Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1919-10-04

Copyrights b. Doubleday, Page d Company
On the other side of the gallery
there was litter of old chains, and
some boards, probably left over from
the doors. Yes, and there were two
old fiintlock guns, and several cut
lasses. all eaten away with rust. also
a rough seaman's chest open and fall
Ing to pieces. AT the sight Of that, a
wild thought flashed through my brain.
What If Good God What II this
was John Teach's treasury-behind
those grim doors. threw myself with
all my force against one and then the
other. For the moment I forgot that
my paramount business was to es-
cape. But ! might as wei have hurled
myself against the solid rock. And, at
that moment, noticed that the place
was darker than IL had been. My Ian
tern was going out In moment or
two I should be in the pitch dark, and
had discovered that the door at the
end OF the gallery was as solid as the
others.
was to be trapped. after all; and
pictured myself slowly dying there
Of hunger-the pangs Of which I was
already beginning 10 iceland some
one years hence, finding me there, a
moldering skeletca-soTne one who
would break open those doors, uncover
those cleaning boards, and moralize
on the irony Of my end: condemned to
die there of starvation. with the treas
ure had so long sought on the other
side of those unyielding doors. Old
Toms words suddenly flashed over
me. and ! could feel my hair literally
beginning to rise. There never was a
buried treasure yet that didn't claim
Its victim" Great God land was to
be the ghost, and keep guard In this
terrible tomb till the next dead man
came along to relieve me OF my sentry
duty! ''s
FranticaIly turned up the wick OF
my lantern at the thought-but 1T was
no use: 1t was plainly going out. I
examined my match box; had still a
dozen or so matches left. And then
my eye fell on that shattered chest.
There were those boards. too. At all
events could build fire and make
torches Of sliyers Of wood, 80 long as
the wood lasted. l
And then had an idea. Why not
make the fire against the door at the
end of the gallery, and so burn my way
through. Bravo! Ny spirits arOsg at
the thought. and I set 70 at once split
ting some small kindling with my
knife. In few minutes had quite a
sprightly little FIRE going at the bot
tom of the door; but I saw that I
should have to be extravsgant with
my wood II the fire was to be effective.
However, 1t was neck or nothing; 80
I piled on beams and boards till my
fire roared Ike furnace, and present
ly had the Joy OF seeing 1t begin to
take hold OF the door-which, after
short time, began to crackle and splut-
ter in very cheering fashion.
Whatever lay beyond. It was evil
dent that should soon be able to
break, my way through the obstacle,
and, indeed, 30 1t proved; for. present
ly. I used one Of the boards as a bat
tering ram, and, to my inexpressibie
jog. y went crashing through. with a
shower Of sparks. and 1t was but. the
work of few more minutes before the
whole door fell flaming down, and l
was able to leap through the doorway
into the darkness on the other side.
As ! stood there, peering ahead. and
holding aIoft burning stick-which
proved, however. a poor substitute for
my lantern-a wonderful sound sm0te
my ears. could not believe it. and
my knees shook beneath me. It was
the sound OF the sea-
Yes. It was no Illusion. It was the
sound that the sea makes singing and
echoing through hollow caves-the
sound heard that night as l stood at
the moonIit door Of Calypso's cavern,
and saw that vision which my heart
nearly broke to remember. Calypsol
Oh Calypsoi where was she at this
moment7 Pray God that she was IN
deed safe, as her father had said. But
I had to win her from my mind. to
keep from going mad.
And my poor torch had gone out.
having, however, given me light
enough to see that the door which I
had just burnt through let out onto a
narrow platform on the side Of rock
that went slanting down into chasm
Of blackness, through which, as in
great shell, doomed that murmuring Of
the sea. It had perilous ugly, look,
and 1t was plain that 1t would be fool
hardy to attempt It at the moment
without a light and my fire was
dying down Besides, ] was beginning
to feel lightheaded and worn out, part
ly from lack OF food. no doubt.
AS there was no, food to be had, I
recalled the old French proverb, "He
eats who. sleepsr--or something to
that Effect hse eess--a and determined &c ass
band my strength once more with a
brief rest. However, as turned to
throw some more wood on my fire.
preparing to indulge myself with q
little campfire scheerfulness as l dozed
off-my eyes fell once more on that
grim line Of locked doors; and my
curiosity, and an idea, made me wake
full again.. / had burned down one
door-why not another? Why not, In
deed?
so raked over my Are to the, fam.
lily vault nearest to me. and presently
Il. . ~. IL = -