The Lamar register., 1919-08-20

nau nTed our revo1vers once or twice
TO show that all was right with us.
But. for no reason | can give. | sud
denly got a feeling that all was not
right with the old man. so l fired my
revolver and gave him time for II re-
ply. But there was no answer. Again
fired. Still no answer. was on the
point of firing again when / heard
something coming through the brush
behind me. 1t was Sailor racing
toward me over the Jagged rocks.
Evidently there WAS something wrong.
Something wrong with old Tom,
SailorY' l asked, as though he could
answer me. And indeed he did answer
as plainly as dog could do. wagging
his tail and whining and turning to go
back with me In the direction whence
he had come.
"Off we go. then. old chap" and as
he ran ahead. followed him as fast
as could.
1t took me the best part of an hour
to get to where Tom had been work.
ing. Sailor brushed his way ahead,
pushing through the scrub with canine
Importance. Presently. at the top of
a slight elevation. 1 came among the
bushes to softer spot where the soil
had given way, and saw that II was
the mouth of n shaft like wide chin.
ney fiue, the earth of which had evil
IDENTIFY fallen In. Here Sailor stopped
and whined, paving the earth, and at
the same time / heard a moaning un-
derneath.
as that you. Tomf" called. Thank
God. the old chap was not dead ut all
events.
THANK the Lord. it's you, sar." he
cried. ''Pm all right. but I've had
bad fall-and l can't seem able to
move"
Hold on and keep up your heart
I'll be with you in u minute" called
down to him.
Mind yourself. sar." he called cheer
lily, and indeed II wns u problem to get
down to him without precipitating the
loose earth and rock that were ready
to make landslide down the hole, and
perhaps bury him forever.
But. looking about, l found another
tAht oiht VI tht
Into this l was able to worm myself,
and In the dim light found the old man
and put my flask to his lips.
Anything broken, do you thinkT
Tom didn't think so. He had evil
IDENTIFY been stunned by his fall. and
another pull ut my flask set him on
his feet. But ns helped him up, and,
striking a light. we began TO look
around the hole he had tumbled into,
he gave a piercing shrek and fell on
his knees. tabbering with fear.
The ghostsi the ghostsr he
screamed.
And the sight that met our eyes was
certainly one to try the nerves. Two
figures sat at n table-one with his
hat tilted slightly and one leaning side
ways In his chair in a careless sort of
attitude. They seeemed to be playing
cards. and they We're strangely white
for they were skeletons.
/ stood hushed. while Toms teeth
ratified at my side. The fantastic awe
Of the thing was beyond telling. And
then. not without n qualm or two.
which / would be a liar to deny. went
and stood nearer TO them. Nearly all
their clothes had fallen away. hanging
but in shreds here and there. That
the hat had so jauntily kept Its place
was one of those grim touches Death,
that terrible humorist, loves to add to
his jests- The cards which had ap-
parently just been dealt, had suffered
scarcely from decay-only n little dirt
had slfted down upon them, as It had
into the rum glasses that stood. too,
at each mans side. And as I looked
at the skeleton Jauntily facing me.
noticed that bullet hole had been
made as clean as II by a drill In his
forehead of bone-while. turning to
examine more closely his silent part
ner, l noticed u rusty sailors knife
hanging from the ribs where the lungs
had been. Then 1 looked on the floor