Year: 1860

llmSeiI 10 De.


When the wrecker chief had elected all tn


information he could, and learned with what


rich cargo the vessel was freighted, and tha


she had $4,000 in specie on board, he smile,
! grimly, and remarked to one of his confederate


that she would perhaps be richer prize eveI


than the Hhfe Fdqrn had been a few year


before. The mention of the name of the i'll


fated ship in which Carrie Thornton aad hel


father had been lost, gave Maurice Lester such


a shock that he nearly fell to the earth. Ht


grew deadly pale and his frame quivered con


vulsively.


i whats the matter? :" said Wolfgang-
i"You don't seem to have much strength left
bring him along boys, where we can doctor


him.


The sinister glance which accompanied this


last remark, and the peculiar emphasis laid up


on the word "doctor,' struck a chill to our


hero's heart But he could not give his own
safety much thought, while he was partly fore


ed and partly carried along after Wolfgang,


who strobe rapidly on for nearly half an hour.


He could think only of the White Fawa that


had been wrecked on that coast, and of his be-
loved Carrie who had, perhaps, in company
with those same men, trod the same path he
was now treading. What had been her fate +?
Had she been murdered by these wretches, or
reserved for some more deplorabe doom p
These thoughts filed him with unutterable
agony.


Wolfgang had now drawn near the waters
edge; and soon coming to the mouth of "A cave
he entered it, followed by the three ruiIians
who had charge Of our hero. The bottom of
the cave sloped upward from its entrance for
some distance, and then became almost level
| The captive (for such Maurice Lester now felt
himself to be- frequently hit his feet against
! what he thought, with chill of horror, were
human bones strcwn around the cavern, but he
could not clearly make them out in the dim
| light. He also noticed that the bottom Of the
cave was very wet, though it had recently
been covered with water. The wrecker chief
tain stopped, at last, near what seemed the
end of the cave, and making sign to his fol-
lowers they cappcd manacles on the wrists
and ankles of Maurice before he had time to
note their intention.


Now, Captain Lester" said Wolfgang,
| you must remain in this place for a short sea-
son. You are perfectly safe here.-Silence =
Say not a word If YOU attempt to leave this
spot, you will be slain the moment you set foot
| outside the cave"


Thus speaking. the chieftain and his follow
ers silently but rapidly. withdrew, leaving Maui
rice nearly stupefed with astohshment. As
they passed from the mouth of the cave, their
feet were wet by the rising waves. The tide
tr1S fast coming IN.


After short time, the captive looked about
him with eyes somewhat accustomed to the dim
light, and became satisfied that what he had
supposed to be human bones were really such.
There were many of them. And moving a.
naong them were huge rats. seeking for prey.
The top of the cavern, in some places. was but
few feet above his head, and in one place he
discovered small aperature, through which
faint light struggled, and on going underneath
It, he thought he smclt the odor of vegetation
and flowers.


On turning, from the contemplation OF this
aperature, towards the mouth of the cave, Cap
tain Lester observed, with alarm. that the wa
ter was creeping up the sloping bottom.-
What if it should fill the cavern? All now
he could account for the presence there of
those human bones! They were the sad me-
MORALS of other hapless prisoners who had
been left i'll that cave to perish by dr0uning!
Slowiy but surely the waters crept along
The vermin fed before them to the elevated
spot on which Maurice stood. Slowly follow
ing, the incoming water at length reached his
.e-t.


At The end Of the cave. within a few feet of
| the wall, and underneath the apcraturc before
| spoken of, was a large piece of rock, some four
feet high, that might have fallen from above.
| To this Maurice hastcned as quickly as his
| inanaces would permit. After ssme excrtinn
he succeeded i'll climbing to the top Of it, and
stood erect, his head within few inches of the
roof of the cavern. But he was not allowed
| to occupy this retreat alone. As the water
| began to circle around its base the rats also
sought refuge on it in great numbers, and in
vain did Maurice try to dislodge them with bis
manaeled feet.


Soon (as it seemed to the captive) the Wa
ter came ripping over the top of the rock
| He felt its moisture upon his feet. And still


It rose slowly but rclentlessly it rose higher
| higher and as il rose, the rats climed up his
limbs for safety. 1t was in vain that he brush
cd them off with his fettered hands. They i'll.
stanty returned. They cambered up his back
to his shoulders-over the back of his neck
| -tO NIO"H VI lIio uSdu tiST CldIiiily
bodies striking chill to his very heart.
And still higher the waters rose, and more
thickly the foul vermin clustered upon the de-
voted captivcs shoulders and head, us their on
y places of safety. Driven frantic at last by
the horrors Of his situation, he was about to
plunge into the surging tide and seek a watery
grave, when his attention was arrested by the
tread OF rapid footsteps near the aperature
above his head, and the sound of harsh mas
cuine voice, almost instantly followed by
noise of struggle, and a piercing shrek


which thrilled Maurice Lester to the very soul.


He could not be mistaken: it was CARRIES


voice. Again he heard it, but now in tones Of
entrcaty. Oh, it her voice. She was not
dead She lived and was near him Gather
ing all his strength he shouted Carrie Car
rie ! CARRIEi'


A dead silence followed, broken only by the


fearful murmurs Of the still rising waters, and


the splash of the rats as they fell from the


wretched captvc's head and shoulders, only to


return again, in their fierce struggles for a


perch of safety from the advancing tide which
had now nearly reached our hero's shoulders


The above is all of this story that we will


publish in columns. We give this as II


sample. The continuation of it from where it
leaves off here can be found only in the New


York Ledger, the great family paper, to which


the most popular writer's in the country con-


tribute, and which is for sale at all the stores


throughout the city and country, where pa-
pers are sold. Remember and ask for the New
, York Ledger of January 7, and in it you will
find the continuation of the story from where
it leaves off here. If you cannot get a copy
at any book store, the publisher OF the Ledger
will mail you a copy if you will send him five
cents in letter.


, The Ledger is mailed to subscribers at 80 a