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About Daily capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1903-1919 | View Entire Issue (June 10, 1916)
THE DAILY CAPITAL JOI RNAL, SALEM, OREGON, SATURDAY, JUNE 10, 1916. BY A.CGXJAU Copyright, 1912, CHAPTER IX. "Who Could Have Foreeeen It?" LTiEADFFL thing has happen ed to n.s. Who could have forei soon It? I cannot foresee any end to our troubles. It may bo that we are condemned to spend our whole lives In this strange, Innc--islble place. I nm still so confusis! fiat I can hardly think clearly of the facts of Hie present or of the chances f (he future. To niy astounded senses tuc one seems most terrible nnd tho hi her ns black as night. When I finished my last letter I Stat l that we were within seven miles fiom mi enormous lino of ruddy cliffs which encircled, beyond all doubt, the jiiaJeau of which Professor Challenger HoUe. Their height, ns we approach ed tlicni, seemed to uie in some places to be greater than he had staled, run icng up In purls to at. least a thousand f -cl, mid they were curiously striated in a milliner which Is, I believe, char ii I eristic of basaltic upheavals. Some thing1 of the sort Is to be neon In Sails Iciry crags, at Edinburgh. The sum mit showed every sign of o luxuriant vegetation, with bushes near the edge and further back many high trees. There was no Indication of any life that we could see. That night we pitched our camp Im mediately under the cliff a most wild mid desolate spot. The crags above us were pot merely perpendicular, but ' "jrved outward at the top, so that as cot, was out of the question. In the morning, after n frugal break f i.st of coffee and manioc we had to be economical of our stores wo held a council of war as to the best method of ascending to the plateau above us. Challenger presided with a solemnity i If he were the lord chief Justice on the bench. Picture liliu seated upon n rook, his absurd boyish straw hat tilt ed on the back of his head, his super i Hiims eyes dominating us from under Ins drooping lids, his great black beard wagging as he slowly defined our pros it situation and our future move ments. "I need not say," said our leader, "that on the occasion of my lust visit I exhausted every men ns of climbing the cliff, and where I failed I do not (iliik any one else Is likely to succeed, f-r I am something of u mountaineer. I had none of the appliances of it rock I'Mnhcr wllh me, but I have taken the meounlloii lo bring I hem now. Wllh their aid I am positive I could climb I uiit, detached pinnacle to the summit. It' it solong us the main clUT overhangs ?t Is vain to nlloinpt ascending that. I whs hurried upon my last visit by the approach of' (he rainy season and by the exhaustion of my supplies, 'loose considerations llinllod my lime, H id I can only claim that I have sur- If WW'. 1 W We H.I J Council of War. v-.ed about sin miles of the cliff to Hi" eat of us, (lulling no possible way iiii What, thou, shall w uow do?" "Thero seems to lie only one iomsoii ii ilo course." mild Professor Summer l'. "If you Imvo explored the east we Khoiild trawl along the base of, tho iff to Ihe west it ml seels for a pruo (( shin point f.r our ascent." Thai's It," said Lord John. '-The 0 lds am that this plateau Is of great m'o, and we shall travel round It until we either llinl an easy way up it or 1 iuie back o tint point from which Marled." The ground at Hie foot of the cliff whs rocky and hinken, so that Hie go be! was slow and dllltcult. Suddenly wo ciiine, however, upon soiucihlug which cheered our lieuits. It was tho mIm of nn old encampment, wit li sev oi il empty Chicago meal this, a bottle hholod "UniinK." a broken tin opener rm I a quantity of other travelers' do lots. A crumpled, disintegrated news . Wmiw w$Wi m mm. mm '"" by A. Conin Doyle. paper revealed Itself as the Chicago liemocrat, though (he dale had been obliterated. "Not mine," said Challenger. "It must be Maple White's." Lord John bad been gazing curiously at a great tree fern whi -h overshad owed the encampment. "I say, look at i his," said bo. "I believe It Is meant for a signpost." A. slip of hardwood bad been nailed to tho tree in such a way as to point lo the westward. "Most certainly a signpost," said Challenger. "What else? rinding him self upon a dangerous errand, our pio neer has left this sign so that any party which follows film may know the way he has taken. Perhaps we shall coino upon some other Indica tions as we proceed." Wo did indeed, but they were of a terrible and most unexpected nature. Immediately beneath the cliff there, grew a considerable patch of high bamboo, like that which we had trav ersed In our Journey. Many of these slems were twenty feet high, with sharp, strong lops, so that even as they stood I hey niiule formidable spears. We wore passing along the edge of I his cover when my eye was caught by the gleam of something white with in It. Thrusting In my head between the stems, I found myself gazing at a fleshloss skull. The whole skeleton was there, but the skull had detached Itself and lay some feet nearer to the open. Will" n few blows from the machetes of our Indians we cleared Ihe spot and were able to study the details of this old tragedy. Only a few shreds of cloihes could still be distinguished, but there were Ihe remains of boots upon the bony feet, and It was very clear that the dead man was a European. A gold watch ami a chain, which held n slylographlc pen, lay among the bones. There was also a silver cigarette case, with "J. C., from A. li, S.," upon the lid. The state of the metal seemed to show that the catastrophe had occur red no great I line before. "Who can lie be?" asked Lord John. 'Poor devil, every bono In his body seems lo be broken." "Anil the bainbuo grows through his smashed ribs," said Suniniorlee. "It Is a fast growing plant, but It Is surely inconceivable that this body could have been hero while the canes grew to be twenty feet in length." "As lo tho man's Identlly," said Pro fessor Challenger, "I have no doubt whatever upon Hint point. As I made my way up Hie liver before I reached you at I lie lazenila I Inst Hilled very particular lmiuhies about. Maple While. At I'arn they knew nothing. Fortu nately, 1 bad a riclllille clow, for I here was a particular picture In his sketch book which showed blni taking lunch wllh a certain ecclesiastic at ltosiuio. This priest 1 was able to mid, and though bo proved a very argumenta tive fellow, who look It absurdly amiss that 1 should point out lo lilm the cor rosive effect, which modem science must have upon his beliefs, be none tho less gave mo some positive Informa tion, Maple While passed Ilosnrio four years ago, or two years before I saw his dead body. He was not alone at the lluie, but there was a friend, un American named .lames Colver, who remained in the bunt nnd did not meet this ecclesiastic 1 Ihiuk, therefore, that there can be no doubt that we are now looking upon the remains of this .tallies Colver." "Nor," said Lord John, "Is there much doubt as lo bow he met his death, lie has fallen or been chucked from the top n ml so been Impaled. How else could he come by his broken bones and how could he have been stuck through by Ihcse canes with their points so high abovo our heads?" We moved oft In silence and contin ued to const round the line of cliffs, which wore as even and unbroken ns some of those monstrous Antarctic Ice Holds which I have seen depicted as .stretching from horizon to horizon and lowering high above the iiiiidI heads of the exploring vessel. In fire miles we saw no rift or break. And then suddenly we perceived some thing which tilled us with new hope, in n hollow of the rock, protected from rain, there was drawn a rough arrow In chalk, pointing still to the west ward. "Maple White again," said Professor Challenger. "He had some proseull liient Unit worthy footsteps would fol low close behind III m." "lie hud chalk, then?" "A box of coliinsl chalks was among (lie effects I found In his kniipsiick. 1 remember that the white one was Worn to s stomp." "That Is certainly good evidence," said Siiniuieiioe. "We can only ac cept hi- ifiililaiice Had follow on to the wil ward." We had proceeded some five more miles when atialn we saw a white ar row upon the rocks, it was at a point w here the face of the cliff was for tho llr-it lime split Into a narrow cleft. In side the cleft was a second guidance mark, which pointed light up It with (ho Hp somewhat elevated, as If the spot Indicated were above the level of the ground. It was a solemn place, for the walls were so gigantic and the silt of blue sky so narrow and so obscured by a double fringe of verdure that only a tllm and shadowy light penetrated to the bottom. We had had no food for many hours and were very weary with the stony and Irregular Journey, but our nerves were too strung to allow us to halt. We ordered the camp to be pitched,' however, and. leaving the Indians to arrange It, wc four, with the two half breeds, proceeded up the narrow gorge. It was not over forty feet across at tho mouth, but It rapidly closed un til it ended In an acute angle, too straight and smooth for an ascent. Certainly It was not this which our pioneer had attempted to Indicate. We made our way back the whole gorge was not more than a quarter of a mile deep and then suddenly the quick eyes of Lord John fell upon what we were seeking. High up above our heads amid the dark shadows there was one circle of deeper gloom. Sure ly It could only be the opening of a cave. The baso of the cliff was heaped with loose stones at the spot, and It was not dltlicult to clamber up. When we reached It all doubt was removed. Xot only was It an opening Into the rock, but on the side of it there was marked once again ihe sign of the ar row. Here was the point and this was the means by which Maple White and his III fated comrade had made their ag ent. We were too excited fo return to the camp, but must make our first ex ploration at once. Ixml John had an rleetrlo torch In his knapsack, and this had to serve us as light. He advanced, throwing Ills little dear circlet of yel low radiance before him, while In sin- ;le tile we followed at his heels. The cave had evidently been water worn, the sides being smooth and the tloor covered with rounded stones. It was of such a size that a single man could Just (It through by stooping. For ilfty yards It ran almost straight Into the rock, and then It ascended at an angle of forty-five. Presently this In cline became even steeper, and we found ourselves climbing upon hands and knees among loose rubble which slid from benealh us. Suddenly an ex clamation broke from Lord Itoxtsjji. "It's blocked!'' said lie. Clustering behind lilm. we saw In the yellow Held of light n wall of broken basalt which extended to the ceiling. "The roof lias fallen In!" In vain we dragged out some of the pieces. The only effect .was that the larger ones became delached and threaloned to roll down the gradient and crush us. Il was evident that the obstacle was far beyond any efforts blocked!" (aid ht. "Tho roof but iallen in.'' which we could make to remove It. The road by which Maple While had ascended was no longer available.' Too much cast down to speak, we stumbled down the dark tunnel and made our way back to the camp. . One Incident occurred, however, be fore we left the gorge, which is of lin portauce In view of what cauio after ward. We had gathered In a little group at the bottom of the chasm, some for ty feet benealh the mouth of the cave, when a huge rock rolled suddenly downward and shot past us with tre mendous force. It was t lie narrowest escape for one or all of us. We could not ourselves see whence the rock hud come, but our half breed servants, who were .still ut the opening of the cave, said (hat It had tlowu past thorn and must therefore have fallen from (he summit. LooKNg upward, we could see no sign of movement above ti amid the green Jungle which topped the cliff. There could be III lie doubt, however, that the stone was alined at ns, so tile holdout surely pointed to humanity-and malevolent humanity upon the plateau. We withdrew hurriedly from the chasm, our minds full of this new de velopment and Its bearing ii'iou our plans. The situation was diltlcult enough before; but, If the obstructions of nature wore Increased by the de liberate opposition of man, then our A f J . "it's case Was Indeed a hopeless one. And yet as we looked up at that beautiful fringe of verdure only a few hundreds of feet above our heads there was not one of ug who could conceive the idea of returning to London until we hail explored it to Its depths. On discussing tho situation we de termined' that our best course was to continue to const round the plateau In tho hope of finding some other means t reaching the top. The line of cliffs, which had decreased considerably In height, had already begun to trend from west to north, and If we conld take this as representing the arc of a circle the whole circumference could not be very great. At tlie worst, then, we should be back In a few days at our starting point. We made a march that day which totaled some two and twenty miles without any change In our prospects. I may mention that our aneroid shows us that in the continual Incline which we have nscended since we abnndoned our canoes we have risen to no less than 3.IW0 feet above sea level: hence there Is a considerable change both In ihe temperature and in the vegetation. We have shaken off some, of that hor rible insect lit'o which Is the bane of tropical travel. A few palms still sur vive and many tree ferns, but the Amazonian trees have been all left be hind, ft was pleasant to see the con volvulus, the pusslon flower nnd the begonid, all reminding me of home, here among these Inhospitable rocks. There was a red begonia Just the same color as one that Is kept In a pot in the window of a certain villa In Sireat ham. Hut I am drifting Into private leminlsceuee. CHAPTER X. Summaries No Longer Skeptical. HAT night 1 am still speaking of the Urst day of our circum navigation of the plateau a groat experience awaited us and one which forever set at rest any doubt which we could have had as to the wonders so near us. What occurred was this: Lord John had shut an njoutl. which Is a small, plgllko anlmul, mid, half of It having been given to the Indians, we were cooking the other half upon our Dre. There Is a chill in the air after dark, and we had all drawn close to the blaze. The night was moonless, but there were some stars, and one could see for a little distance across the plain. Well, suddenly out of the dark ness, out of the night, there swooped something with a swish like an aero plane. The whole group of us were covered for an Instant by a canopy of leathery wings, and I had a momen tary vision of a long, snakellke neck, a lleree, red, greedy eye and a great snapping beak, filled, to my amaze ment, with, little, gleauiiug teeth. The next Instant it was gone nnd so was our dinner. A huge black shadow, twenty feet across, skimmed up into the air. For an Instant the monster wings blotted out the stars, and then It vanished over Ihe brow of the cliff above us. We all sat in amazed silence round the fire, like the heroes of A'Irgil when the Harpies came down upon t hem. It was Sumnieiiee who was the (irst to speak. "Professor Challenger," said he. In a solemn voice, which qunvered with emotion, "I owe you an apology. Sir, I am very much in the wrong, and I beg that you will forget what Is past." It was handsomely said, and the two men for the first time shook hands. So much we have gained by this clear vi sion of our first pterodactyl. It was worth a stolen supper to bring two such men together. On the sixth day we completed our first circuit of the cliffs and found our solves back at the first camp beside the Isolated pinnacle of rock. We were a disconsolate party, for nothing conld have been more minute than our In vestlgatlon, ami It was absolutely cer tain that there was no single point where the most aetlve- human being could possibly hope to scale the cliff. The place which Maple White's chalk marks had Indicated as his own means of access was now entirely Impassa ble. What were we to do now? Our stores of provisions, supplemented by our guns, were holdlug out. well, but the day must cmue when they would need replenishment. lu a couple of months the rains might be expected, ami we should lie washed out of our camp. The rock was harder than mar ble, null any attempt at cutting a path for so groat a height was more than our time or resources would admit. N'o wonder that we looked gloomily at each other that night and sought our blankets with hardly a word exchang ed. I remember that as I dropped off lo sleep my last recollection was that Challenger was squatting, like a mon slrous bullfrog, by the fire, ills huge head tn his hands, sunk apparently In the deepest thought and entirely ob livious to the good night which I wish ed him. I lit It was a very different Clinllen get' who greeted us In the morning -a Challenger with contentment and self congratulation shining from his whole person. He faced us as we assembled for breakfast with a deprecating false modesty In his eyes, as who should say, "I know that 1 deserve all that you can say. but I pray you to spare my blushes by nut. saying It." His board bristled exultantly, ills chest was thrown nut and his baud was thrust Into the front of his Jacket. So. In bis fancy, may he see himself some times gracing the vacant pedestal lu Trafalgar square mid adding one more to the horrors of the London streets. "Eureka!" he cried, his tooth shilling through his heard. "Ceutletnon, you may congratulate me and we may congratulate each other. The problem Is solved." "Yu have found way up?" "1 venture to think so." "And where?" ' For answer he pointed to the spire like pinnacle upon our right Our faces, or mine at least, fell as we surveyed It. That it could be climbed we had our companion's as surance, but a horrible abyss lay be tween It aad the plateau. "We can never get across!" I gasped. "We can at least all reach the sum mit," said he. "When wo are up I may bo able to show you that the re sources of an Inventive mind are not yet exhausted." After breakfast we unpacked the bundle In which our leader had brought his climbing accessories. From it he look a coil of the strongest and lightest rope, which was lot) feet in length, with climbing Irons, clamps and other devices. Lord John xvas an experienced mountaineer, and Summer- lee had done some rough climbing at various times, so that I was really t,he novice at rock work of the party. But my strength und activity may have made up for my want of experience. It was not In reality a very stiff task, though there were moments which made my hair bristle upon my head. The first half was perfectly easy, but from there upward it became continually steeper until for the last fifty feet we were literally clinging with our fingers nnd toes to tiny ledges and crevices In the; rock. I could not have accomplished It nor could Summcrlee if Challenger had not gained the summit (It was extraor dinary to see such activity In so un wieldy a creature) and there fixed the rope round the trunk of the consider able tree which grew there. With this us our support we were soon able to scramble up the jagged wall until we found ourselves upon the small grassy platform, some twenty-live feet each way, which formed the summit. The first impression which I received when I had recovered my breath was of the extraordinary view over tile country which we had traversed. The whole Brazilian plain seemed to lie be neath us, extending away and away until It ended In dim blue mists upon the farthest sky line. In the fore ground was the long slope, strewn with rocks and dotted with tree ferns. Far ther off In the middle distance, looking over the saddleback hill, 1 could Just see the yellow and green mass of bam boos through whicjj we hnd passed, and then gradually the vegetation In creased until It formed the huge for est which extended ns far as the eyes could reach and for a good 2,000 miles beyond. I was still drinking in this wonderful panorama when tho heavy hand of the professor fell upon my shoulder. "This way, my young friend," said lie. "Vestigia nplla rctrorsum. Never look rearward, but always to our glo rious goal." The level of tho plateau when I turn ed was exactly that on which wc stood, and the green bank of bushes, with oc casional trees, was so near thnt It was difficult to realize how Inaccessible It remained. At a rough guess the gulf was forty feet across; but, so far as I conld see, It might as well have been forty miles. I placed one arm round the trunk of the tree and leaned over the nbyss. Far down were the small dark figures of our servants looking up at us. The wall was absolutely pre cipitous, as was that which faced me. "This is Indeed curious," said the creaking voice of Professor Sumnierlee. I turned and found that he was ex amining with great Interest the tree to which I clung. That smooth bark and those small, ribbed leaves seemed fa miliar to my eyes. "Why," I cried, "it's a beech!" "Exuctly," salii Summcrlee "n fel low "countryman In a far land." "Not only a fellow countryman, my good sir," said Challenger, "but also, if I may be allowed to enlarge your simile, mi ally of the first value. This beech tree will be our savior." "By George," cried Lord John, "a bridge!" "Exactly, my friends, a bridge! It Is not for nothing Hint 1 expended an hour Inst night In focusing my mind upon the situation. I have some recol lection of once remarking to our young friend here that (I. E. C. is at bis best when his back is to the wall. Last night you will admit that all our backs were to the wall. But where will pow er and intellect go together there is al ways a way out. A drawbridge bad to be found which could be dropped across the abyss. Behold It!" It w as certainly a brilliant Idea. The tree was a good sixty feet In height, and If It fell only the right way It would easily cross tho chasm. Chal lenger had slung Hie camp ax over his shoulder when lie ascended. Now he handed it to me. "Our young friend lias the thews and sinews," said lie. . "I think he will be Ihe mostuseful at tills task. I must beg. however, that you will kindly re frain from thinking for yourself and that you will do exactlv what you are lold." t'lidor bis direction I cut such gashes lu the sides of the tree as would Insure that It should fall as wc desired. It had already a strong, natural tilt In (lie direction of the plateau, so that the matter was not ditllenlt. Finally 1 set to work In earnest upon the trunk, taking turn and turn with Lord John. In a little over an hour there was a loud crack. The tree swayed forward and then crashed over, burying Uz branches among (he bushes on the far ther side. The severed trunk rolled to the very edge of our platform, and for one terrible second we all thought It was over. It balanced Itself, however, a few Inches from the edge, and there was our bridge to the unknown. All of us without a word shook hands with Professor Challenger, who raised his straw hat and bowed deeply to each In turn. "I claim the honor;" said he, "to be the first to cross to the unknown land, a fitting; subject no doubt for some fu ture historical painting." CHAPTER XI. The Half Breed's Revenge, SEATING himself with a leg over hanging the abyss on each side and bis hatchet slung upon his back, Challenger hopped his way across the trunk nnd was soon at the other side. He clambered up and Waved his anus In the air. "At last!" he cried. "At last!" I gazed anxiously at lilm. with a vague expectation that some terrible fate would dart at him from the cur tain of green behind htm. But all was iUict save that a strange, many colored bird flew up from under bis feet and vanished among the trees, Sumnierlee was the second. His wiry energy Is wonderful in so frail a frame. lie Insisted upon having two rifles slung upon his back, so that both professors were armed when he had made his transit. I came next and tried hard not to look down into the horrible gulf over which I was pass ing. Summerlee held out the butt end of his rifle, and an Instant later I was able to grasp his hand. As to Lord John, he walked across actually walk ed without support: He must have nerves of iron. And there we were, the four of us, upon the dreamland, the lost world of Maple White. To all of us It seemed the moment of our supreme triumph. Who could have guessed that It was the prelude to our supreme disaster? Let me say In a few words how the crushing blow fell upon us. We had turued away from the edge and had penetrated about fifty yards of close brushwood when there came a frightful, rending crash from behind m WW -Mm t!" he cried. At last!" us. With one Impulse we rushed back the way that we had come. The bridge was gone! Far down at the base of (he cliff I suw as I looked over a tangled mass of branches and splintered trunk. It was our beech tree. Had the edge of the platform crumbled and let It through? For a moment this explanation was In all our minds. The next, from the farther side of the rocky pinnacle be fore ns, n swarthy face, the face of Gomez, tho half breed, was slowly protruded. Yes, It was tlomcz, but no longer the Oomez of the demure smile and the maskllkc expression. Here was a face with flashing eyes and dis torted features, a face convulsed with hatred and with the mad joy of grati fied revenge. "Lord Itoxton!"-4ie shouted. "Lord John Itoxfon!" "Well," said our companion, "here I am." A shriek of laughter came across the abyss. "Yes, (hero you are, you English dog, and there you will remain! I have wailed and waited, and now has come my chance. Yon found It hard to get up; you will find It harder to get down. You cursed fools, you are trapped, every one of you!" We were too astounded to speak. We could .only stand there staring In auiazeuient. A great broken bough upon the grass showed whence he had gained his leverage to tilt over our bridge. The face had vanished, but presently It was up again, more frantic than before. "We nearly killed you with a stone at the cave!" he cried. But this Is better. It Is slower and more terri ble. Your bones will whiten up there, and none will know where you lie or come to cover them. As you lie dying think of Lopez, whom you shot five years ago on the Putoniayo river. I am ills brother, and. come what will. I will die happy now. for his memory has been avenged!" A furious hand was shaken at us, and then all was quiet. Had the half breed simply wrought his vengeance and then escaped all might have been well wllh him. It was that foolish. Irresistible Latin Im pulse to be dramatic which brought his own downfall. Uoxton. the man who had earned himself the name of the "Flail of the Lord" through three coun tries, was not one who could be safely taunted. The half breed was descend ing on the farther side of the pinnacle, but before he could reach the ground Lord John bud rim along the edge of the plateau