Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-06-23
Change of Masters.


The next day we continued our explora-
tons by land, and so for a week after that
I thought it best not to relinquish all au-
thority, so / organized regular expeditions
and ordered their direction. The men did
not object. 1t was all good enough fun to
them.
The net results were that we found a nest
ing place of sea birds-too late in the sea-
son for eggs; a hot spring near enough
camp To be useful; and that was about all
The sheep were the only animals on the
Island, although there were several sorts of
birds. In general. the country was as
have described it-e!ther volcanic or over
~laid with fertile earth In any case it was
canyon and hill. We soon grew tired OF
climbing and turned our attention to the
sea.
With the surf boat we skirted tie coast. 1t
was imrregnable except in three places
our own beach that near the seal rookery
and on the south side of the island. We
landed at each one of these places. But re-
turning close to the coast we happened upon
a cave mouth more or less guarded by an
outlying rock.
The day was calm, so we ventured in. At
first / thought ii merely a gorge in the
rock, but even while peering for the end
wall slipped under the archway and
found ourselves in vast room.
Our eyes Were dazzled so we could make
clear water the light filtered freely from
below. showing the bottom as through a
sea glass. We saw the fish near the en-
trance. and coral and sea grOwths of mar
velous vlvidness. They waved slowly as in
a draught of air The medium in which
they fioated was absolutely invisible. for
or course, there were reflections from its
surface. We seemed TO be suspended IN
midalr. and only when the dipping oars
made rings could we realize that anything
sustained us.
Suddenly the place let loose in pandemon-
ium, The most fiendish cries. groans.
shrieks, broke out. confusing themselves so
thoroughly with their own echoes that the
volume of sound was continuous. Heavy
splashes shook the water. The boat rocked
The invisible surface was broken into
facets.
We shrank. terrified From all about us
glowed hundreds OF eyes like Goals of fire
on a level with US. above us, almost over
our heads. Two by two the Goals were ex-
tinEuished
Below US the bottom was clouded with
black figures. dartinG rapidly like a school
OF miunows beneath a boat. They darkened
the coral and the sands and the gliStening
sea gTuwths just a cloud temporarily
darkens the landscape-Only the OCCUPATIONS
and brlghtenings succeeded each other
much more swiftly
We stared stupefed. our thinking power
blurred by the incessant whirI OF motion
and noise.
Suddenly Thrackles laughed aloud.
Seals" he shouted through hts trumpeted
hands.
our eyes were expanding to the twilight.
We could make out the arch of the room.
its shelves, and hOllows and inches Lying
on them we could discern the seals hun
dryds and hundreds of them. all staring at
Us. all barking and believing As we ap-
preached. they scrambled from their elc-
VauonS and, diving to the bottom, scurried
10 the entrance OF the cave.
We lay on our oars for ten minutes. Then
silence fell. There persisted a tiny drip
drip. drip from some point in the darkness
1t merely accentuated the hush. Suddenly
from far in the interior of the hill there
came n long. hollow boo-o-o-m, 1t rever-
berated, roaring. The surge that had lifted
our boat some minutes before thus reached
its journeys end
The chamber was very lofty. AS we
rowed cautiously in. it lost nothing of Its
height. but something in width. II was
uiarvelously colored, like all the volcanic