Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-12-25
CHAPTER XIII.
In Which We Enter the Place OF
Horror.

Horror
Stormbound under the lee of the cliffs
We passed long and anxious hours the
next day. although our only misfortune
was the inclemency of the weather for
We were completely sheltered, and we had
plenty of the refreshing milk of the CO.
coanut to vary our other food. The sec
ond day after it began the tempest finally
blew itself out, although the great surg
ing seas still broke tremendously over
the barrier reef, and the spray shot a
score OF feet or more above the crests OF
the highest waves. 1t was only the re-
fex of the storm, however, for during the
night the wind had subsidized into a gentle
breeze.
When we scanned the sea next morn
ing there was, of course no sign Of the
ship. I imagined that the haZy islands
dimly seen in the bright sunlight on the
far-off horizon would tell a tale of sea
disaster if they would. Anyway. / did
not believe that we should ever see the
ship or the crew again. In one Of those
beliefs l was mistaken as you shall find
out. it, having read thus far, you have
patience to continue.
Our first inclination. and there was none
to say us nay now, was to mount the
stairs cross the wall and look for that
cave. We had neither chart nor record
left, we had but our memories to trust
to, but we We're both agreed that the
cave lay in the inner wall, and that the
parchment said 1t was the central one OF
three adjacent openings which gave en-
trance to the treasure chamber. And we
could get bearing on it from the central
hill.
Now I had noticed that the coral wall
both on the outer and inner sides was
honeycOmbed with openings. riffs, fis-
sures and caves, which, by the way, We're
more frequent and deeper on the inside
face. why l know not. We should have
been hard put to 1t to decide where the
cave lay, and should have been compelled
painfully and laboriously to search the
whole face of the cliff in it's extent of fiji
teen miles or so, but for the further di-
rection Of the parchment. / was thankful
that. sailorlike, old Sir Philip had given
us the bearing. How did his words run
Something like this my memory told me:
Toe fvnde We mouthe of ye tresur cave
take We bearings alonge ye southe of We
three Goodies on We Altar of Skulls ye
middel hille. VIII ye line strykes We bigge
knicke in We walle with We tale palmme,
his tree, bee three hoales. Climbe We
stones. Enter We centre. Vt is there.
Plainly our first duty was to descend
into the inclosed valley and explore the
hillock in the center. I made no doubt
but that we should find some sort of an
altar and more of those curious stone
images there. IT they still remained the
rest of our task would be comparatively
easy.
With this determination. therefore. we
set out. AS l did not know how long our
exploration would require and as rather
thought we should have to make a day
of it, we started betimes: indeed, as we
invariably retired shortly after sunset, we
naturally rose at break of day. 1 took
| along food enough for the day, knowing
| that we could get water from the brooks
| and certain fruits which l judged would
| be good for us from the trees.
We went directly to the stairs, mounted
| them and stared about us in amazement
| The storm had been a frightful one. We
| had not been able to estimate it's power
| from where We had been sheltered, but
| the uprooted trees and the wide swaths
| cut in the jungle on the top of the wal
| showed it's terrific force. l had no neeC
| for my AK. There were cocoanuts upor
| the ground and other fruit which WOULD
| rot away before we could consume hun
| dredth part Of ii. Within the shelter Of
the island cup, as We were presently
| aware, less damage had been DONE still
| even there the ravages of the tempes
| were widely manifest.
Delaying but little on the crest We
| crossed it rapidly and finally entered tho
valley. 1t was with a feeling of awe
| that we stood for the first time within
the vast cup at the foot OF the innel