The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1915-06-26

nau happened III the OuCCr world.
Though l, too, was now cntrapped, did
not mind it in the least. l was sur
prised-delighted with all saw
Jack tame seals, his fro burning SO
mysteriously in tho hugo darkness.
CHAPTER xxx.
LIFE OF THE TWO BROTHERS IN THE CAV.
EEN.
Next morning i'll fine spirits we both
rose early and after breakfast commcnc-
ed rolling such bowldcrs as we could
set in motion in the direction of Cur
rvs Window. We worked hard till
dinner and went ut tho work again
shortly afterwnrd, not desisting till We
were hardly ahlo to stir from fatigue
AT supper Jack said: II fear, Ned, that
our task is Il bigger ono than antici-
patcd. Wo have now got to Curry's
Window nearly all the powders that
you and l together can remove" l
poohpooled jacks low spirited view
Of the situation. I was 60 delighted
with tho novelty Of everything could
not even for II moment harbor such
thoughts. That wo two could not al
most as coon as we chose climb out at
Curry's Window or in some other way
escape triunpllantly out of our prison
utterly refused to believe. If it were
not for the sorrow Of our people at home,
which knew must be great and heart
breaking, I would have been rs happy
as any ono uld DO. 1t was all SO like
what might be read in IL famous boys
story book, and yet it was nll true.
Here we were both l1nlnl rcd in our vast
cavern, amid strange echoes and rover
bcrations, in n hugo darkness family lit
by tho light Of our fire, with our seals,
like Elijah's ravens, bringing us food.
1t was all so strange and interesting.
At first l was obliged to keep we'll out
Of view Of the seals. who after tho first
alarm gradually became accustomed to
my presence, though 1t was several days
before I venturcd to show myself, and
it was then only Ivy slow degrees that
could get them to tolerate mo. They
woro very susceptible to music. saw
from their motions that they liked my
whlstling better. Jack was .llsplcnscd ut
this, or Thought he was, SO forbore and
took every opportunity of alluding to
tho extraordinary affection which sub
sisted between them. At tho end of
tho second day wo had shifted to Cur
rvs Window every movable bowldcr,
yet tho top of the heap was still great
distance from tho window. Wo could
not pile one stone OH tho top Of another,
owing to their smoothnGss and round
ness. Tho base Of this pilo had to DO
made broad. We had to nso for tho ped
iment many OF our precious stones.
With our two fishing rods, or rather tho
butts of them, tho bones OF the sheep
and tho scanty bits Of sound timber
found in tho cave, wo proposed now to
mako a ladder, but soon dismissed that
notion. Tho ladder would have been
much too short for our purpose, as we
found after IA very careful calculation.
II fear yon arc right, jack" said mt
last ono evening rs we Eat Illuminating
by the fire. Tomorrow wo must be-
gin cutting steps in tho rock. 1t is too
bad to think that all your labor was
thrown away" Those first steps that
Jack cut were now useless, being COW
cred by tho bowlder stones.
"There is better plan than thnt,'
said he. "In tho lesser cavern there is
ono fine beam Of timber, which is quito
sound when you get to tho depth of two
or three inches. 1t is far too heavy for
us to roll into tho water, but we might
cut it into movable lengths and get tho
piece through tho tunnel. think that
is our plan. but it will DO long and
hard work, for tho beam is mahogany"
We agreed to adopt that plan and to set
to work in tho morning. l, for my own
part, made proposition Of different
kind. It was to send out a message at
tached to one of the seals. After lit
tie consultation wo hit upon a good way
Of doing 80. To write letter was easy
enough. had paper, bit of pointed
stick, hard fiber of seaweed, anything
at all indeed, would do for pen, and
our own veins supply the ink. But
how send this letter out attached to a
seal and at tho same time preserve it
from tho water and render 1t conspicu-
GUS and noticeable to any ono observing
the letter carrier. We were not long in
discovering the right plan. Jack had
carefully preserved every portion of that
unfortunate sheep which might be put
to any conceivable purpose. The bones,
such of them as were not still enveloped
In mutton, were in place by them
selves. The entrails, dried and twisted,
were now strong cords. Among the 9TH
er relics Of the sheep he had preserved
the bladder. 1t was just the thing for
our purpose. We would put our letter
into the bladder, blow it out, bind the
mouth Of it firmly with Irvine and at
tach the bladder to our seal. So the
letter would be preserved from the &C.
ton Of the water, and any one seeing
our seal would see also the bladder float.
Ing behind him when be rose to tho sur
face. The seal would in that case DO
certainly pursued till shot. Jack, who
was very sentimental, aid indeed natu-
rally 20. about biz herd Of seah. did