The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1921-08-26
We Went in Silence Through III
Green Hush Of the Woods.

L.
We Went in Silence Through the
Green Hush Of the Woods.
ledge TO the angIe In winch nay Cu-
mouth OF the cave Ny breath came
quickly. for ar any instant a head
might be thrust forth from the open
ing.
Mr.. Shaw and Cuthbert dropped
down upon the ledge. Though under
whispered orders TO retreat i could
not. but hung ever the edge of the
cliff, eager and breathIess- Then with
a bound the men were beside me- Mr..
Shaw caught my hand, and We rushed
together into the woods.
quake, a roar, a shower Of flying
rocks. Ii was oyer-the dynamite had
done its work, whether successfully or
not remained TO be seen. After a lit
tie the Scotchman yentured back. He
returned to us where we waited in the
woods-Cuthbert to mount guard over
me-with a cleared face.
Its all right" he said. The en-
trance is completely blocked. set
the charge six feet inside, but the roof
is down clear 10 the mouth. Poor
wretches-they have all come pouring
out upon the sand"
All three of us went back to the
edge Of the cliff. Seventy feet below,
on the narrow strip OF sand before
the sea-mouth of the cave, we saw the
figures of four men, who ran wildly
about and sought for a foOthold on the
sheer face of the cliff. As we stood
watching them, with, on my part, at
least, unexpected qualms Of pity and
a cold interior sensation very unlike
triumph. they discovered US. Then
for the first time. suppose, they un-
derstood the nature of their disaster.
We could not hear their cries, but we
saw arms stretched out to US. fists
frantically shaken, hands lifted in
prayer. We saw Mr.. TuDbs flop down
upon his unaccustomed knees-it was
all rather horrible.
/ drew back, shivering. sit won't
be for long, of course" | said uncer-
tainly, ''just till the steamer comes
and well give them lots TO eat-but ]
suppose they think-they will soon be
just a lot more skeletons" And
here / was threatened with a moist
anticlimax to my late Amazonian
mood.
Why should the frequent and nat
ural phenomena of tears produce such
panic in the male breast? "It's been
too much for herr" exclaimed the once
dour Scot in tones of anguish 'Hur.
ry, lad-we must find her some wa.
ter"
Nonsense" / interposed, winking
rapidly. "Just think Of some way tc
calm those creatures, so that / shan't
see them in my dreams, begging and
beseeching-" For I had not forgot
ten the immensely of my debt to Tony
So a note was written on a Leaf
torn from a pocketbook and thrown
over the cliff weighted with a stone
The captives swooped upon 1t. Eel
lowed then a vivid pantomime BY
Tony, expressive Of eased if unrepent
ant minds, while Mr.. Tubbs, by ges
lures, indicated that though sadly mis-
understood, old Fl. Fl. was still oul
friend and benefactor.
It was an attentive group to which
on our return to camp / related tbs
circumstances which had made posi-
Bile our late exploit of imprisoning III,
pirates in the cave. The tale of N,
| achievements, though recoGnted Will
| due modesty, seemed to put the finish
| ing touch TO the extinction Of Violet
| for she wilted finally and forever, ant
was henceforth even bullied by Aun
Jane The diary OF Peter was pro
duced, and passed about with aw'
| from hand 70 hand. Yesterdays dis
covery in the cave had rounded on
the history of Peter to a melanchol
completion. But though we knew tn
end we guessed in vain at the begin
ming, at Peters name, at that Of tn
| old grandfather whose thrifty piet
/ had brought him TO Havana and TO tn
acquaintance of the dying mate o
| the Bonny Lass, at the whereabouts 0
the old New England farm which ha
been mOrtgaged to buy the Islam
Queen, at the identity Of Helen, VIII
waited still, perhaps, for the love
1 VINO never WOulQ fGAuEn-
/ But even our regrets for Peter di
not chill the exultation with which "
thought of the treasure-chest waitin
there under the sand in the cabin c
the Island Queen.
All afternoon we talked OF 1t. Tina
for the present, was all we could d'
There were the two prisoners In cam
TO be guarded-and they had presen
ly awakened and made remarks of
strongly personal and unpleasar
trend on discovering their situation
There was Crusoe invalided. and neet
ing petting. and getting it from ever!
body on the score of his romantic pa:
as Benny as well as of his present vi
tues. The broken leg had been cleve
ly set by Dugald- somehow In the LAT
upheayal Miss and Mister had droppe
quite cut of our vOcabularieS-w1t
Cuthbert as surgeons assistant an
me holding the chloroform' TO the pa
tents nose. There was the fatigJ
and reaction from excitement whic
everybody felt. and Peters diary TO
read. and golden dreams 20 be Il
dulged- And there was the delicai
question TO be discussed of how RI
J treasure should be divided
Why, il all belongs TO Virgins, ,
; course" said Cuthbert opening
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