, 1923-02-17

Martin suddenly reached out and
gathered the transfixed Ichi into his
arms.
He had rehearsed in mind his move
ments. He pressed the Jap to him
with his left arm. from the wrist Of
which the irons stin danEled, while
his right hand dove for Ichi's revolver
Ichi screamed at the fascinated
Motto. but not a syllable sounded
above the mighty roaring hat filled
the caverns. Then Ichi sunk his
teeth in Martins forearm till they
met.
Martin had the gun. The sharp
pain Of the bite thrilled him. He
hurled Ichi violently from him and
raised the weapon, ready to shoot.
Ichi spun around. from the power
of the thrust Martin had given. He
crashed heavily against the frozen
Motto, olutched him, and the feet of
both men lost hold on the Slippery
u~nderfooting. They fell together off
the level surface on the the incline
that sloped to the chasm edge. Their
momentum carried them on. They
slid dow the six foot slope. clutching
wildly at the wet, glass like surface Of
the ledge.
They seemed to hang m~otlonless for
a second at the edge. Their faces
were lifted to Martin; their mouths
were wide open with horrid. soundless
screams; thei frenzied faces, half
seen in the gloom. haloed by wreath.
Ing white vapors.
Then they We're gone.
For a moment Martin stood rooted
by horror.
He thought, "This is DEATH" Then,
instantly. his mind asked, "Vyhy the
sound? What is it?'
The noise was like a thousand
boilers blowing off.
Steam! He had it! The live heart
OF the volcano was a .t~remendous
boiler, and the ohasm was the safety,
valve.
But Martin was not thinking pri.
marily OF steam. He wondered how
far a man must fail ere he lost con,
seriousness. God! He had planned
their death; he had planned to fight
and kill; but such a death!
He observed the others. The man
by his side Rugged the ground and
hid his face. On the sloping ledge.
the two sailors still clutched the life
line and stared down that black
mouth.
The remaining Jap; stony with
terror-but he still grasped the haul
ing part of the tackle, leaning back,
ward and holding tho saving strain
on h rope. Upon him depeded the
lives Of the other two; saw Martin
II he should slacken that rope
The roaring died away to tho whist,
ling, rhythmic wall that had preceded
tho outburst.
Now, the quake" thought Martin
There commenced another great
noise. 1t was not like the shatterlnE
nerye'wraclnk roar Of the stream. II
was rather a mighty rumble that
came from an immense distance. Thu
mountain shook.
Suddenly appeared light. n pale
green.
Martins heart skipped n beat. Their
raced ~furIously, while cold chllls Of
Fol suddenly materialized beside the
rope holding the Jap was another
figure. The unholy light painted II
terror craw'ed down his back.
with its unearthly, grecnish hue,
Haggard face and cleaning eyes
bumped body. the CHASTITY light. all
, combined to make him horrible, un,
human,
The apparttion crouched, as II
about to leap. \ glittering some,
thing was visible in Its hand. and 1t
stared fixedly at the living anchor of
the lifeline.
The yellow sailor all at once sensed
the fenrsomo presence by his side,
He leaped as II released by a spring,
threw from him tho l~lfe.EavinE rope,
flung up his hands before his face.
They were one in another second,
the three OF them. For. when the
sailor dropped the line. the strain on
tho tackle was released. The two
men c,utching the blight fell backward
and slid down the fatal incline.
The tail lock, swishInE over the