Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1915-11-15
eleventh INSTALLMENT
THE DREADFUL PIT
CHAPTER XVIII.
Dangerous Delay.

Oah6S'SdS 1CidJs
The ire of Hernandez was now thor.
oughly aroused A quicksilver mine
on the Lost Isle of Cinnabar-proba,
bly, unworked for a century or more
meant millions, many millions. Her.
nandez realized the fact. He was play
ing for high stakes-very high.
MY ancestors" he told Ponto, had
a coat of arms-a motto Ride
through'-that was what it said.
friend Ponto. l shall follow it-that
Injunction. shall ride through"
They were lounging, breathless,
painting, against tree trunk that had
fallen athwart one of the invisible
trails of a Central American jungle.
With them was Senorita Inez Castro.
What we want most of ALL" he
continued, ''and what we must get
is the Lost Isle of Cinnabar. We have
the evidences of ownership-all save
the Spanish grant in the hands of the
Fathers of the Santa Maria mission
Let us seek at once the mission. Let
us get all evidences of ownership.
Then, as the crow flies, the four of us
will seek Lost Island-yes and find it.
Once found-possession may be nine.
tenths of the law-well have posses
sion. But to us possession will be
more than that. We know no law"
At Chantillo some few miles away,
things were happening. Ensign Neal
Hardin with his squad of fifty men
from the cruiser Albany across the
neck, had arrived to board the battle
ship Missouri, waiting for them in
the waters off !Chantillo. These were
the fifty men who had so nearly lost
their lives on the dirt cars of Mon.
trada.
Annette was with them-and Neal
was at her side. They were grouped
on the wharf.
Neal beckoned to the captain of the
little coast steamer that was tied up
to the wharf.
"Senor," he said, behind me is the
long arm of the United States govern.
ment. My government protects its
citizens. Here is a citizen-Miss H.
ington. Here is anotherr-my mother.
Here is third-my friend Welcher.
Dire things nave happened. senior.
Look. Somewhere in that Jungle hide
three desperadoes and woman. They
have many methods-but one in par
ticular. At night they will come to
you and offer money to be taken
aboard" He tossed stern glance at
the captain and tapped him on the
arm. "Senor," he continued, "cast
your eye over the Missouri there-my
ship. Think of the long arm of my
government. Take these desperadoes
aboard at your peril-at your peril,
senior I have warned you. The rest
is up to you"
The little captain shivered bit.
Isl, senor," he returned, swiftly,
with bow, "it shall be as you say"
Meantime the third member of An.
nette's party, Mr. Joseph Welcher,
had strolled behind convenient shed
to find resting place for his weary
bones and to smoke his fiftieth ciga-
rette that day. He struck a match
started to light his cigarette. Then
something happened. The match went
out-the cigarette was knocked un-
tremendously from his lips.
What the" he began. Then he
stopped. A stone was lying at his
feet. 1t was this stone that had
knocked the cigarette from between
his lips-and had almost knocked
tooth or two as well. But there was
something else to wonder at. A bit
OF crumpled paper had futtered to the
ground.
Welcher picked the paper up and
glanced warily about him. Suddenly.
ne saw The jungle's edge came
down nearly TO the water. Something
was stirring in this thicket. Joe
stared. And suddenly the face of
woman-IneE Castro, peered out from
behind the huge leaf of a tropic plant.
Read" That was the message
flashed from the eyes of Inez Castro
to the brain of Joe Welcher Zoe
read.
The note was brief and to the point: