Evening star., 1925-01-12
The Ark of the Covenant
A Story of Mystery and Adventure
BY VICTOR MCCLURE.
Copyngh Brsher
y of Mystery and Adventure
BY VICTOR MacCLI
Copyright. 1874. by Harper q Brsthe,s.


will grow on the outcrop, and at GER
tain times of the year water or wind
through some underground passage of
the plateau gives out a terrible howl
ing. Hence the fear of the natives.
But, as I say, a point in our favor,
since we may work unmolested."
When we reached the water, the
relief of the bearers at being dis
missed was evident. We had no soon
er freed them than they trooped off
back the way we had come, and they
were, I think, not little scared for
US.
The work of putting together our
canoe occupied Grumstock and Hig-
gins and myself less than day, and
when we had her in the water, we
found her admirably sui8d for our
purpose. She held our stores easily,
and there was sufficient room left TO
afford our leader his ease-or as much
ease as his pooor body would allow
him-together with space for the ade-
quate handling of her.
In the early morning we set out for
the mysterious plateau. l shall say
nothing of the journey except that it
was arduous.
Mai. Boon has given a fairly accu-
rate description of the lie OF the land
about the plateau. Its main axis ran
from east to west, and the toe lay
among marshy ground, thickly grown
with bladed plants and the myrtle
and veronica type of shrub common in
the district. On the north, a little
basin lay under the plateau cliffs, and
our approach was by q river which
flowed from this basin, through a
gorge quite navigable, and bore in a
westerly curve from a cup of land of
which the plateau was the southern
border.
On the south side OF the plateau
another river lay, or rather a back
water of that river which shall call
the Rio Innominata. We did not
realize at our first approach of the
plateau that it would have been pos
sib1e to cut of several leagues of
travel by making a portage to that
backwater, of which both entrances
were cut off from the main stream by
g. mass of fallen timber very much
overgrown. We took instead the
longer way. Out of the Rio limo
minata at good number of kilo-
meters downstream from the back
water we turned into the basin river,
and described a wide loop to the north
of the plateau. From the map it will
be seen that both the Innominata and
northward cup flow west for the
greater part of their courses, and
that the former turns south at last
to curve into an easterly running
tributary of the Negro. In subsequent
voyages the longer route / have in
dicated was always followed. and as
precaution against being detected we
left the overgrown entrances to the
backwater undisturbed.
The basin to the north OF the
plateau was overhung by great lime
stone bluffs, which from the top must
have hid half the basins area, and
this impending wall of rock was
pierced by q great arch that led to a
cave under the plateau, cave and
basin being Joined by water.
1t was with sense of awe, having
lit the acetylene searchlight in the
bows, that we began to paddle into
the cave. The light but family
illumined the vastness OF the under
ground cathedral in which we now
found ourselves. The ceiling was
roughly arched, and in it's shadowed
height one imagined that a fantastic
pattern of vaulting could be traced.
Here and there stalactitic pillars OF
effect. We became conscious of the
roar and plash of falling water, then
deep in the heart of the cavern we
came on a waterfall in which from
height OF about 40 meters swift
stream tumbled in great volume.
by Jovei SIR I whispered to our
leader, what q chance there for
powerw
Yes" he replied. But you will
find the fall the least of the wonders
have to show you. Bear over to the
right, Higgins, please"
Z now saw that from the main
cavern other caves ran out on either
side, several of them with floors slop-
ing clear Of the water line. Two Of
these in particular, on the west, with
common mouth to the main CAVERN;
were ideal for docking and building
the airships which were part Of our
scheme. With our leader L went,
ashore to examine these two caves,
and ne led the way into an inner cave,
rather smaller than the other pair.
Here, Seton," ne said, I'VE are
standing, ! am certain, on the down
slope Of an anticlinal fold. See how It
runs down under the basin Of the
main cavern. At the toe of the
plateau, which take to be the
| further slope of the saddle, I found
among the marshes certain indica-
tions of the presence of petroleum
that greenish scum which dare say
you know"
I nodded. ..
Very well. then. II 1t can be avoid
ed, We do not wish to drill for our oil
in the open, but I think IL we drill
here we may do so with q reasonable
hope of striking"
We passed round q wall of reck
into another inner cave.
IF we block UP this cave, having
first made certain that there is no
| other outlet, said the Master, don't
you think, my good Seton, we shall
have an adequate reservoir for. our
| crude oil?" ..
Why, yes. sir" I replied. in be-
wilderment at the completeness OF the
| thing. "A few bags of cement would
put it right"
/ Exactly. Now, on the other side of
the main cavern there are other caves
/ should like you to see. / am in
clined to think that we shall have our
refinery and machine shops over there;
| And 1 believe we shall find ample
ventilation"
From the main mouth OF the caves,
| ledge ran on the east side to widen
out into a spacious floor on the left
| of the big central cave. This was so
wide and deep that Il was easy to.
picture an extensive machine shop
| there, with plenty of room left for
fha oil raffnAry. Our nOwar