Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1925-01-07
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RAINBOW ISLAND

Across the parched bones lay the
stick discarded by jerks in his alarm.
He picked it up and resumed his pro-
gress along the pathway. So closely
did he now examine the ground that
he hardly noted his direction The
track led straight towards the wall of
rock The distance was not great
about forty wards. At first the brush
wood impeded him, but soon even this
hindrance disappeared, and well-de-
fined passage meandered through
belt of trees, some strong and lofty,
others quite immature
More bushes gathered at the foot
of the cliff. Behind them he could see
the mouth of a cave; the six months
old growth OF vegetation about the en-
trance gave clear Indication as to the
time which had elapsed since human
foot las disturbed the solitude.
A few vigorous blows with the stick
cleared away orstructing plants and
leafy branches. The sailor stopped and
looked into the cavern, for the open
ing was barely five feet high. He per-
ceived instantly that the excavation
was mans handiwork, applied to
fault in the hard rock. A sort of natur-
al shaft existed, and this had been eX-
tended by manual labor. Beyond the
entrance the cave became more lofty.
Owing to its position with reference
to the sun at that hour jerks mag
ined that sufficient light would be OBJ
tainable when the tropical luXuriance
of foliage outside was dispensed with.
At present the interior was dark.
With the stick he tapped the walls
and roof. A startled cluck and the
rush of wings heralded the fight OF
two birds, alarmed by the noise. Soon
his eyes, more accustomed to the
gloom, made tut that the place was
about thirty feet deep, ten feet wide
in the center, and seven or eight feet
high.
At the further end was collection
of objects inviting prompt attention.
Each moment he could see with great
er distinctness Kneeling on one side
of the little pile he discerned that on
a large stone, serving as rude bench,
were some utensils, some knives,
sextant, and quantity of empty cart
ridge cases. Between the stone and
what miner terms the face" of the
rock was a four-foOt space. Here, hair
imbedded in the sand which covered
the floor, were two pickaxes, shovel,
a sledge-hammer, fine t1mber-tel-
ling axe, and three croWbars.
In the darkest corner of the caves
extremity the wall" appeared to be
very smooth. He prodded with the
stick, and there was sharp clang or
tin. He discovered six square kero-
sene-oil cases carefully stacked up
Three were empty, one seemed to be
half full, and the contents of two
were untouched. With almost fever
ish haste he ascertained that the half
filled tin did really contain OIL
What a find!" he calculated aloud.
Another pair of birds dashed from
ledge near the roof.
Confound you'll" shouted the sailor.
He sprang back and whacked the
walls viciously, but all the feathered
intruders had gone.
So far as he could judge the cave
harbored no further surprises he
turning towards the exit his boots dls-
lodged more empty cartridges from
the sand. They were shells adapted 10
a revolver of heavy caliber. At short
distance from the doorway they were
present in dozens
"The remnants of a fight" ne
thought. "The. man was attacked, ana
defended himself here. Not expecting
the arrival of enemies he provided no
store of food or water. He was killed
from the doorway whilst trying TO
reach the we'll, probably at night
He wildly pictured the scene-a
brave, hardy European keeping at bay
a boatload of Dyak savages, enduring
manfully the agonies of hunger
thirst, perhaps wounds. Then the siege
followed by wild effort to gain the
life giving we'll, the hiss of Malay
parang welded by lurking foe, ana
the last despairing struggle before
death came.
He might be mistaken. Perchance
there was less dramatic explanation.
But he could not shake off his first
impression. They were garnered from
dumb evidence and developed by some
occult but overwhelming sense of GER
tainty
(TO BE CONTINUED