The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1913-10-08


didn't come squarely down to the wa
ter's edge at right angles to the wall
but Law. as it were. parallel To- niche
within the wall so that they were
somewhat sheltered from observation
from the sea
We broke upon them suddenly. there
fore Mistress Lucy clutched my arm
The giant stairway" she cried In
amaZement
1T is indeed" said, Just as il was
set forth in the parchment
And the great stone faces, she ADD
cd in voice in which there was
touch Of awe.
Let Us 20 nearer and ascend the
stairs | said. taking her hand and
leading the way. and she was so pre-
occupied that she did not notice.
observed as we approached the
stairs that the rock had been worn
smooth by the wind and weather. or
maybe by the passing OF many feet
and were quite practicable for ascent |
The angle at which they rose was
Sfaon t"o
The ascent was easy enough for me. |
but hard for her, and several times
made bold to lift her up the higher
stepS which she suffered without com |
! pIaining. She told me long afterWard
| that my manner toward her then and
| thereafter had been perfect.
! When we at last reached the top
! before us lay broad pathway rudely
| paved with the same hard stone. This
road led straight into the interior OF
| the island of which we could see as
vet nothing because the wall here
abouts was covered with dense, lux
urious vegetation. Progress was diff
! cult even in the pathway. 1t would
| have been impossible in some places
| but for my heavy cutlasS with which
| cut Il path where the place had be-
come overgrown by trees and bushes
which had forced their way through
| the cracks. oyerturning and breaking
the heavy fiagstoneS and blocking up
| the path. which it was evident had
not been traVersed for generations.
! PERHAPS not since the Old buccaneer
himself had walked along it beneath
the spreading trees.
For perhaps d 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 mucn
broken and Irregular
! At last We came to an open spot on
| the inner edge overlooking the whole
island. and before us lay such a 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 rs precipitously as it rose
outwardly and TO sea ward. Before us
lay Il 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 1t was sunk beneath this
wall crest for perhaps 100 feet or more.
In the center of the valley the land
rose little higher than the island
l wall in very considerable hill. tree
n crowned on the slopes. but largely bare
q on the crest Through the valley ran
o a brook. which ended in little lake
o which | suspected had some subter
e ranean connection with the ocean. As
| far as we could see-and the whole
q circuit of the island was now clearly
II visible to uS--the inclOSing wall was
unbroken. The valley was filed with
clusters of trees and alternating
II stretches of grassy meadow.
Il We should have been hard put to il
to descend the wall to the valley Were
d it not for the fact that the same PEG
le PIE who built the stairs that gave &c
. ,,C had hI1i1
~ q similar fight which led to the valley
IF Before we eSSayed the descent of tn
stairs we drank our fill of the beaut.
ID and mysterious charm of it ALL In
: deed, there was no sound that came Z
us except the tTittering of the birds
of which there were many. brilliantly
=. pIuma-ed. differing in the trees. Al
10 else was still lonely. deserted. oppres
ut Sively so in fact
- What think you Of this" My lad
i'm broke the silence. rs 1T not like tn
x crater of Il vOcanO"
No" said |: these are coral rock:
a and there is no sign of lava abou
le them. yet it has somewhat of the al
~ pearance. especially that fiattened hi
bt lock in the center.
| have since talked with many me
he and studied the writings of the mos
% | learned biologists. They have fal
Us cied that perhaps the rocky projectio
nj i'll the middle of the valley. where W
ii saw the great altar of sacrifice with il
III attendant idols later on. was the ORR
inal island. which was once surroun'
IT, ed by a coral reef. which was now b
re come u wall. and that some great u
.,I heaval had lifted the whole up out
~ the water in ages gone by and tn;
,ot the barrier reef over which we b;
,ra passed was the second attempt OF Il
he busy little INSECTS to surround the
tn land again.
tut wv nat Is 10 De uohe iio" asheu Il
ey | little mistress.