Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1917-02-27
CHAPTER yI-(Continued)

| CHAPTER yI-(Continued)
LIE PoCKETED the new-found guns and
IL cartridges and once more, torch on
high, started down the passage, with the
girl at his side.
See here, Allan."
"Eh?"
"On the wall here-a painted stripe?"
He held the torch close and scrutinized
the mark
Looks like It, Pretty well gone by now
Just flake here and a daub there, but /
guess II once was broad band of white
A guide?"
They moved forward again. The strip
ended in a blur that might once have been
an inscription, Here, there n letter family
showed, but not one word could now be
made out.
"Too bad he mused at must have been
mighty important or they wouldn't have"
Here's door, Allan"
80? That's right. Now this looks like
business at last.'
He examined the door by the unsteady
flicker of the torch. II was of iron. still in
tact. and fastened by long iron bar
dropped into massive metal staples.
Beat it in with the ax?y she queried. :
thing inside to dust. All! Here's paddock
and a chain.
Carefully he studied the chain beneath
bent brows
Here, Beta, you hold the torch, so.
That's right. Now then"
Already he had set the aX-blade between
the paddock and the staple, A quick jerk
the lock flew open rasping;y, Allan tried to
lift the bar, but it resisted.
A tap of the ak and it gave, swinging
upward on a pivot. Then minute later the
door swung inward, yielding to his vigorous
push.
Together they entered the crypt of solid
concrete a chamber forty feet long by
half as wide and vaulted overhead with
arches, crowning perhaps twenty feet from
the floor.
More skeletons so help me :"
Allan pointed at two more on the pave
ment at the left of the entrance.
"Why-how could that happen?" queried
Beta, puzzled. THE door was locked out
side :"
That's so. Either there must be some
other exit from this place or there were
dissensons and fightings among the party
itself. or these men were wounded and
were locked in here for safe-keeping while
the others made a sorte and never got
back, orr don't know! Frankly, it's too
much for me. If l were a story writer
might figure it out, but I'm not. No mat
ter. they're here, anyhow that's all Here
two of our own people died ten centuries
ago, trying to preserve civilization and the
worlds history for future ages, If there
were to be any such Two martyrs. 1
salute them.'
In silence and awed sympathy they in
spected the mournful relics Of humanity a
minute, but took good care not to touch
them
And now the rscords!' "a
Even as Stern spoke he saw again a
dimly painted line, this time upon the floor,
all but invisible beneath the dust of CEN
turtles that had come from God knows
where.
"Come, let's follow the line !" cried he.
1t led them straight through the middle
of the crypt and to sort of tunnel-like
vault at the far end. This they entered
quickly and almost at once knew they
had reached the goal of their long quest,
In front of them, about seven feet from
the floor, a rough white star had been
smeared. Directly below II kind of al
cove or recess appeared. lined with shelves
Of concrete. What its original purpose
may have been it would be hard to say
perhaps 1t may have been intended as a
storage place for the cathedral archives.
But now the explorers saw II was partly
filled with pile on pile of curiously crinkled
parchment not protected in any way from
the air not covered or boxed in. To the
right however, stood a massive chest
seemingly of sheet-lead
Some sense to the Lead" gyowled Stern /:
but why they left their records open to
the air, blest If can see"
He raised the torch and hared the light
along the shelves, and then he understood
For here, there. copper nails glnted DULY,
lying in dust that once upon time had
been wood.
"Im wrong, Beta / apologize to them f."
stern exclaimed These were all secure
ly> boxed once, but the boxes have gone
10 pieces long since. Dry-rot. you know.
Well, let's see what condition the parch-
ments are in"
She held the torch while he tried to raise.
one. but It broke at the slightest touch.
Again he assayed, and third time Same
result.
Great scott" he CALCULATED, nonplused
"See what we're up against. will YOU?
We've found em and they're ours, but"
They stood considering minute All
at once a dull metallic clang echoed heavily
through the crypt Despite herself the
rirl. shuddered. The eery depths. the gloom
the skeletons had all conspired to shake
her nerves.
whats that?" she whispered. gripping
Allan by the arm.
ssThat? Oh--nothing! Now how the
deuce are we going TO get at these"
"It was something. Allan! But what?"
He grew suddenly silent
"By Jove---it sounded lke--the door"
'The door? Oh. Allan. quick! I"
A sudden, Irresistible fear fingered at the
strings Of the mans heart. At the back
Of his neck he fslt tie h9ir begin to lift
xese q sr1le1 eZ xeF z-'s e vIII