Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1916-09-16
CHAPTER Ky.
cit Was Dreadful In the Forest"

Al glowed with pride when three
sneh men as my comrades thanked me
s,r having saved or at least greatly
heIped the situation. As the youngster
~ The party. not merely in years. but
in exnerieuCe. character, knowledge
ssd all that goes TO make man. I had
heeu overshadovcd from the first. And
now was coming into my own. l
warmed at the thought. Alas for the
n-3de which goes before a fall. That
ijttIe glow Of self satisfaction, that
added measure Of self confidence, was
"a lead ne ON that very night TO the
most dreadful. experience OF nay life,
ending with a shock which turns my
heart sick when I think Of ii.
II came about in this way: I had
been undUly excited by the adventure
~ the tree. and sleep seemed to be i'm
nossible. $ummerlec was on guard,
sitting hunched ovet our small fire, a
ouaint. angular figure, his rife across
his knees and his pointed, goatiike
heard wagginc with each weary nod Of
bIs head. Lord John lay silent, wrap
he'd ia the South American poncha
s,o-pd with q roll and rattle which
reverberated through the woods. The
fuU moon was shining brightly, and
the air was CriSply cold. What a night
for a walk, And then suddenly came
The thought Why nott' suppose |
stole softly away, suppose / made my
way down TO the central lake, suppose
! was back at breakfast with some
record Of the place. Would | not III that
case be thought an even more worthy
associate Then if Summerlee carried
The day and some means of escape
we're found we should return to Lon
don with first hand knowledge Of the
central mystery Of the plateau, 70
which | alone Of all men would have
penetrated I thought Of Gladys. with
her There are herolsms all round us.
I seemed to hear her voice as she said
Il thought also Of AIcArdle. What a
three column article for the paper!
What foundation for a career. \
toresponifutship in the next great
var might he within my reach !
ciutched at n Cuu-mT pockets were
fun of cartridges ~ and. parting the
thorn bushes N the gate Of our zarcha.
quickly slipped out Ny last glance
showed me the unconscious summer
leo most futile Of scntinels, still nod
ding away like a queer mechanical toy
in front Of the smoldering fire lie was
fast asleep.
The night Ind been exceedingly stil,
but as 7 advanced ] became conscious
II low. rumbling sound. a contnu-
Gus murmur. somewhere in front Of
ne This grew louder q I proceeded.
until ar last if was clearly quite close
10 NE. When ] stood still the sound
was constant. 50 that il seemed To
cone from some stationary cause. 1t
was like a boiling kettle or the bub-
bling Of some great pot Soon ] came
upon the source If If. for I'm the center
Of small clearing found n lake-Or 2
pool rather. for # was not larger than
the basin IF the Trafalgar square toun
tain-of some black. pitChlike stuff. the
surface Of which rose and fel' i'm great
hlisters Of bursting gas The mir above
Il was shimmcrinG with heat. and the
ground round was 50 hot that ] could
hardly bear to lay my hand on it, 1t
was clear that the great volcanic ont
burst which had raised the strange
Plateau 50 many wears ago had not yet
entirely spent IFS forces. Blackened
rocks and mounds If lava ] had al
ready seen everywhere Uceping out
from amid the uvurianf vegetation
which drared them, but this asphalt
pool in the Jungle was the first sign
that we had IF actual existing activity
on the slopes If the ancient crater. l
had no time to examine it further, for
! had need to hurry if l were 10 be
back in camp i'm the morning
Il was q fearsome walk and one
which viii he with me so long as mem
DRY holds In the great moonlight
ciearings 7 SUNK along among the
shadows on The margin. In the jungle
crept forward. stopping with beat
ing heart whenever I heard, as ! OF
zen did, the crash Of breaking branches
A. some wild beast went past. Now
ana then great shadows doomed up for
sn instant and were gOne-great 81
lent shadows which seemed 10 prowl
upon padded feet How often ] stop
PED with the intention Of returning
ana yet every time my pride conquer
e. nv fear and sent me on again until
ny object should be attained
Al last my watch showed that It
vas ia the morning. ] saw the CLEAN
water amid the openings 81 the jun
sie and ten minutes later / was among
zoe reeds upon the borders Of the cen
usi lake. was exceedingly dry, 50
az down and took a long draft OF its
waters. which were fresh and cold
mere was broad pathway with
aany tracks upon IL az the spot which
had found so that II was clearly one
the drinking places OF the animals.
iose % the waters edge there was
4age Isolated block Of lava. UP this
climbed and. lying on the top OF
'ie block. / had M excellent view IN
very direction
Lake Gladys my own lake-lay Ike
sheet " quicksilver before me. with
reflected uaou shining brightly IN
4e center y IT, II was shallow, for
many places l saw low sand banks