The mirror. (Stillwater, Minn.) 1894-1925, 1918-10-03
One of Japan's Queer
Corners
Continued from page one.)

WOuImuCu AOm po8C OAACI
sonality. As soon as could draw away
my eyes from its fascination peered down
into the abyss from which it poured. 1t
appeared that current of air blew down
the western side of the crater because of the
upward suction on the other side. could
see, three hundred feet below, the floor of
the crater. The smoke came from ori6ces
near the eastern edge, but the main part of
the floor of the crater was lake of boiling
mud the color of which was dirty white
Around the edge of this there were other
ori6ces whose edges were crusted thick with
sulphur.
The whole thing reminded me of moth
ing so much as dreadful sore, so unnatur-
al, so poisonous did it look, like the en-
trance to an inferno. From the top of the
crater, right at my feet. path led down
the precipitous side like narrow ledge. l
looked enquiringly at nv guide.
EYES," he said in answer, "people often
60 down. One can 60 clear down to the
COkC VI luC ldkC WHICH, lAC WluO 10 IL
it should shift suddenly, however, you
wouldn't be likely to come back"
Did you ever feel that uncanny impulse
to leap down from some dizzy height when
you stood upon its brink That is how l
felt. l simply had to 60 at least a little
way down that path. There was small dam
ger that the wind would change. left the
guide to stay where he was and call me if
there seemed any likelihood of such a change
and started glngerly down the path. had
no intention of going far. had proceeded
perhaps four hundred feet when l heard
what sounded like a burst of song from
above. Looking back and upward across
the curve to the place where had left my
guide, l saw coming down the path, on the
run, six or seven Withholding creatures, al
most nude and with queer baskets on their
backs. If they had had horns, hooves,
forked tails and three tined forks they could
| hardly have startled me more. | was d.
rectly IN their path and that path was only
two and half feet wide. On one side tow
cred the wall and on the other side yawned
the abyss. What would they do when they
met me? They might push me off into the
lake of mud, or in their establishment they
might attempt to stop so suddenly that one
or more of them might meet like fate.
Neither of these alternatives was at all pleas
ing to me. There seemed to be but one
thing to do-run ahead of them. This l
proceeded to do, but had not gone far be-
fore came to a niche which had been dug
in the side wall, probably to afford pass
ing place. 1 hastily jumped into it and
Aattened myself against the wall. A mo-
ment later the queer cavalcade shot past
me apparently without seeing me.
had had enough, so l hurried back up
the path to where my guide stood trying
with poor success to smother laugh at the
| haggard expression of my face. He said
the men were sulphur gatherers. They
went down every day when the wind per-
mitted and picked the sui phur from the sides
of the holes. They received wage of sew
en- sen day, which is about four cents of
our money.
AS we turned back up the trail and start
ed down the steep declivity, I said to the
guide. "Well, they are welcome to the job,
| so far as am concerned"