The St. Johns herald., 1922-04-06

island, and that there was no one or
 1t with authority to metamorphOse
 Aunt Jane into Mrs. Hamilton H
 Tubbs.
 The waters of the cove had receded
 until fringe of rocks under the high land of the point, usually covered, had been left bare. l had watched the emergence of their black jagged sur faces for some time before it occurred to me that they offered a means of access to the cave. The cave-place of fascination and mysteryI Here was the opportunity of all others to explore 1t, unhampered by any one, just Crusoe and I alone, in the fash ion that left me freest to indulge my dreams.
 I waited until the Scotchman's back was safely turned, because if he saw me setting forth on this excursion he was quite certain to command me to return, and had no intention of sub- hitting to his dictatorial ways and yet was not quite sure how I was sue cessfully to defy him.
 The retreating tide had left deep pools behind, each a little cosmos of fairy seaweeds and tiny scuttling crabs and rich and wonderful forms of life which were strange to me- Cru soc and I were very much interested, and fingered good deal on the way. But at last we reached the great arch way, and passed with a suddenness which was like 6 plunge into cool water from the hot glare of the tropic sunshine into the green shadow of the cavern.
 At the lower end, between two arches, a black, water-worn rock paw ing rang under ones feet. Further in under the point the floor of the cave was covered with white sand. All the great shadowy place was mur- muring like a vast sea-shell.
 I wished I could visit the place in darkness. It would be thrice as mys- terious, filled with its hollow whis- pering echoes, as in the day. From the ledge far above my head led off those narrow, teasing creVices in which the three explorers did their unre- warded burrowing. I could see the strands of a rope ladder lying coiled at the edge of the shelf, where it was down the ladder with boat-hook when they wanted to ascend. looked about with hope that perhaps they had left the boat-hook somewhere.
 I found no boat-hook, but instead spade, which had been driven deep into the sand and left, too firmly imbedded for the tide to bear away. At once burning hope that I, alone and unas- sisted, might bring to light the treas ure of the BOnny Lass seethed in my veins. I jerked the spade loose and fell to.
 now discovered the great truth that digging for treasure is the most, thrill ing and absorbing occupation known to man. Time ceased to be, and the weight of the damp and close-packed sand seemed that of feathers. This temporary state of exaltation passed, to be sure, and the sand got very heavy, and my back ached, but still I dug. Crusoe began to fuss about and bark. He came and tugged at my skirt, uttering an uneasy whine.
 Be quiet, Crusoe!" I commanded, threatening him with my spade. The madness of the treasure-lust possessed me. I was panting now, and my hands began to feel like baseball mitts, but still I dug. Crusoe had ceased to me; vaguely was aware that he had got tired and run off. I toiled on, pausing. now and then for breath. was leaning on my spade, rather dejectedly considering the mod est excavation I had achieved, when I felt a little cool splash at my feet. Dropping my spade I whirled around and a shriek echoed through the cave as I saw pouring into 1t the dark insidious torrent of the returning tide.
 How had forgotten it, that deadly thing, muttering to itself out there, ready to spring back like an unleashed beast? CruSoe had warned me-and then he had forsaken me, and I was alone.
 And yet at first, wild as my ter TOT was, I had no thought but that somehow I could escape. That these waters were for me the very face of death, sure and relentless, terrible and slow, did not at once seize hold upon nay heart.