The Paducah evening sun. [volume] (Paducah, Ky.) 1906-1929, 1908-04-25
CONTINUED from last Issue.)
CHAPTER XXIY.

u
little. for there was no wind
lIVU at all. We lay for over two
u hours under the weird light,
overcnopied by the red brown cloud
while the explosions shook the founda-
lions of the world. Nobody ventured
below. The sails tapped idly from the
masts; the blocks and spars creaked;
the three cornered waves rose straight
up and fell again as though reaching
from the deep.
When the men first began TO sweat
the sails up evidently in preparation
for an Immediate departure. ! objected
yehemently.
| You aren't going TO leave him on the
islandp' / cried. Hell die Of starva-
ton"
| They did notbanswer me. but after n
little more, when my expostulations
had become more positive. Handy Solo
mon droppedt he ballard and drew me
TO one side.
Look here. YOU" he snarled. you'd
| better stow'your CAB, You're lucky to
be here yourself, let alone botherin'
your thick head about anybody else
| ana you can kiss the book on that! Do
you know why you amt with them car.
| iionf' He jerked his thumb toward
the beach. It's because Solomon An
derson's yulr friend. Thrackles would
have killed you in a minute count Of
his bit haBl. | got you your chance.
Now. don't he fool, for | amt goin'
to stand between you and them an
other time. Besides. he won't last long
II that volcanoi keeps at it,
He left me. Whatever truth lay III
his assumption Of friendship. and :
doubted there EXISTED much of either
truth or friendship in him. saw thu
common sense,of his advice / was Ia
no position TOD dictate ii course of ac-
ton.
After the sails were on her we gath
cred at the Jtarlpard rail to watch the
shore, There the hills ran into inky
blackness. as the horizon sometimes
merges into n thunder squat. \ dense
white steam came from the creek bed
within the arroyo. The surges beat on
the shore 1onder than the ordinary. AMI
the foam even in these day hours
seemed TO throw up a faint phosphor-
essence. Frequent earthquakes oscll- |
lated the landscape. We watched. do |
not know for what our eyes stralning
into the murk of the island. Nobody
thought of the chest, which lay on the |
cabin table aft. | contributed mali |
ciously my bit TO their fear.
These volcanic islands sometimes |
sink entirely" l suggested, land in |
that case we'd he carried down by |
the suction"
1t was intended merely to increase
their uneasiness. ,but. strangely enough,
after few moments 1t ended by i'm
posing itself on my own fears. | be-
gan to be afraidtthe island would sink,
began to watchsfor 1t, began to share
the fascinated terror of these men.
The suspense after a time became
unbearable. for while the portent-
whether physical or moral we were
too far under its influence to dlstin-
guish-grew momentmiy. our own
souls did not expand In due CORE
spondence. We talked of towing of
out. of going to any extreme,
even to small boats. Then just as we
were abou to move toward some ac-
,omplishment a new phenomenon
chained our attention to the shore.
In the mouth of the arroyo appeared
red glow. A moment later q wave
)f lava, white hot, red. iridescent, cool
ng to black crust cracked in mean
iescence, rolled majestically out over
he grassy plain. Each instant 1t grew
n volume until the ravine must have
been flowing half fun.
Before its scorching the grasses even
It the edge of the sea were smoking,
md our camp had already burst into
lanes. We had to shield our faces
against the heat, and the wooden rail-
ng under cur hands was growing
warm.
Pull turned'a an ashy countenance to-
ward us.
MY God, "'he screamed, whats 60
ng to happen when she hits the seaY
She hit the sea. and Immediately /
'reat cloud of steam arose and the {
Kissing as of a thousand serpents. We '
cit the strong suction under our keel {
nd staggered under the jerk of the
hips cable as she swung toward the
each. The paint was beginning TO
rackle along the rail. We could see ,
othing for the scalding white veil that !
nvelOped us. We could hear nothing !