American Falls press. [volume] (American Falls, Idaho) 1907-1937, 1921-11-18
DOUBLOONS
Continued from page p

over the cliff. The ledge was there
not an inviting ledge, o n on
which the una%crobatically inclined
would have any impulse TO s%aunter,
but a perfectly good ledge, on which
/ had not the slightest excuse for de-
clining TO venture.
There was truly nothing dangerous
about the ledge. Ii was nearly three
feet wide, and had an easy downward
trend. Yet you heard the hungry roar
of the surf below, and try as you
would not to, caught glimpses of the
white swirl of 1t. | moved cautious
ly, keeping close to the face of the
cliff. Crusoe, to my annoyance, sprang
down upon the ledge after me. | had
a feeling that he must certainly trip
me as l picked my way gingerly along.
An angle in the rock-a low dark
entrance-way-it was all as Peter had
described it. | peered in-nothlng but
impenetrable blackness. | took a hes
itating step. The passage veered
sharply as the diary had recorded.
Once around the corner, there would
be nothing but darkness anywhere.
Suddenly portentous and overwhelm-
ing, there rose before me the
swered question of what had become
of Peter on that last visit to the cave
Unanswered-and unanswerable ex-
cept in one way by going In to see.
Whereas | had so far thought prin-
cipally of the treasure, l now began
to think with intensity of Peter. What
ironic stroke of fate had cut hin down
in the very moment of his triumph?
Had he ever reached the ave to bring
away the last of the doubloons2 We're
they still waiting there unclaimed?
Had a storm come up on that last
night, and the weakened cable parted,
and the Island Queen gone on the
rocks, drowning Peter in the cabin
got away, Crusoe, who feared the
waves so, and would bark at them
and then turn tail and run?
Speaking Of Crusoe, where was hef
realized that a moment ago he had
plunged into the passage. l heard the
patter of his feet--a pause. a queer,
dismal little whine echoed along the
passage. | heard Crusoe returning
but before his nose appeared around
the angle of the tunnel his mistress
had reached the top of the cliff at q
bound and was vanishing at a brisk
pace into the woods.
With bitterness, as l pursued my
way to camp, l realized that | was
not a heroine. Here was a mystery
II was the business of a heroine Il
solve 1t. Now that | was safely ava!
from the cave, l began to feel the itcl
of a torturing curiosity. How, with
out going into the terrifying plac'
alone, should / find out what wa
athere? Should l pretend to have &C
Materially discovered the grave, lea
the party to II, and then-agaln acc
dentally-discover the tunnel2 Thu
plan had its merits--but l discarded 1
for fear that something would b
found In the cave to direct ~attentio
70 the Island Queen. Then l reflec
ed that very likely the explorer
would work round the island fG
tBOu6h W lllh lhC Stu-A llOhLh VA ~
cave. This would take matters el
tirely out Of my hands. l should pc
haps be enlightened as to the fate
ssPeter and the last remaining bags
doubloons, but might also have
share the secret of the dereuct vii
the rest. And then all my dreams
playing fairy godmother and Shove
ing down on certain heads-like Goa
Of fre-torrents Of beautiful gold'
doubloons, would be over.
On the whole l could not tell whet
er / burned with Impotence to ha
the cave discovered, or was cold wi
the fear of 1t.
And then, so vigorous is h instin
to see ones self in heroic pastures,
found l was trying to cheat mys'
with the pretense that / meant pre-
emily to abstract Aunt James electl
torch and, returning to the tunn
mouth, plunge in dauntlessly.