The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1913-09-10

The stream, fed by other brooks, had become larger. The descent was much more rapid. The cliff wall was. I be- lieve, narrower at the treasure cave than anywhere else in the island. It was, perhaps, not more than half mile wide. We stumbled rapidly down the long vaulted passage to the other wall. As we approached it I half fear ed that the rock might be solid, and that the brook might plunge beneath it, but fortune did not do it's worst for us. There was a rift in the wall, around which the brook ran. A long distance away appeared to me a spot of 6imness. Recklessly we clasped hands and ran to the opening.
 Alas, when we reached the light we found that the entrance was closed by a huge stone. It did not exactly fit the opening, and the light filtered around it. I stood panting, staring at it.
 Are we to be ended now" I cried, ''after having come thus far? Stand clear" I shouted, not giving her time to answer.
 Then with all my strength swung the ax and struck the rock fair and square. and by good fortune upon some Assure, for it shivered and a crack started. Once again, this time with tremendous force, swung and struck. The ax sank into the stone, the hel7e shivered in my hand. It was right good blow, if do say it myself, for the rock was by this time fairly split in two, the pieces falling to the right and left Still it was well in the en- trance. We had not yet clear pas sage.
 was mad now, as mad as I had 4I,- frYI1fi for h6r The blood rushed to my face, mist to my eyes I stopped down and with my hands I seized one piece of that rock and, with such strength as Her t.dIes might have used thrust it aside. My mistress stood staring at me in awe, also in terror. The way was opened.
 We stepped out upon the sand. My clothes were torn to rags; blood was clotted in my hair and on my fore head; my face was black with sweat and dust There were wounds on my arms and legs. I was gory and hor- rible spectacle. Mistress Lucy had suffered no wounds, but her clothes were rent and torn Her face was grimy and beneath the dust and earth stain it was as white as the cap of wave.
 Thanks to God" she said at last, ''and you, we have wonv'
 I thought she would have fainted. caught her by the arm, sat her down upon the island and sprinkled the wa ter from the brook in her face until presently she revived.
 we are not safe yet,'' I urged. '"There were hundreds of savages upon the island They could not all have been in the cave. We must go warily. We cannot rest now"
 spirit, getting to her feet and stretch ing out her hand: eff you will help me I can go anywhere"
 I still had my sword. I drew it and led on, keeping well under the shelter of the cliffs. We walked up the end toward the giant stairs. There were men, islanders, at the top of the wall, but my first glance told me that we had nothing to fear from them, for the stairs were gone. They were but scattered heap of stones. The earth quake had crumbled the work of the builders of bygone years, and as the stairs had fallen away they had left the cliff sheer and bare for hundred feet They couldn't come at us.
 ''It is an act of God,'' said I, ''that has broken down the stairs.''
 ''But there may be another way of descent,'' she said after a moment. "Oh. let us leave this dreadful fslandr'
 I had no hope that the dinghy had been spared. but it's place was not far away, and we walked to 1t in silence. It was gone. A tidal wave had follow ed the earthquake. The canoes in which the islanders had come had been l41 L1- LIaoSTs I~4n I-iJI ed. The survivors were prisoners on the island unless their friends came to their help and even then until they could devise some way of getting down the cliff. And we, too, were prisoners. Some of our gear, the compass, some provisions which 1 had stored. in the crannies of the rock were still there, but they were useless to us. Some thing else had happened. The earth quake had broken the vast barrier reef. Before us was a practicable pas sage to the scsa!
 If we only had a boat! I turned to the canoes hopeful of finding one sea worthy, and as I did so my little mis- tress caught me by the arm.
 ''Look!' she cried, pointing far up the horizon.
 I turned, and there, bottom upward, foated the dinghy. The sight of her was like draft of wine. I turned and ran up the sand, followed by my lady. When opposite the boat I kicked off my shoes-I had on little else but shirt and trousers-jumped into the lagoon, swan to the dinghy and lowed her ashore. Assisted by Mistress Lucy, I turned her over I then hunted up the few things we had saved with little store of cocoanuts which we had ac- cumulated in one of the caves, shipped 1 the oars, which, being tied to the row | locks, had not been washed away, and | showed off
 To oa Contiuued.l
 The beef supply is short, but for the dog supply is ample.