Evening star., 1925-01-20
The Ark of the Covenant
A Story of Mystery and Adventure
BY VICTOR MCCLURE.
CopyrEh by Harper Brothers
BY VICTOR MacCL
Copyright. 1924. by Harper & Brothers

we carried with us-and a full year
elapsed before the world heard of us
again. Even in the cavern we were
shut from prying eyes, for the great
doors were now a mass of green, and
when we chose we could be very
troglodites.
The crew settled down to work
with commendable earnestness Of
purpose, and we had trouble with
only one man.
1t must be remembered that our
company consisted OF picked men.
We had some of the most skilled en-
gineers, mechanics and electricians
that could have been found in Britain
or America, and, in addition. we had
others who made up for their lack OF
skill by willing spirit and remarka-
BILE adaptability. The young men
| from about town, both British and
| American, where they could not do
| work in which they had been trained,
| took off their coats and worked like
| laborers.
| Philip, Marquis of Devonridge, as
an example, would take his ex-game-
keeper. one Moggs, off for days
hunting. and would bring in enough
| fur and feather TO keep the company
| feeding well for days; but next day
| would see his lordship on some rig
1
/ Smithers as cheerfully as he had
given them to Moggs on the day
! previous. Moggs, too, would be found
| cooking an appetiZing meal for the
| chief-to whom he speedily became
| devoted-with the same amiable i'm
pertur liability as he had shown in
| tramping through the marshland
after Deyonridge Moggs was treas
ure, for he was the only man among
us who dared argue with the chief
| as to what was the proper time to
| eat and sleep. In room of Grum-
| stock, otherwise engaged, he made
| himself an unofficial batman to our
leader, cook to the company in gem
era1 and factotum at large about the
| caves.
| Another mighty hunter in our midst
| was Billy Haynes. Haynes had fewer
words than any man among US, not
even excepting Smithers, and he
never was upset, never ruffied. The
only time we ever saw him show
the slightest symptom of being
moved was when Lin Greensleeve de-
cried the merits of Billy's double
| barrelled English sporting gun in
| comparison with one of the pump va
riety from America.
That's a lot of dam rot, Green
/ sleeve said Billy with his widest
1 stare. ak ABOUT something sO0
know rinstance the smelly stuff
you work in-and I'll listen to you"
OF Lin Greensleeve I have written
something already. He was good III
the way that only an American can
be. Full of the humorous exaggera-
tion beloved of his countrymen, he
| could string" as he called IT, the
Britons among us with superb ease
land he had the knack of causing iaush-
ter, but when he settled down TO work
he tore at it and hammered at II with
a driving force that was a thing for
wonder. Young Lippincott, too, and
Steven Curtis proved their value, the
I former combining a drawled Wit with
a steady application TO business, ana
/ the latter with no less zeal IN har-
| ness and his deli ghtful gift of song
always available for our amusement.
The cement that bound US together
was devotion TO the 'frail little man
who inspired US. He moved in our
midst with a gentle alootness which
did not repel. He helped US In our
| difficulties, out of the deep store of
| knowledge in his amazing brain, and
, he tended us in sickness or injury
with the EXTREMIST skill, though for
tunately his ability was seldom called
1 upon ON the latter a account.
In the hands of these willing COM
rades. and under the direction of our
brilliant leader, the airships steadily
grew into shape in their stocks, and
at last the time came when the first
Ark of the Covenant was ready TO
take the air, and the second only
waited the performance of the first
| to allow completion. 1 think moro
| than myself experienced a thrill of
, sorts when that night the chief and
: myself stepped into the recreation
room of our company.
D. II have come to tell you, gentle
I men," said the chief, that tomorrow
we fill the ship with gas-and to-
morrow night we take the air"
The cheer that went up might have
been heard over the Andes in Ecuador!
CONTINUED in Tomorrow's Star,)