The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1913-10-02

Copyright. 1912. BY
For perhaps mile we pursued our
journey across the top Of the wall,
winding in and out among the trees
through the jungle, the path evidently
seeking the most level direction. for
the top of the wall was very much
broken and irregular.
At last we came to an open spot on
the inner edge overlooking the whole
island, and before US lay such pic
ture as few eyes, at least of our race,
had ever looked upon. The wall ended
abruptly and fell on the inner or land
ward side as precipitously as 1t rose
outwardly and to seward. Before US
lay a most enhancing valley. perhaps
three or four miles across and maybe
half as long again in the other direc'
ton and which was walled about on
every hand. It was sunk beneath this
wall crest for perhaps 100 feet or more.
In the center Of the valley the land
rose a little higher than the island
wall in q very considerable bill, tree
crowned on the slopes. but largely bare
on the crest. Through the valley ran
a brook, which ended in little lake.
which l suspected had some subter-
ranean connection with the ocean. As
Tar as we could see-and the whole
circuit Of the island was now clearly
visible to us-the inclosing wall was
unbroken The valley was filed with
clusters of trees and alternating
stretches Of grassy meadow.
We should have been hard put to 1t
to descend the wall to the valley were
it not for the fact that the same peo-
pie who built the stairs that gave &C.
cess to the wall from the sea had built
similar fight which led to the valley.
Before we essayed the descent Of the
stairs we drank our I'll of the beauty
and mysterious charm Of it all. In
deed, there was no sound that came to
Is except the twittering Of the birds.
Of which there were many. brilliantly
plumaged, altering in the trees. All
else was still. lonely. deserted. oppres-
sively so in fact .-
"What think you Of thisT'' My lady
broke the silence. rs 1t not like the
crater of a volcano?'
NO" said l: these are coral rocks,
and there IL no sign OF lava about
them, yet 1t has somewhat of the ap-
pearance, especially that dattened bill
lock in the center"
have since talked with many men
and studied the writings Of the most
learned biologists. They have fan
cied that perhaps the rocky projection
in the middle of the valley, where we
saw the great altar Of sacrifice with its
attendant idols later on, was the orig
inal island, which was once surround
ed by coral reef, which was now be-
come a wall, and that some great up
heaval had lifted the whole up out of
the water in ages gone by and that
the barrier reef over which we had
passed was the second attempt of the
busy little insects to surround the ID
land again.
"What is to be done nowr' asked my
little mistress.
II hardly know" answered What
is exercising me most now Is, drst OF
all, what is going on In that same mu-
tinous ship, and, next, how We shall
dnally get away from here"
'sYou are impatient" returned my
lady, smiling
Impatient for you, madam" inter
rupted. checking myself from further
self revealing speech just in time.
zone thing at time" she continued.
..By the favor of God, we have escaped
from the murderers and mutineers.
We shall not starve upon this island.
and have no doubt that sooner or
later you will devise some means Of
our escape"
It was past noon by this time. l
made sure Of 1t by looking at the sun
and confirming it BY my watch. which
most carefully kept running during
ali our sojourn on the island. which
indicated close on two bells, l o'clock.
Our talk OF the ship recalled me to my
self.
II think" said |, ''that we had bet
ter postpone the exploration Of the n
land until another day and 80 back
to our landing place Il know che
men on that ship they win guess that
we have escaped to this island and
they win bring her round to this side,
where we may have, them under view
and they ~"
Think you that they can come q