The San Juan islander. [volume] (Friday Harbor, Wash.) 1898-1914, 1910-03-25
CHAPTER XIII.

CHAPTER XIII.
It was about o'clock when they
commenced their difficult ascent; the
sky was splendid, and the thermometer
stood at so degrees.
Hatteras and his dog went first
closely followed by the others
But as they got higher, the ascent
became more and more difficult, for the
TANKS of the mountain were almost
perpendicular, and it required the ut
most care to keep from falling. Clouds
of ashes whirled round them repea ted
ly, and torrents Of lava barred their
passage.
Hatteras however, climbed up the
steepest ascents with surprising agil-
ity, disdaining the help of his staff.
He arrived before long at a circular
rock, a sort of plateau about ten feet
wide. A river of boiling lava sur
rounded it, except in one part, where
1T forked away to a higher rock, leav-
ing narrow passage, through which
Hatteras fearlessly passed.
Here he stopped, and his compan-
ions managed to rejoin him. He SEEM
ed to be measuring with his eye the
distance he had yet to get over Hori-
zontally, he was not more than 200
yards from the top Of the crater. but
vertically he had nearly three times
that distance to traverse.
"Hatteras," said the doctor, ut is
enough; we cannot go further!"
Stop, then" he replied, in a
strangely altered voice; Il am going
higher"
He had hardly uttered the words be-
fore Hatteras, by 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 captain
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.
He speedily disappeared behind a
curtain of smoke, and they heard his
voice growing fainter in the distance,
shouting:
ITO the north! to the north; to the
top of Mount Hatteras! Remember,
Mount Hatteras."
All pursuit of him was out Of the
question.
At intervals, however, a glimpse of
him could be caught through the
clouds of smoke and showers of ashes.
Hatteras did not even turn once to
look back, but marched straight on,
carrying his country's flag attached to
his staff.
At last he reached the summit of the
mountain, the mouth of the crater.
Here the doctor hoped the infatuated
man would stop. at any rate, and
would, perhaps, recover his senses, and
expose himself to no more danger than
he descent involved.
Once more he shouted:
"Hatteras! Hatteras!"
There was such a pathos of entrea
~ in his tone that Altamont felt moved
to his inmost soul.
I'll save him yeti" he exclaimed
and before Clawbonny could hinde,
niin' ne mao cleared with a bound the
torrent of fire, and was out Of Sigh,
among the rocks
Meantime, Hatteras had mounted q
rock which overhung the crater. and
stood waving his flag amidst showers
OF stones which rained down on him
Duke was by his side; but the moo,
peast was growing dizzy in such close
proximity to the abyss.
Hatteras balanced his star with on.
hand, and with the other sought IN f,nl
the precise mathematical point whers
all the meridians of the globe meet. tn.
point on which it was his sublime nur.
pose to plant his foot.
All at once the rock gave wav anf
ne disappeared. A cry of horror brok.
from his companions, and rang to RI.
top OF the mountain. Clawbonn,
thought his friend had persisted. anl
lay buried forever in the depths Of tn,
volcano. second-only a second
tnough 1t seemed an age-elapsed. ant
mere was Altamont and the dog hold
ing the Inflated Hatteras Man ant
Jug mad caught him at the very mo
abyss AA
Hatteras was saved! Saved In snit
" himself; 'and half an hour later h
unconscious in the arms of his de-
epalring companions.
"hen he came to himself. the dcc
W iooKed at him in speechless an
Sh' Tor there was no glance cs rec