Evening star., 1928-04-01
Continued from Yesterdays starr

r&Sontlnueo from 4eSteroayS STAR
aFperhaps." she suggested hopefully
&here was passage that branched of
somewhere there behind us, and VI
missed il as we came along"
Peter shook his head
'fNo." he said deciSively Il was par.
ticularly on the lookout for anything ot
that sort. The only passage is the one
along which we have come. I'm afraic
les cul de sac, The natives are full
Of this sort of ronancing--a cave that
is opened with ley!'
But the opening. or exit. II there Is
oeae," said Marion quickly. need not
necessarily be here exactly at the end
of the passage. We merely took it for
GRANTED that it was. didn't we. and Sc
weren't looking for it anywhere else?"
Peters lantern was sweeping in all
Girections around him--and suddenly
he stopped and picked up something
frem the ground.
1~'No," he said sharply: IF it's any
where, its herel Look at this!"
Marion leaned forward.
"A burnt match!" Her brows gathered
and she stared at Peter.
>"YeSi" said Peter, and there was a
rcte Of excitement in his voice now.
somebody has been here, and Aghar
lazl6 some Of the other chiefs were ever
showed to come into the cave, and there
lisr certainly nothing inviting enough
about this spot to bring them this far
If the opening were farther back"
Then ii is here!" cried Marion
eagerly I'm sure of it now! Search.
Peter! Search every inch Of the walls!
Gave me the lantern and you use your
rnatches!"
Peter nodded. handed the lantern 10
Marion. struck a match, and bent close
to the section Of the wall nearest him,
passing the flame slowly and carefully
over the surface of the rock until the
match burned his fingers and went out.
He struck another match-and another.
And suddenly 1t all seemed an impos-
able, mad and insane thing that he was
doingi Just solid rock everywhere.
scanned and SCARED. and jagged! A lit
GA way from him Marion's lantern
66okered up and down-and something
OF her eagerneSs and the assurance with
Nhich she seemed to carry on her task
Nhrne to him again. and he went on
Mr1miy, doggedly, lighting more matches.
I And the minutes passed.
4 There were not many matches left.
he counted them. Eight He dared not
tse them ALL Well. two more, then
tnst would leave little reserve for any
emergency and
Peter" Her voice came shaken
Nth excitement I've got it! I'm
klre have! Give me the key. Peter!
Buick"
{ He ran instantly to her side.
"Where?" he asked tensely, as he
pulled the key from his ocket. What
Aave you found?"
"Seel" she said-and held the lantern
Pose to what appeared to be no more
Naan a minute dssure or tiny fault in
, fte rock "Let me try the keyl
know il will fit" She seized the key
and. with trembling fingers. thrust it
into the little aperture ITS moving!"
she cried. See, Peter-See! We've
found it,"
A great irregular slab Of rock, as
though it were falling away from the
wall where its seams ran deep, swung
slowly and silently inward-and Peter
stared ike a man bereft of his senses.
The other side Of the slab was wood
covered, obviously section of panel:
and. though the opening which was
some feet high and feet wide. he
could see into e room which was food
ed with moonlight.
Marion's voice cane in an awed, al
most frightened whisper now:
1t leads into a house, Peter. What
does ii nlean?"
Il don't know" Peter answered in an
undertone. except that we must take
care not 10 make any noise" He took
the lantern from her hand and extin-
guishe6 Il, then returned it to her.
We'll get the trick Of this panel first
In case we have 10 bolt back in here"
He pressed gently al first, then with all
his strength against the slab OF rock,
but could not move it-nor did any
manipulation Of the key have any effect
upon it. There must be another spring
or something somewhere" he said.
We'll. no matter-we haven't time TO
hunt for it anyway, and"
But Marion was leaning through the
opening. staring into the room beyond
and now. suddenly. she reached back,
and clasping him feverishly by the arm,
pulled him forward until they both
stood in the room itself.
Look, Peter-looki Out there
through the window" she breathed
wildly.
The window, low-silled and giving on
cutie close 10 where they stood. 1t
was vide open, and. through II, Peters
startled gaze fixed upon the placid sur
face Of lagoon a short distance away.
where, bathed in the moonlight,
ship lay al anchor a few hundred
yards out from shore
I'm not mad, am !, Peter?" she
bgeathed again. you know what boat
that is! Tell me I'm not mad, Peteri"
'IG-it's the Isis" Peter whispered |