below him. A new terror beset him
The crater was about to belch forth a
volley of stones again. Would the
conclusion shake him from his posi-
ton?
"I-I-will f-fear no evil" STAN
mered poor Dick, in whisper.
/ Then the crash came, and the column