The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-04-18


 How can I lift them?" asked wfim, growing bold with desire.
 The captain answered: "A goose dives into the abyss for a herring. Are the treasures of the Carmilhan not worth as much?'
 How much of them will get7, asked Fake.
 More than you will ever use,' was ths reply. The little yellow man grinned and the assemblage laughed one terrible, harsh laugh.
 Have you finished7' asked the captain sternly.
 T have. Fare you we'll" replied wfim Fake
 Farewell, till we meet again." respond- ed the captain. He turned away, the mi sician moved to the van, and the assar- olage retired in the same order in which they had come. The solemn music sound- ed again and Wilm Fake lay listening to IL tih 1t became fainter and fainter and at last merged with the roar of tha srr, Wilm Fake made one last furious effort to release himself from the hide. Al Iaa.t ne succeeded in freeing one arm and thna could loosen the bonds. Without Ioolir. around, he raced homeward. whera ba found Kaspar strumpf lying unconxc,ou. on the floor
 lie wept with joy when he was resusci- tated and saw his friend alive before hin, But his joy vanished when he heard what Fake proposed to do.
 T would dive into hell itself" ssia Fake "rather than to see these naked walls and drag through this wreto,ed existence. Follow me or not-I gor,
 He snatched a torch. steel and t,na.. ana a rope and hurried away. Kaspar hurried after him, but was left far be- n'iio' when he reached the cavern of Steenfoll Wilm was preparing to lower himself through the Assure. Finding that hls companion was determined. he fol- lowed him, and both stood on the plat form of rock above the boiling surf.
 Falke ordered him to hold the rone With mighty efforts, which only mad dened desire and blind mania could bava made possible. he clamered down the all
 
 foothold directly over the widest whirl- pool
 He peered into the foam and the suclx ing currents. Suddenly he dropped the torch, dived headlong and disappeared Strumpf gave him up for lost, but he rose from the depth, snatched at the rock and hoisted small chest to it. He broke it open and disclosed a mass of gold coins Strumpf begged him piteously to be con- tent with his find, but Falke was wild with desire and excitement He cried that this was only the beginning of his treas ures.
 Again he dived into the hidden sea. Kaspar sank to his knees for he was cer tain that terrible peal of laughter had sounded at that instant from the water. Despite his terror he climbed downward as far as he could and held the rope in readiness for his companion, but wilm Fake did not emerge from the black abyss again.
 He was not seen more by human eye. Kaspar Strumpf went home at last, but he never was the same man again. The terrible experiences that his weak brain and sensitive heart had suffered turned his mind. He allowed all his possessions to fall into ruin and wandered about day and night, staring ahead without seeing anything His acquaintances pitied him, but feared him, too, for that which he had seen. He became lonely man, avoiding mankind and avoided by it. There fell a wild night at last on the Scottish islands. A fisherman caught by the storm was driven ashore near the cavern of Steenfoll.
 When he reached the village he was pale and disheveled and told a weird story. He had seen the Carmilhan beat into the storm and drive at last against the cliffs of Steenfoll. Then he had seen the passengers and crew move solemnly along the shore. and In the gleam of the lightning he had recognized Wilm Fake among them.
 That night Kaspar Strumpf disappeared All search failed to discover the least trace of him; but the Carmilhan ap- peared regularly after that among the cliffs of the cavern of Steenfoll, whenever the deep. And the fishermen who were so unlucky as to see 1t declared that they saw Kaspar Strumpf by the side of Wilm Fake among the crew of the ghostly ves- sell ! -t
 Next Sundays one-page classic will be "The Cloister and the Hearth" by Charles Reade.