The commonwealth. (Scotland Neck, N.C.) 1896-1929, 1914-12-17
CHAPTER TX.
Riches From a Weird Source.


a 4 black passages through rock
vanlted aisles. some so close the sides
brushed against her. she was hustled.
She had given herself completely up to
her guides. She knew with a heavy
despair that only accident could enable
her to find her way back to the steps
through all the turns they had made.
Quite abruptly she felt her eyes blind
ed as the mantle of blackness was
flung aside. For a moment she could
not see; then. becoming accustomed to
the transition from darkness to com
parative light, she looked with a shud
der OF terror upon the hairy, dwarfed.
misshapen creatures who surrounded
her-creatures who chartered in the
gutturals of mutes. creatures whom
the perpetual darkness had paled to a
fiShlike PallOr. creatures whose hydro
cephalic heads were always bent far
forward as though the sense of hear
ing had been given them in treble val
ue because of the blindness with
which the subterranean life had az
f1icted them.
Sick with the EMBELLISHMENTS OF
the sight. Lucille lifted her eyes at
sErill, chatterng note in the gutturals
"a note that was strangely familiar.
even welcome. She stared wondering
~ at the enormous carved statue OF
malignant faced man-a man with
mighty torso and gigantic arms, a man
whose head lowered far above her and
whose forehead and neck and arms
we're loaded with blazing rubies. The
alien sound that drove the mutes
crouching back came from the gigan-
tic statue. And then Lucille saw that
huge orang outang squatted compla-
Gently in the palms of the idol, bis
wrinkled. old mans face puckered
curiously.
AS though their fear had subsidized
the underground creatures once more
closed in upon Lucille. Some impulse
made her dart toward the orang as
though for protection. The foul crea-
lures were about her, clawing at her
with their horrible. uncertain paws,
like giant bats. The monkey seemed
suddenly to waken to the situation.
With shrill note Of rage he leaped
from his squatting posture and snatch.
ed the necklace of rubies from about
the idols neck, flinging it squarely
Into the center of the mob. 1t had the
effect Of drawing them back for mo-
ment. With shrill squeaks the orang's
hairy paw plucked jewel after jewel
from the idol, hurting them at the crea
lures with the speed Of bullets. Again
her and Lucille constantly fought her
way closer to this strange protector.
Her heart sank as she saw the crea.
ture had no more missiles. She caught
Il flash of hairy arms and body as he
leaped toward her, his huge, round
arms failing about him, dropping the
subterranean inhabitants at every
swing. Lucille, guided by some i'm
pulse, stopped and picked up the blaz-
Ing necklace, extending it to the orang.
He seemed not to notice. Wildly he
thrashed about. the creatures dropping
like nlnepins. Backward, ever back
ward. Lucille felt her way. edging
through the mob as her protector clear
ed passage. The rock ribbed vault
echoed and re-echoed hdeously with
the shrill squeals of rage from the
orang. the gutturals of terror and
pain from her assailants. Now they
were fighting among themselves, tum
bling about in wild chaos of arms
and legs and bodies.
She closed her eyes against the ter
ribie sight. Suddenly Lucille felt her
feet slipping from under her; felt her.
self going down toward ripping,
musical sound; gently falling through
the blackness as though she sank
within soft mattress of feathers.
Cold waters rose up and broke her
fall, closing about her and edging her
gently to and fro. Instinctively she
reached out. her hands closing about a
narrow "Trip OF wood. With every
atom of strength in her frail BODY she
chung. making out finally that the OBJ
Ject was a canoe. Slowly she slipped
down the current until a flicker of mar
row light glowed far ahead.
The sight Inspired her with fresh en-.
ergy. She drew herself up, carefully
balanced the canoe against her weight.
then slipped into the bottom and Law
there exhausted. She CROPPED about as
the SIDES OF the suDterranean cavern
expanded. The light grew broader. A
paddie encountered her fingers. and she
thrust 1t out into the water. Came a
crunching Of wood as 1t ripped against
the rocky sides of the shallow rayine
and She stared in dismay at the use
less handle that alone remained to her
Gently. lazily the canoe f1oated down
toward the ever expanding wedge of
light Slowly. very slowly, the fresh
air OF the jungle met her ouiverina
nostrtls. And even as she opened hcr
mouth, having her throat with the in.
toxicating odor that had been 50 re.
puisive to her before, the canoe was
lifted up snatched up ard whirled
about In gigantic swisl!ing circle.
Lucille fnstinctively thrust the bro
Ken shaft Of paddle into the water
finding it useless. She crouched low
Round and round in ever narrowing
circles she WAS whirled. the black wa
ter white now as it dashed itself into
raging circles from the exact center of
which rose jagged toothel rock-a
rock that imperturbably. cruelty waited