The Elbert County tribune., 1907-02-28
CHAPTER Xxx.

awoke with start to conscious
ness, the horrible scenes repeating
themselves in my slumber had at last
brought back my senses. My brain
was whirling with thousand mad
dening visions of the midnight hor-
rors through which we had passed,
the terrible spectacle of subterran-
can fires, the intolerable splendor of
the vaulted roofs, afiame and kissing
with the fires of the underworld, the
spectral shadows as they leaped from
rock to rock. and from Granny to cram
ny, the horrible and appalling scintel-
lations which burst from the crystal
chamber, where countless millions of
| prlsms blazed forth in numberless re-
| fiections. to burn out the eyes of the
wretched conspirators, the appalling
detonations of the thunders in the
gaping abysses that yawned hungrily
for their prey. and the crashing pillars,
dashed from their foundations and
shattered into fragments against the
walls by the resistless foundations.
The catacombs were wrapped in
darkness, but l could hear the breath
ing of man near by. 1 arose and
cried out, for the waters still roared
below us:
"You are Gideon, the courier?"
"Yes, am Gideon, but no longer
the courier" groaned the giant, as he
also arose. could hear his heavy
tread as he drew near.
Thunder of He'll" he beloved, as
he stumbled against some object and
fell sprawling upon the hard stone
| floor; whom have we here" and
| feeling around him he lifted the form
OF man in his powerful arms, "have
you match?" l searched the pock-
cts of my rubber suit, and found a
match-safe, which / always carried
in the cayerns, and soon its feeble
| Pickering rays revealed a sickening
sight. The hair of the giant had be.
come as white as snow. his beard was
scorched and singed, giving his coun.
tenance fiercer look. The long hair
of Valdermere was burned from his
brow, and his face was covered with
cinders and ashes. AT last he recov-
cred consciousness and stood staring
upon us, his eyes flied with horror,
as he seized the hand of Gideon, cry
ing:
| "Ah, my brother, your countenance
is wretchedly changed. Are you i'll ?
Your hair is as white as marble?'
| "And yours" said the giant, sis
burned away from your brow, and, by
all the storms of hell, would never
have known you, but for your voice"
The match fickered and died into
red coal, then all was dark again
| Save your Matches" said the
giant, for we must find way out OF
to death. 1t would have been as well
to have died with our brothers,"
There is no passage from this
tomb, save one" said valdermere,
"and that is filled with water"
"Will not this river find an outlet?"
asked Gideon.
Possibly, but we cannot take such
chances, and we must either brave the
waters below, or linger here to die of
starvation"
did you feel that draught of air?
Where can it have come FROM" and
at this moment light breeze extin.
guished the second match | held in
my hand.
THAT breeze certainly does not
come from the tunnel said Valdez
mere. "but from whence? cannot
account for it."
We now walked hurriedly forward
until we came near the end of the
passage.
What does this mean?" shouted
the giant. pointing to large hole in
the floor.
A close examination was made, and
we discovered to our surprise that