Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1908-04-21
CHAPTER XIII.
TooK no chances, but bega

i luc men uuu UOIlC6Q HIS COLL
~ ing. 1t was impossible for me
to tell whether or not Dr. Schermer-
horn heard me. If he did he misunder-
stood my intention, for he continued
painfully to advance. The only result
| gained was to get myself well gagged
with my own pocket handkerchief and
thrown in a hollow between the dunes.
Thence could hear Handy Solomon
speaking fiercely and rapidly.
Now you let me run this" he COM
manded. 1--WE got to find out some
thin. 1t amt no good to us without
we knows, and we want to find out
how he's got the rest hid.'
They assented.
"I'm goin' out to help him carry her
in" announced the seaman.
A long pause ensued, III which l
watched the deep canopy of red black
thicken overhead. A strange and I'M
earthly light had fallen on the world,
and the air was quite still. After
awhile / heard Handy Solomon and
DR.. Schermerhorn join the group
"There you are, perfesser," cried
Handy Solomon In tones of the great
est heartiness. "I'll put her right
there, and she'll be as safe as babby
at home. She's heavy, though"
DR.. Schermerhorn laughed pleased
and excited laugh. could tell. by the
tone Of his voice that he was strung
high and guessed that his triumph
needed an audience.
you may say so WE'LL" he said. sit
ISIS heafy, and 1t ISIS heafy with the
world desire, the great substance that
can do efferything. Where ISIS Percy 2"
"He's gone aboard"
1--WE must embark. The time is joost
right. A day sooner and the egsperi-
ment would hat been spoilt, but now
he laughed-''let the island sink, we
do not care. We must embark hastily"
It'll take a man long time to carry
down all your things, perfesser."
'Oh, led them go! The eruption has
alretty swallowed them oop. The lava
ISIS by now foot deep in the valley.
Before long it flows here, so we must
embark"
"But you've lost all them vallyable
things, perfesser," said Handy Solo,
mon. "Now, l call that hard luck
DR.. Schermerhorn snapped his fin
gers.
"They do not amoundt to thatw he
cried. Here, here, in this leetle box
ISIS oil the treasure! Here ISIS the la
Dor of ten years! Here ISIS the Laugh
ing Lass and all the crew and all the
equipmendt comprised. Here ISIS the
world!'
I'm plain seaman, perfesser, and !
suppose got to believe you, but she's
main small box for all that"
with that small box you can haf
all your Wishes" asserted the profess
or, still in the German lyric strain over
his triumph. "It ISIS the box of en-
chantments. You hat but to will the
change you would hat taig place-it iss
done. The substance of the rocks, the
molecule-allv'
"Could man make diamonds 2" ask
ed Pulz abruptly. 1 could hear the
sharp intake of the mems breathing
as they hung on the reply.
Much more wonderful changes than
that it can accomplish" replied the
doctor, with an indulgent laugh. "That
change ISIS simple. Carbon ISIS coal;
carbon ISIS diamond. You see? One
has but to change the form, not the
substance"
"Then it'll change coal to diamonds u
asked Handy Solomon.
Yes; you gather my meanings"
l heard sharp squeak like terri.
fed mouse Then long, dreadful ST.
lence; then two dull, heavy blows,
spaced with elaboration. A moment
later I caught glimpse of Handy
Solomon bent forward to the labor OF
dragging body toward the sea, his
steel claw hooked under the angle of
the jaw as a man handles fish. Pull
came and threw off my bonds and gag.
"Come alongr' said he.
All kept looking fearfully toward the
arroyo. A dense white steam marked
its course. The air was now heavy
with portent. Successive explosions
some light, some severe, shook the
foundations of the island. Great rocks
and powders bounded down the hills
The flashes of lightning had become
more frequent We moved, exaggerat
ed to each others vision by the strange
light, uncouth and gigantic.
Lets get out of this!" cried
Thrackles.
We turned at the word and ran
Thrackles staggering under the weight
of the chest. All our belongings we
abandoned and set out for the Laugh
ing Lass with only the tatters in which
we stood. Luckily for US great par
of the ships stores had been returned
to her hold after the last thorough
scrubbing, so we were in subsistence
but all our clothes, all our personal be
longings, were left behind us on the
beach. For after once we had topped
the cliff that led over to the cove
doubt If any consideration OH earth
would have induced us to return to
that accursed place.
The row out to the ship was wet ani
dangerous. Seismic disturbances were
undoubtedly responsible for high pyra
midic waves that lifted and fell with
out onward movement. We fairly tum
bled up out of the dory, which we die
not hoist on deck, but left at the enc
of the painter to beat her sides agains
the ship.
CHAPTER XIV.
I601UR haste, however. availed III
|n NJ little, for there was no vino