The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1916-02-09
ELEVENTH INsTALLMENT
THE.,DREADFuL PIT.
CHAPTER xLvI,I. :
Dangerous Delay.

The ire of Hernandez was now thor
oughly aroused. A quicksilver mine
on the Lost Isle of Cinnabar-proba-
bly, unworked for century or more
meant millions. many millions. Her.
nRndez 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. shall follow it-that
Injunction. / shall ride through"
Y They were Longing, breathless.
painting, against tree trunk that had
fallen athwart one Of the invisible
trails OF a Central American jungle.
With them was senorita Ines Castro.
what we want most Of ALL he
continued, "and what we must get
is the Lost Isle Of Cinnabar. We havc
the evidences Of ownership-all save
the Spanish grant In the hands Of tho
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 1sland-yes and find 1t.
Once found-possession may be nine
tenths of the law-We'n 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 of Chantillo. These were
the fifty men who had so nearly lost
their lives on the dirt cars Of Mon.
trada. i
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 tho
long arm Of the United States govern
ment. My government protects its
citizens. Here Is q citizen-Miss IL.
ington. Here is another-my mother.
Here Is a third-my friend Welcher.
Dire things have 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 2 stern glance at
the captain and tapped him on tho
arm. ".Senor," he continued, east
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. Ihave warned you. The rest
is up to you"
The little captain shivered = bit.
"Si, senor," he Returned, swiftly.
with a bow, sit shall be az 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 I'M
tremendously from his lips.
What the" he began. Then he
stopped. A stone was lying at his
feet. It was this stone that had
knocked the cigarette from between
his lips-and had almost knocked q
tooth or two as we'll. But there was
something else to wonder at. A bit
Of Arimpled paper had fiuttered to the
ground.
/ Welcher picked the paper up and