Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1916-12-30
CHAPTER NNv
The Dungeon % the skeletons

The Dungeon of the skeletons
As the two interlopcra from the outer
~ world moved up the slippery beach
toward tho great. mlst-dimmcd fare, es-
ccrtcd by the strange and spectral throng,
stern had time 60 aualyEe some factors
Of tho situation
II was evident that diplomacy was now
unless In n sharp crisB--the only role
20 play. How many % these people there
might be he could not toll The present
gathering he estimated az about a hundred
and ntty or a hundred and soventy-flvc
and moment by moment more were coming
down the slope. looming through tho yapor,
cnch carrying a crcssot on stan or a
awtngng light attached to a chain.
The village or settlement or whatever
Il Ia thought he may contain hundreds
OF them. thousands perhaps. And we are
only two Tho last thing In the world
we want Ia a fight but u Il comes TO
20 tho wall could certainly make mighty
good showing against barhorlana such as
these.
IT'S evident from the fact that they
haven't taken our rcvolvCrs away they don't
know the use ~ firearms. Ages ngo thcy
must have forgotten even tho tradition "
such weapons Their culture status seems
70 be Kind " advanced barharism. Sumo
Job. here, 10 bring them w 60 civilization
again"
Slow-movlug Unconditional pcerlng dlmly
through tho hot fog, their wrulthlikc APP
pcarauco las moro and moro came crowd
inE) depressed and aaddcncd Stern beyond
all telling
And at thought that these were tho
remnants OF tho race which once had com
qucred vast continent built tall cltlca
and apounsd hhyHscs with stccl--the rem
nants % 20 many million keen. energetic.
scientific pcoplc-he grpancd dcspaIringly
sfwhNF ali -. =
In kind OF passionate outburst where
arc wcf How did you got hcro7 Can't
you understand mo We're Americana,
tell you--Amcrlcans For Gods sake can't
you understand"
once more tho word "Mcrucnans" passed
thls stern got no Hign ~ comprehension.
Village HouscA! 90 shouted he "Shci.
tor Rest. eat. sleep
They merely showed him forward up
the slope. together with tho girl; and now
Stern saw curious kind OF causoway.
paved with slippery, wet. black stones that
cleaned In tho torchlght cauEeway
alanting sharply upward ita further end
hidden In the dense vapor behind which
tho great and unknown light ahono with
evsr-cleRrer glowing
This road was bordcred ON either hand
by wall pf carefully cut stone about three
and half feet high. and into the wall.
- NNNatAA NA'NAlAfH OF ANtNAN tcNL or 10.
iron rods had been let, Each rod bore
hrc-baskct, some only duly hickcring,
somo burning bright and blue
Numbers OF tho BtrRugc folk were lolter.
INK on tho CauHoway or coming down TO
join tho ,hronE which now asccndcd many
clambcred litholy up on to the wall and.
holding to tho rods or 10 each othcr--for
the stones, like everything here. were wet
and glairy--wntched with those singular
hucd and squirting eyes ot theirs the pas
sage OF the strangers.
Stern and Beatrice tholr breathing now
oppressed by the thckonlnE smoke which
everywhere hung heavy. as well as by this
fresh eNcrtlon In tho dcusOly compressed
air, tollcd. painting, up tho steep incline
The engineer was already bathed In a
heavy sweat Tho intense heat. well above
hundred degrees added to tho humidity.
almost stifed him. His bound arms pained
almost beyond endurance Unable to bal
ance himself he slipped and staggered
Beatrice" no called chokingly Try
TO make them understand l want my hands
freed It's bad enough trying 10 chamber
up this Internal road. anyhow, without hav-
Ing To go at II all trussed up this way"
She, needing no second appeal raised
her free arms, pointing 10 her wrists and
then at his. and make "A gesture as OF cut.
ting Hut the elder boatmau OF Stcrn's
canoe--seemlngly a person OF some author
lty-only shook his head and urged the
prisoners upward. ever upward toward tho
great and growing light