The Brownsville daily herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1897-1910, 1909-09-22
CContinued from yesterday.

higher as it went on. If it had been
dry, ii would have been a commOdiOus
cave, open at each end, wide at the
bottom and narrowing to a sharp
angle above. But the pool was fed by
a spring that never failed nor even
sheed, though it must sometimes have
overlooked down the ravine through
which the two had reached the pool.
They came out from under the rock
at last, and were in the refreshing out
er air The still water widened al.
most TO a circle, tiny lake at the bot
tom of a sort of crater of white stone
that collected and concentrated the
dim light On two sides there were
little crescent beaches OF snow-white
sand, that cleaned like silver. The
traveller looked about him and upward
to see If there was any way of
climbing up; but as far as he could
make out in the half darkness the
steep rock was as smooth as if it had
been cut with tools, and it slOped
away at 2 sharp angle like the sides
of a funnel.
Baraka went up towards the right,
and the bottom shelved. so that pres
emily the water was down to her
waist, and then she stood still and
pointed to a dark hollow just above
the little beach. Her wet garment
chung to her, and with her left hand
she began to wiring the water from her
haid behind her head
The rubies are there" she said,
thousands upon thousands of them.
Fill the sack quickly. but do not take
more than you can carry, for they are
very heavy"
The traveller waded out upon the
beach, and the water from his clothes
ran down in small rivulets and made
little round holes in the white sand.
He put down his revolver in a dry
place, and both his hands felt for the
precious stones in the shadowy hol-
low, Ioosening small fragments of a
sort of brittle crust in which they
seemed to be clustered.
You cannot choose" Baraka said,
for you cannot see. but I have been
here by daylight and have seen. The
largest are on the left side of the hol-
low, near the top"
BY the stars the traveller could see
the pieces a little, as he broke them
out. for the white rocks collected the
light he could see many dark crys-
tails. but as to what they were he had
TO trust the girl
DO not take more than you can
carry" she repeated. for you must
not throw them away to tighten the
burden"
You can carry some of them" an
swered the traveller
He broke up the crust Of crystals
with a small biologists hammer and
tore them out like a mailman. and his
hands We're bleeding. for though he
was a philosopher the thirst for wealth
had come upon him when he felt the
riches Of empires in his grasp, and
the time was short; and although he
knew that he might some day come
back with armed men to protect him,
and workmen to help him. he know
also that to do this he must share the
secret with the overload of that wild
country. and that his portion might be
the loss of his head. So he tore at the
ruby crust with all his might. and as
he was very strong, he broke out
great pieces at once
I'VE cannot carry more than that,
both of US together said Baraka,
though she judged more by the sound
or bis work than by what she could
see.
He lifted the sack with both his
hands, and he knew by its weight
that she was right Under the water
it would be easy enough to carry, but
it would be a heavy load for a man to
shoulder
Come" Baraka said, 81 will go back
first"
She moved down into the deeper
water again. till it was up to her
neck; and feeling the way with her
hands she went in once more under
the rock The traveller followed her
cautiously. carrying the heavy sack
under water with one hand and hold
Ing up his revolver viii AAo OIuSl "
keep it dry,
Il begin to see the starlight on the
water" Baraka said, just as before,
when they had been going in.
When she had spoken, she heard a
heavy splash not far of, and the wa
ter in the subterranean channel rose
suddenly and ran past her in short
waves, three of which covered her
mouth in quick succession and
reached to her eyes, and almost to the
top of her head. but sank again in
stantly; and they passed her com
panion in the same way, wetting his
weapon.
Go back" Baraka said, when she
could speak; the rock is falling.
The traveller turned as quickly as he
could, and she came after him, gaining
on him because he carried the heav2
sack and could not move as fast as
che He foIt his damn hair rising