The Spokane press. [volume] (Spokane, Wash.) 1902-1939, 1909-10-13

afraid Of we are here"
But as they got higher, the as
cent became more and more diff
ficult, for the flanks of the noun
tain were almost perpendicular,
and it required the utmost care to
keep from falling. Clouds of ash
es whirled round them repeatedly,
and torrents of lava barred their
passage.
In parts where these torrents ran
horizontally, the outside had be-
come hardened; while underneath
was the boiling lava, and every
step the travellers took had first
to be tested with the iron-tipped
staff to avoid being suddenly
plunged into the scalding liquid
At intervals large fragments of
red-hot rock were thrown up from
the crater, and burst in the air like
bombshells, scattering the debris
to enormous distances in all direc-
tions.
Hatteras, however, climbed up
the steepest ascents with surprising
agility, disdaining the help of his
staff.
He arrived before long at circu-
lar rock, a sort of plateau about 10
feet wide. A river of boiling lava
surrounded it, except in one part,
where it forked away to a higher
rock, leaving narrow passage,
| through which Hatteras fearless
ly passed.
Here he stopped, and his COM
panions managed to rejoin him. He
| seemed to be measuring with his
eye the distance he had yet to get
| over. Horizontally, he was not more
than 200 yards from the top of the
crater, but vertically he had nearly
three times that distance to ira
verse. /"
| The ascent had occupied three
hours already. Hatteras showed no
signs of fatigue, while the others
were almost spent II
The summit of the volcano zap
| peared inaccessible, and the doctor
! determined at any price to prevent
| Hatteras from attempting to }lpro-
coed. es,i
"Hatteras," said the doctor, 1T Is
l NAAO"oh, W. SohIiOt 81 lui JlCi
Stop. then" he replied, in a
strangely altered voice; 81 am GO
ing higher" t.
mo, it is useless; you are at the
pole already
mo, no! higher, higher."
We shall not allow it-that is
ALL"
He had hardly uttered the words
before Hatteras, by a superhuman
effort, sprang over the boiling lava
and was beyond the reach of his
companions.
A cry of horror burst from every
lip, for they thought the poor cap
tain must have persisted in that
fiery gulf; but there he was, safe
on the other side, accompanied by
his faithful Duke, who would not
leave him. Vi
He speedily disappeared behind
curtain of smoke, and they heard
his voice growing fainter in the dis
lance. shouting:
ITO the north! to the north! to
the top of Mount Hatteras. Remem-
Der, Mount Hatteras!"
All pursuit OI MIN was out OF the
question; it was impossible to leap
across the fiery torrent, and equally
impossible to get round it. Alta
mont, indeed, was mad enough to
make an attempt,a nd would GER
tainly have lost his life if the 9TH
ers had not held him back by main
force.
"Hatteras! Hatteras!" shouted
the doctor, but no response was
heard save the faint bark of Duke.
At intervals, however, a glimpse
of him could be caught through the
clouds of smoke and showers of
ashes. Sometimes his head, some
times his arm appeared; the he
was out of sight again, and a few
minutes later was seen higher up
clinging to the rocks. His size con-
stantly decreased with the fantas-
tic rapidity of objects rising up
wards in the air. In half an hour
he was only half his size.
Ito be cOntinued.)