Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1908-03-03

Cautiously the DOaL mONeu lOrWuFQ.
Once she grazed on half submerged
rock. Again a tiny islet Ioomed before !
her. Scattered bones glistened on the
rocky shore, but they were not human
relics. Occasionally beaches tempted a
landing. but all of these led back to!
precipitous cliffs except one, from the
side of which opened two small caves
Into the first the lantern cast its
glare. revealing emptiness, for the
arch was wide and the cave shallow.
The entrance to the other was so mar
row as to send visitor to his knees.
But inside it seemed to open out.
Moreover. there were fish bones at the
entrance. The captain. the surgeon
and Congdon, the cockswain, landed.
Captain Parkinson reached the spot
| first STOPPING, he thrust his head in
| at the oritice. A sharp exclamation
broke from him. He rose to his feet,
turning contorted face to the others.
Poisonous" he cried. .
More volcano" said Trendon. He
bent to the black hole and shifted eau
tiously
"f'll go in, sir,'' volunteered Cong
don. 1--WE had fire practice"
! My business" said Trendon briefly
decomposition; unpleasant, but not
dangerous"
Pushing the lantern before him, he
wormed his way until the light was
blotted out. Presently it shone forth
from the funnel, showing that the ex
plorer had reached the inner open
space. Captain Parkinson dropped
down and peered in, but the evil odor
was too much for him. He retired.
gagging and coughing. TrendOn was
gone for what seemed an interminable
time. His superior officer fidgeted I'M
easily. At last he could stand it no
longer
"Dr. Trendon, are you all right?" he
shouted.
"Yup," answered a choked voice.
clubbing oud dow"
Again the funnel was darkened. A
pair of feet appeared, then the sur
geons chunky trunk, his head and the
lantern. Once, twice and thrice he in
hailed deeply.
"Phewr' he gasped. Thought was
tough, but phee-ee-ee-ew"
Did you find
mo, sir. Not Darrow. Only poor
devil of q seal that crawled in there TO
die"
The exploration continued. Half a
mile, as they estimated, from the open
they reached narrow beach shut off
by perpendicular wall of rock. Skirt
ing this, they returned on the other
side, minutely examining every posi-
BILE crevice. When they again reached
the light of day they had arrived at
the certain conclusion that no living
man was within those walls.
Would n corpse rise to the surface
. soon in waters such as these, DR.. Tren-
donT' asked the captain.
Might, sir Might not No telling
that"
The captain ruminated. Then he beat
his fist on his knee.
The other cave"'
what other cayeT asked the sur
geon.
) THE cave where they killed the
seals"
though. Didn't Slade say it. was be
tween here and the pOint?"
Eyes. Beyond the small beach,"
mo cave there" declared the sur
geon positively.
There must be. COngdon. did you
see an opening anywhere in the cliff
as we came along?"
mo, sir This is the only one, sir"
i "We'll see about that" said the cap
" tain grimly. Head her about. Skir
the shore as near the breakers as yor
: safely can"
1 The gig retraced its journey.
There's the beach, as Slaqe describ
: ed it," said Captain Parkinson as they
: came abreast of the little reach o.
sand.
: "And what are those two bird roosts
r on itF" asked TrendOn. "See 'em
Dead against that patch of shore
y weed"
Bits of wreckage fixed in the sand
n Don't think so, sir. Too we!
q matched"
1--WE have no time to settle the mat
= ter now" said the captain impatient
e ly. I'VE must find that cave If 1t Il
: to be found
lowering just outside the final drai
o Of the surf, under the skillful jguid
e ance of Congdon, the boat moved slow
~ along the line of beach to the line o
e cliff. All was open as the day. TIL
d blazing sun picked out each detail o
jut and hollow. Evidently the poison
!. GUS yapors from the volcano had no
spread their blight here, for the fac
e of the precipice was bright with man
y flowers. So close in moved the boa
( that its occupants could even see but
r terflies fluttering above the bloom. Blu
n that which their eager eyes sough
was, still denied them. No openin
It offered In that smiling cliffside. No
If by SO much as would admit a terrie
Is did the mass of rock and rubble cape.
IS And Slade described the cave a
IT big enough to ram the Wolverine into,
oil muttered Trendon.
D. Up to the point of the headland an
J. back passed the boat Blank disaE