Waterbury evening Democrat., 1908-02-14

| vast room.
 Our eyes were dazzled so we could make out little at first. But through the still, clear water the light filtered freely from below, showing the bottom as through sea glass. We saw the fish near the entrance and coral and l sea growths of marvellous vividness. They waved slowly as in draft of air The medium in which they foated was absolutely invisible, for of course there were no reflections from its sur face. We seemed to be suspended in midair, and only when the dipping oars made rings could we realize that anything sustained us.
 Suddenly the place let loose in pans demon!um. The most fiendish cries, i sroans, 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 in- visible surface was broken into facets We shrank, terrified. From all about us glowed hundreds of eyes like coals of fire-on a level with US, above us, almost over our heads. Two by two the coals were extinguished
 Below US the bottom was clouded with black figures darting rapidly like a school of minnows beneath a boat They darkened the coral and the sands and the glistening sea growths, only the occultations and brightenings sue ceeded each other much more swiftly.
 We stared stupefed, our thinking power blurred by the incessant whirl of motion and noise.
 Suddenly Thrackles laughed aloud.
 "Sealsw he shouted through his trumpeted hands.
 Our eyes were expanding to the twi- light. We could make out the arch of the room, its shelves and hollows and niches. Lying on them we could dis cern the seals, hundreds and hundreds of them, all staring at us, all barking and believing. As we approached they scrambled from their elevations and diving to the bottom, scurried to 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. It merely accentuated the hush. Suddenly from far in the interior of the bill there came long. hollow boo-o-om! It reverberated, roar ing. 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 1t lost nothing of its height, but something in width. It was marvelously colored, like all the volcanic rocks of this island. In addi- tion some chemical drip had thrown across its vividness long gauzy stream CTS of white. We rowed in as far as the faintest daylight lasted us. The occasional reverberating boom of the surges seemed as distant as ever.
 This was beyond the seal rookery on the beach. Below it we entered an open cleft of some size to another squarer cave. It was now high tide. l ut WutCl CAtChutu pNuhI tCh Ldtu- oms to end on an interior shale beach. The cave was a perfectly straight pas sage following the line of the cleft. How far in it reached we could not determine, for it. too, was full of seals, and after We had driven them back a hundred feet or so their fiery eyes scared us out. We did not care to put them at bay.
 The next day I rowed out to the Laughing Lass and got a rife. l found the captain asleep in his bunk and did not disturb him. Perdosa and I, with infinite pains, tracked and stalked the sheep, of which killed one. We found the mutton excellent The hunting was difficult and the quarry as time went on more and more suspicious, but henceforward we did not lack for fresh meat. Further. more, we soon discovered that fine trolling was to be had outside the reef. We rigged :. sail for the extra dory and spent much of our time at the sport. do not know the names of the fish. They were very gamy, indeed, and ran from five to an inde- terminate number of pounds in weight. Above fifty pounds our light tackle parted, so we had no means of know ing how large they may have been.
 Thus we spent very pleasantly the greater part of two weeks. At the end of that time made up my mind that 1t would be just as well to get back to business. Accordingly I called Per dosa and directed him to sort and clear of rust the salyaged chain cable. He refused hatly. I took a step toward him. He drew his knife and backed away.
 "Perdosa," said I firmly. put up that knife"
 "No," said be.
 pulled the saw barreled Colts 45 and raised 1t slowly to a level with his breast.
 "Perdosa." I repeated, 'tdrop that knife"
 The crisis had come. but my resolu- ton was fully prepared for 1t. T should not have cared greatly if I had had to shoot the man. as I certainly should have done had he disobeyed. There would then have been one less to deal with in the final accounting, which strangely enough I now for a moment never doubted would come. had not before aimed at a mans life. SO you can see to what tensity the bsfiing mystery had strung me.