and gained a point from which he conld see his man. There was a single crack of his rifle, and. though we saw nothing, we hoard the scream and then the distant thud of the falling body. I'oxtnu came back to us with a face of granite. "1 have been a blind simpleton," said he bitterly. "It's my folly that has brought yon all Into this trouble. I should have remembered thnt these fee "' M ... II people have long memories for blood feuds and have been more upon my guard." "What about the other one? It took two of them to lever thnt tree over the edge." "I could have shot him, but I let hlin go. He may have bad no part In it Perhaps It would have been better If I had killed him, for he must, as you say, have lent a hand." Now that we had the clew to bis action each of us could cast back and remember some sinister act upon the part of the half breed ills constant desire to know our plans, his arrest outside our tent when he was over hearing them, the furtive looks of ha tred which from time to time one or other of tw had surprised. We were still discussing it, endeavoring to ad just our minds to these now condi tions, when a singular scene In the plain below arrested ouv attention. A man In white clothes, who could only be the surviving half breed, was running as one does run when death. trtnTT Mr - - - i tho loony ligmc ... .. our dc- vot.ul neyu.. Even us we looked ho sprung upon the bn' k of the fugltiver and Hung his arms round his neck. They rolled on the ground together. An instant afterward Zambo rose,' looked at the prostrate man and then, waving lils baud Joyously to us, came running In our direction. The whlta figure lay motionless in the middle of the great plain. Our two traitors hnd been destroyed, but the mischief that they had done lived after them. By no possible means could we get buck to the pin nacle. Wo hud been unlives of tho world; now wo were natives of tho plateau. The two tilings were sepa rate and apart. There was the plain which led to the canoes. Yonder, be yond the violet, hazy horizon, was tbe: stream which led back to civilization. But the link between was missing. No human ingenuity could suggest a means of bridging Hie chasm which yawned ' between ourselves and our past lives. One instant bad altered all the conditions of our existence. It was at such a moment that I learned the stuff of which my three, comrades were composed. They were grave, It Is true, ami thoughtful, but of nn invincible serenity. For the mo ment we could only sit among the bushes in patience and wait the com ing of Zambo. Presently his honest black face topped the rocks nnd bis herculean figure emerged upon the top of the pinnacle. "What I do now?" he cried. "You toil mo and I do It!" It was a question which It was eas ier to ask than to answer. One thing only was clear. He was our ouo trusty link with the outside world. On no ac count must lie leave us. "No, no!" lie cried. "1 not leave you. Whatever come, you always Uud me here. But no able to keep Indiana. Already they say too much Curupurl live on this place and they go home. Now you leave them me no able to keep them." It was a fact that our Indians had shown in many ways of late that they were weary of their Journey and anx ious to return. We realized that Zam bo spoke the truth and thnt it would be Impossible for him to keep them with us. "Make them wait till tomorrow, Zam bo," I shouted; "then I can send letter back by them." ' "Very good, sarr! I promise they wait till tomorrow," said the negro. "But what I do for you now?" There was plenty for him tn do, anil admirably the faithful fellow did it First of all, under our directions, ho No Human Ingenuity Could Suggest Meant of Bridg the Chasm. I "ii tmP undid the rope from the tree stump ami threw one end of It across to us. It wns not thicker than a clothesline, but it was of great strength, und. though we could not make a bridge of It, we. might well find it Invaluable if we had any climbing to do. He then fastened his 'end of the rope to the package of supplies which bud been carried up, anil wc were able to drag it across. This gave us the means of life for at least a week, even if we found nothing else. Finally he descended nnd carried up two other packets of mixed goods a box of ammunition nnd a number of other things, all of which w e got across) by throwing our rope to lilm and haul ing It back. It was evening when ho at last climbed down, with a tinnl as surance that he would keep the Indians tidjiextjiiorning. (f'ontinued next Saturday) '