Beverly banner. [volume] (Beverly, N.J.) 1877-1964, 1925-03-06

hating the necessity of making terms
with Railway, had felt nevertheless
that he was doing the only thing pos
sible under the circumstances. until
the government made a move to wipe
out the organization. He assured Lee
that Railway and his men would not
dare to modest Joyce, and, further
more, that he would protect her with
his life If necessary.
Lee had thought best to say nothing
to Joyce about his discovery of the
ough search of the gorge for Pelly.
Failing him, he meant to discover his
mysterious assailant, in the belief that
he could provide him with the clue
he needed.
He had no doubt that Pellys gold
mine lay in the chasm.
After having breakfasted he made
his way to the rocking stone, and
slipped quietly into the tunnel.
Striking a match or two, and assuring
himself that it was empty. he de-
scended, and within minute or two
had reached the lower orifice, and
found himself again clinging to the
interior wall of the chasm.
Here the artificial excavation of the
rungs ended, but there was fairly
easy descent down the lower portion
of the cliffs, which afforded plenty of
hold for the hands and feet. Lee
quickly scrambled down, and, swing
ing free of the wall, found himself
standing at the bottom of the gorge,
whose inclining walls shut him off
| completely from the sight of any one
above. only by standing in the very
center of the defile could he see the
summit of the cliffs, with their dense
covering Of scrub.
The base of the chasm was little
wider than he had supposed, perhaps
fifty PAGES across between wall and
wall. Along the center thin stream
trickled over sandy bed, issuing from
one end of the chasm, where 1t burst
out through the granite, carrying with
1t the debris of the alluvial land above
mud, gravel, and sand.
This sandy deposit, carried along
by the stream, had been heaped up.
probably in times Of overflow, against
the granite walls, and within the little
limestone caves that studded their
lower surfaces.
Looking about him, Lee saw that
some two or three hundred yards from
the place where he had emerged out
of the face of the cliff, the gorge made
| oka oil of RIGHT onOIn
and here the ground was strewn with
mass of fallen boulders, ranging
from huge rocks to small debris.
Above it was a gap in the lower sec
ton Of the cliff, from which 1t had
4 been detached.
Lee made his way in this direction.
At once he came to the conclusion
that dynamite had been the cause of
this collapse of part of the surface Of
the granite wall, which, smooth as a
steel lining, could have been disrupted
by no natural force such as gravity.
And then he came upon something
that confirmed the obvious deduction.
1t was rotting wooden cradle.
Beside 1t lay a rusty pick. Not far
away were two huge iron pans, their
bottoms eaten out with rust. so that
they resembled fretwork in steel.
Under them were still the ashes and
charred residue of the wood that
had been used to thaw out the frozen
earth.
All about among the fallen rocks
were mounds. the residue from the
pans after the extraction Of the gold,
now covered with tangles Of dead
vegetation.
There was no longer any doubt that
this was Pelly's gold mine.
Before making further investiga-
tons here, Lee decided to explore the
remainder of the chasm. 1t ran on be-
kyond the bend for a quarter of a mile,
and then came to an abrupt termina-
ton. Without any gradual lessening
Of the depth it simply ceased, the two
cliff walls coming together, in the
same way as they did near the rocking
stone at the other end. The chasm
was, in fact, simply an elongated
crater
Returning, Lee made his way to the
cave formed by the explosion. If Pelly
was in the district. there was hardly
any doubt but that he would be hid
ing in that inaccessible spot, where
he would be safe against discovery.
1t was not unlikely that he was in the
cave itself at that moment.
Lee first examined the snow about
the mouth of the cave for footprints,
but he found no tracks except his own.
Drawing his automatic, he advanced
into the opening. The sand in the In
terror bore the marks of continued
trampling, but there were no imprints
with clear edges, and it was certain
that no one had been there for long
time.
| Unfortunately, Lee had brought no
candle, but he advanced some dis
lance within the cave, lighting his way
4 q =. e..