The Calhoun chronicle. [volume] (Grantsville, W. Va.) 1883-1984, 1914-06-11

ossibiy your forest man was cap.
tured or killed by the savages." sug-
gested Captain Dufrnnne
The girl laughed
You do not know him" she replied.
little thrill of pride setting her nerves
a-tlngle at the thought that she spoke
OF her own
II admit that he would be worth
waiting for. this supprmun of yours"
laughed the captain. II most certainly
should like TO see him. The cruiser
shall wait few days longer
we can utilize the morrow In re-
covering the chest. professor. suggest
ed Mr.. phlandcr.
quite so. quite so. Mr. Philnnder.
| had almost forgotten the treasurer
exclaimed Professor Porter. Possibly
we can borrow some men To assist us
and some of the prisoners To point ont
the location of the chest"
Most aSsuredly. my dear professor
We are all yours to command" said
the captain.
Ii was arranged that on the next day
Lieutenant Charpentier was to take n
detail OF ten men aud one of the mutt
ncelS OF the Arrow az guide and un.
earth the treasure: also that the cruiser
would remain for II full week i'm the
little harbor At the end of that time
II was TO be assumed that DArnOt was
truly utad aud that the forest man
would nor return while they remained
Then the two vessels were - leave
with all the party.
Professor Porter did not accompan,
ne treasure seekers on the following
day, but when he saw them return
ing empty handed toward noon he has.
tened forward TO meet them. his usual
preoccupied Indifference entirely van.
lshed. and in its place nervous and
excited manner
Where is the treasurer he cried to
Clayton while yet hundred feet sep
arated them.
Clayton shook his head.
Gone" he said as he neared the
professor
Gone! 1t cannot be. Who could
have taken it?' cried Professor Porter.
Heaven only knows. professor" re-
piled Clayton. I'VE might have thought
the fellow who guided us was lying
about the location. but his surprise and
CONSERVATION on finding no chest be-
meath the body of Snipes were too real
to be feigned.
And then our spades showed us
that something had been buried be-
meath the corpse. for n hole had been
there, and it had been filled with loose
earth"
But who could have taken it?" re-
peated Professor Porter
suspicion might naturally fall on
the men Of the cruiser" said Lieuten-
ant Charpentier "but for the fact that
Sublieutenant Janviers here assures
me that no men have had shore leave
that none has been on shore since we
anchored here except under command
OF an officer
1T would never have occurred to me
TO suspect the men to whom we owe
so much" replied Professor Porter.
Il would as soon suspect my dear
Clayton here or Mr.. Philander."
There must have been several in
the party" said Jane Porter. who had
JO4AiSu IhCH Ou remember luHt II
took four men to carry it,"
by Jove!' cried Clayton That's
right. 1t must have been done by a
party Of blacks. Probably one of them
saw the men bury the chest and then
returned Immediately after with par.
ty OF his friends and carried it off"
Speculation Is futile" said Profess
sor Porter sadly. THE chest is gone.
We shall never see it more nor the
treasure that was i'm it."
Only Jane Porter knew what the
loss meant to her father. and none
there knew what it meant to her.
Six days later Captain Dufranne an
nounced that they would sail early on
the morrow
Jane Porter would have begged for
further reprieve had 1t not been that
she, too. had begun to believe that her
forest lover would return no more.
1t was she who suggested that arms.
ammunition, supplies and comforts be
left behind in the cabin. ostensibly
for that intangible personality who
had signed himself TarZun OF the apes
and for D'Arnot should he still be
living, but really. she hoped. for her
forest god
And at the last minute she left a
message for him. to be transmitted by
IN rzo n, ~ tbo ,rog