Evening star., 1928-03-31
Continued from Yesterdays starr
Copvrieht 1887, NV Frank L. Packard.

we must hurry. Marion" he eX-
! planned we may have all the time
We need. w may not have nearly
! enoueh--but in any case we must not
! lose minute" And then, as though
/ to belle his words. he came TO an abrupt
/ halt the next instant and swept his
1 lantern around rock chamber that.
unlike any of the others through which
I they had passed. was utterly bare OF
Crnamentation. Look" he exclaimed
( wireless. radio-a broadCaSting set
| don't know much about things Of this
/ sort. but from the look OF them l miss
my guess If there are any that are moro
powerful or long~ranged in this part nf
the world! It's rather obvious proof OF
the power anyhow of these dcvils-to
say nothing of their cold -blooded cffl-
clenCyi"
Peter" Marion reached out and
touched his arm---'iS there a way out
through here?"
He did not answer for a moment.
They were walking quickly forward
again. and now the cave had mar
rowed INTO much smaller proportions.
and the floor had become broken and
uneven. and all signs of furnishings
and occupancy were gone.
Peter" she said again, you are not
very Sure2"
No" he said now: Il only know what
Aghar Pind told me-~what he probably
told YOU. as we'll"
He did not tell me very much-Tajal
/ Ali came too soon. Marion answered.
/ He Said--and it was SO strange a thing
/ to Say--that the cave was opened With
a key"
And then Peter stopped again. and
suddenly. uncontrollably n startled cry
escaped from him. A KEY 1t had
never had any significance before; but
ow-tonieht--! His mind was in
sudden riot He thrust his hand into
| his pocket Yes there it was-amongSt
! his Shillines.
Peter. what is il? what is the mat
/ ter?" Marion cried out anXiously.
"A bit of fancy-perhaps nothing
more" said Peter, sudden quiet in his
voice. and yet. If 1t is true that this
cave is opened with a key. then the
chances are I've got one of those keys
/ IN my pocket-and have had it there
| for months"
Let me see it" she said eagerly
/ Peter took the key from his pocket,
and held up the lantern that she might
see
Marion's brows came together in a
| little pucker.
What a curious looking key!" she
| anything like 1t before!"
No" he said: but that's in its favor
now-I should say it would require a
very curious looking key 10 open q
! cavel" He replaced it in his pocket and
led the way forward again
But" Marion asked in puzzled
way, what makes you think ii might
be- the key We need?"
Because tonipslt." Peter replied. II
S-e -x4F
when / was thrown half unconscious
into the motor boat the night that Mr..
| Murchison was murdered. and
| Peter" she interrupted softly. when
| you told me your story in the cabin to-
night you didn't tell me anything about
a key"
NO" said Peter. "it was detail then
| that I did not think had any signifi-
cance."
Go on. then" she said. Tell me
/ about it now
There's not much to tell" he an
4 swered The thing kept glistening in
/ the sunlight next morning when / was
adrift IN the boat and, because / was a
( BIT done in. / suppose. hurt my eyes
until I couldn't stand it any longer, and
I I crawled along 10 the stern Of the
boat. and--well that's how ] found it
sticking up in the grating As for the
/ rest. I'm sure ii wasn't Murchison's SO
( il must have belonged to Tajal Ali or
one of the men who were with him
/ and this is Tajal Ais cave. OF course,
I he ended with a sudden. jerky laugh,
/ I'll might be Tajal Ais key--and Stiil
the key To anything but cavei"
| 1t might be-but 1t isnt!" declared
/ Marion with sudden conviction, her
/ voice eager and excited Il am certain
/ it is the key-and nothing else!"
| Then said Peter-and forced a
1 light. CHEEKY note into his tones, "all
/ we have TO do is TO find the keyhole."
They made their way along then, for
a little while in silence. The cave had
become 50 narrow now that they were
! forced 10 walk in single file--Peter
anead with the lantern, Marion a step
/ behind And at times now the root
+ dipped sharply. and they were obliged
+ 10 Stoop and once almost 10 crawl for
/ a yard or 50: but they made quite rapid
! progress In spite Of these difficulties
and had traverged perhaps a quarter oi
a mile. when Marion spoke again
Peter" she said suddenly, "you--you
said little while ago. before We came
in here, that something had happened
tonight 10 make 1T almost an impossi-