Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-05-09
CHAPTER xv1I-continued.

Twill you let Beatriz have this missal
Denny? If all goes well with us we'll
treasure IL as a remembrance of you and
our other comrades here. the living and
the dead.
O'Dare assented willingly.
Another iron ring at the far end of the
treasure house attracted my attention,
and after some trouble succeeded In d.
vining its use. II was the handle TO a
solid slab of stone. set on a pivot. which
served as door. and ! made up my mind
to see what lay beyond that also.
1T gave on an inner chamber. where
the air was cool and pleasant. A flight
of steps there led TO a low cell. and
down what looked like a long shaft in its
back wall a strong wind was whistling.
The opening WAS i very small one
and there was hinged iron plate held
back at one side by hasp. ] slipped
air current into the chamber 1 had come
through.
IAlmost Immediately I was half deaf
ened by a horrible explosion and An in
fernal glare lit the place up like cleo
tricity.
II bolted back. but fell, half choked
before / could reach the shelf I had
landed on. The pit itself was vomiting
like a volcano.
Il scrambled in again and closed the
aperture at the end of the treasure house
to shut the smoke out. leaving myself
once more in darkness but for the candle
l had with me.
"A sudden inspiration caused me to
wrench UP the shaft cover and then /
got some inkling Of the cause of the
trouble. Peering through. as though the
sloping shaft had been a telescope, I saw.
deep down below. the bubbling crater.
which will lie quiet while the ventilation
suits it, but. If that is diverted. will wake
up and spit the hacienda from its lips.
1T must have been the Spanish monks
w harnaSSa6 n m
and at the end of all these centuries their
machinery works perhaps more smoothly
than IL did with them.
'In any case. the uproar began to die
away soon after I had released the air
current. The flames below burned out.
and after an interval which seemed age
long l ventured to try the stone door
again. Three times 1 had 10 close it hur-
riedlE before the smoke cleared. but at
last I got back to the shelf and sat there
in the heat till I saw Jerry's light and
knew that he had not forgotten me. as j
had almost begun TO fear. l felt as II
had been down there for endless ages"
He ceased and for a long time no one
spoke. The tale he had told had almost
been beyond belief, but for the unassail-
able confederation of the eruption they
Had witnessed. Thought Of the agonies
he must have suffered held them tongue
tied till a voice spoke from behind. a
covetous. uncertain voice, which grated
of the Golden Horseshoe is my property,
and mine alone" 1t said. THE treasure
that you CHANGED upon is mine. all mine.
knew knew that 1t was there
A lame and lying voice. little like that
I'm which Ygnacio Ybarra was wont to
make his statements. And no one an
swered it.
Have you made up your mind yet.
Corbyn?" Allardyce asked presently. and
his friend replied. Yes. Since there is
AL 81 ,;~I.$ <ny1
lit would be. perhaps. as we'll to take
his excellency with you.
Yes Corbyn agreed again, "I'n take
him with me-
I'm go and get things ready. them"
said Allardyce.
He went off with ODare. and all that
afternoon the two worked together among
the clump of trees behind the barns. With
fire and cords and tubes and cylinders
they followed all the formulate that Altar
dyce had already set down on paper even
as COrbyn had done. When all was ready
they stopped to watch the sun set.
A gentle breeze was blowing from the
inner rim Of the great horseshoe shape
which shut them in. The twinkling camp
fires on the far-off ridge burned brightly
as 1t famed them.
Allardyce turned to O'Dare and laughed.
The president will curse his passion for
new toys when he sees how this ones
going to serve u.s." said he, and, looking
round, saw u small group advancing to-
ward the clearing in which he and his
companion stood.
Corbyn came forward first and cast the
eye of cOnnoisseur over the silken
sphere, which swayed and rustled in its
center. Behind him. and somewhat shy
ly, appeared two cOmely boys. one dressed
like a chauffeur. the other In a uniform.
Ybarra, with hands tied behind his back
and two armed guards attending him,
brought up the rear. and. when he saw
the great balloon. which he had believed
to be damaged beyond repair. tug-tugging
at Its moorings. moan Of baf1ied rage
broke from his lips. he struggled in his
bonds until a peremptory order quieted
him.
For the last time Allardyce went over
every working part, inspecting valves and
cordage, car and stores. That to him
was no new experience.
Then the two boys who were once girls
climbed in, and the five free men there
laid hands upon the President of San
Benito to such purpose that lie was
shortly trussed and ready for his aerial
flight. But his place was underneath the
car. not inside II.
All save ne shook hands silently. and
O'Dare almost broke down as he pressed
Fif's slender fingers for what might well
prove the last time. None of them but
felt the stress Of parting very keenly
but. since ii must be. Corbyn gave the
word quickly. The moorings parted SIM
ultaneously under the ready knives.
HOUSE REPAIRING.
A P JONES a CO--JOBS OF ALL KIZDS