Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1916-06-03

mdhdoa DtiOIe StullAHS upOu IT'S SluBu
lar quest.
At last, after weary week, the day
had come and the hour. / ask you to
picture the shaded sitting room Of the
Fazenda st. Ignatlo, two miles inland
from lie town of Manaos. outside lay
the yellow, brassy glare of tie sun
shine, WltA the shadows of the palm
trees us black and definite as the trees
themselves The air was calm, full OF
the eternal hum Of insects, a tropical
chorus of many octayes from the
deep drone of the bee to the high,
keen pipe Of the mosquito. Beyond
the veranda was small cleared gar
ten, bounded with cactus hedges and
adorned with clumps Of towering
shrubs, round which the great blue
butterflies and the tiny hummng
birds tluttered and darted In Crescents
Of sparkling light. Within we were
seated round the cane table, on which
lay a sealed envelope, Inscribed upon
It In the jagged handwriting OF Pro
fessor Challenger were the w9rds
Instructions to Lord John Roxton and
party. To be opened at Manaos upon July
Is. at y o'clock precisely.
Lord John had placed his watch upon
the table beside him.
I'VE have seven more minutes" said
he. "The old dear is very precise"
Professor Summerlee gave an acid
smile as he picked up the envelope in
his gaunt hand.
"What can it possibly matter wheth
er we open it now or in seven min
utesf" said he. ut is all part and
parcel Of the same system Of quaekery
and nonsense for which l regret to
say that the writer is notorious"
"Oh, come! We must play the game
nccordln' to rules said Lord John
ITS old man Challenger's show and
we are here by his good will so it
would be quite bad form If we didn't
follow his Instructions TO the letter"
"a pretty business It isr cried the
professor bitterly ut struck me as
preposterous in London. but I'm bound
90 say that it seems even more 50 upon
closer acquaintance, | don't know
what is inside this envelope; but, un.
less 1t Is something pretty definite, |
shall be much tempted to take the
next down river boat ana catch the
Bolivia at Para, After all, haEe
some more responsible work in the
world than to run about dlsproving
the assertions of mnatIc Now, Rox
ton, surely It Is time"
"Tlme II is said Lord John. "You
can blow the whistle" He took up
the envelope and cut It with his pen
knife. From it he drew Il folded sheet
of paper This he carefully opened
out and llattened on the table. II was
blank sheet lie turned 1t over.
Again It was blank. We looked at
each other In bewildered silence
which was broken by discordant
burst Of derlsye laughter from Pro.
fessor Summerlee.
ut is an open admission" he cried.
what more do YOU want? The fellow
is q self confessed humbug. We have
only to return home and report him as
the brazen lmpostor that he Is"
MAY come IMP doomed voice
from the yeronda
The shadow OF a squat figure had
stolen across the patch of sunlight
That voice, that mOnsrous breadth
Of shoulders We spr0ng to our feet
with a gasp OF astOnlshment as Chal
lenger, IN round, b0yish straw hal
with a colored ribbon Challenger, witt
his hands IN his Jacket pockets and hi,
canvas shoes daintlly pointing as h,
wall,ed-appcared In the open space be
fore us, lie threw back his head, an,
there he stood in golden glow with al