Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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If!, ??fe Wi . Morni S*-~S- ?*-?-.? Over ali Jay a thick coating of i sand, deposited from the eddying wi l&at could never reach the sil "depths. The place was grewsome, i xifory depressing. Jenks broke out I & clammy perspiration. He seemed te looking at the secrets of the graf At last his superior intelligence ?Rte?ltself. Eiisnkrami>ecame cte ^recovered its power of analysis. ; %egan to criticise, reflect, and this fi? theory he evolved: Some one, long ago, had discovei Trainable minerals in the volcanic ro aEning operations were in full bh ashen the extinct volcano took its : Tenge upon the human ants gua wi ?t its vitals and smothered them jt deadly outpouring of carbonic ac gara, the bottled tip poison of the as? ? horde of pigs, running wild over t ? island-placed there no doubt by Cl a^se Ashers-had met the same fa iwiiile intent on dreadful orgy. Then there came a European wi knew how the anhydrate gas, bei heavier than the surrounding air, st tied ?ke water in that terrible hollo' He, too, had striven to wrest the trea si? from the stone by driving a tuna toto the cliff. He had partly succeed? sad had gone away, perhaps to obta telp, after crudely registering , h knowledge on the lid of a tin ca niste 33n& again, probably fell into tl tends of another man, who, curioi but unconvinced, caused hizaself to t set ashore on this desolate spot wit si few inadequate stores. Possibly I ted arranged to be taken off within . ?rBut a sampan laden with Dyak p: lattes came first, and the intrepid es ^Borer's bones rested near the wei "?nile his head had gone ,to decorat tte hut of some fierce village chiel 2he murderers, after burying their ow: ?lead-for the white man fought hare "Witness the empty cartridges-searche tte island. Some of them, ignorant!; inquisitive, descended into the hollow They remained there. The others, sn ;perstitious barbarians, fled for thei .y?ires, embarking so hastily that the: took from the cave neither tools no nfl, though they would greatly pria these articles. Such was the tragic web he spun, J .Compound of fact .and fancy. It ex plained all perplexities save one. Wha \ "32 divided by 1" mean? Wai Itere yet another fearsome riddli swaitmg solution? And then his thoughts flew to Iris Happen what might, her bright picton ^was seldom absent from , his brain ; Suppose, egg hunting, she had stum? ped across this valley of death! How rania he hope to keep it hidden from lier? Was not the ghastly knowledge better than the horror of a chance ram We through the wood and the shock of ,v^P^?yyery-nay, indeed, the risk of a He rushed back through the trees un he caught sight of Iris industrious? ly kneading the sago pith in one o? those most useful dish covers. .'*.; He called to her, led her wondering ff vtothe track and pointeu out the fatal ^aarry, but in such wise that she could s?t look inside it ? :^S^YQU lemember that round hole we from the summit rock?" he said. *tWeIl, it is full of carbonic acid-gas, to .te??the which means unconsciousness ?ad death. It gives no warning to the inexperienced It is rather pleasant ^Cban otherwise. Promise me you will ?ever come near this place again." Kow, Iris, too, had been thinking ?eep!y. Robert Jenks bulked large in ?ter. day dreams. Her nerves were not 3ret quite normal. There was a catch ?a her throat as she answered: "I don't want to die. Of course I *rffl keep away. What a horrid island this isl Yet it might be a paradise." She bit her lip to suppress her tears: but, being the Eve in this garden, she continued: "How did you find out? Is there any thing-nasty-in there ?" ""Yes, the remains of animals and .other things. I would not have told ~v " yoo. were it not imperative." ~Are you keeping other secrets from me?" "Ob, quite a number." He managed to conjure up a smile, ?nd the ruse was effective. She ap f piled the words to his past history. "I hope they will not be revealed so ?iamatically," she said. "You never can tell,*' he answered. 3Eney were in prophetic vein that morning. They returned in silence to ilse cave. "I wish to go inside with a lamp. May ir he asked. "May I come too?" she demanded. He assented, with an explanation of 3ds ?design. When the lamp was in or :<ier he held it close to the wall and conducted a systematic survey. The geologieil fanit which favored the con? struction of the tunnel seemed to di? verge to tiie left at the farther end. The "face" of the rock exhibited the marks of persistent labor. The stone ?ad been hewn away by main force when the dislocation of strata ceased to be helpful. His knowledge was limited on the subject, yet Jenks believed that the material here was a hard limestone rather than the external basalt. Search? ing each inch with the feeble light, he paused once, with an exclamation. "What is it?" cried Iris. _*X.cannot be certain,", he said doubt i By LOUIS TRACY Copyright 1903, by Edward J. Ciode f?l?y. "Would yon min?^E?HSg " Toe lamp while I use a crowbar?" In the stone was visible a thin vein, bluish white in color. He managed to break off a fair sized lump containing a well defined specimen of the foreign metal. They hurried into the open air and examined the fragment with curious eyes. "The safior~plcked "lt ~w?tn "his knife, and the substance in the vein came off in laminated layers, small, brittle scales. "Is it silver?' Iris was almost ex? cited. "I do not think so. I am no expert, but I have a vague idea-I have seen" He wrinkled his brows and pressed away the furrows with his hand, that physical habit of his when perplexed. "I have lt," he cried. "It is anti? mony." Miss Deane pursed her lips in dis? dain. Antimony! What was anti- \ mony? "So much fuss for nothing," she said. "It is used in alloys and medicines," he explained. "To us it is useless." He threw the piece of rock contemp? tuously among the bushes. But, be? ing thorough in all that he undertook, he returned to the cave and again conducted an inquisition. The silver hued vein became more strongly mark? ed at the point where it disappeared downward into a collection of. rubble and sand. That was all. Did men give their toil, their lives, for this? So it would appear. Be that as it might he had more pressing work. If the cave still held a-secret it must remain there. Iris had gone back to her sago knead? ing. Shouldering the ax, he walked to the beach. Much debris from the steam? er was lying high and dry. It was an easy task for an athletic man to reach the palm tree, yet the sailor hesitated with almost imperceptible qualms. "A baited rat trap," he muttered. Then he quickened his pace. With the first active spring from rock to rock his unacknowledged doubts vanished. He might find stores of priceless util? ity. The reflection inspired him. Jumping and climbing, like a cat, in two minutes he was near the tree. He could now see the true explana? tion of its growth in a seemingly im? possible .place. Here the bed of the sea bulged upward in a small sand cay, which silted round the base of a limestone rock so different in color and formation from the coral reef. Na? ture, whose engineering contrivances can force springs to mountain tops, managed to deliver to this isolated ref? uge a sufficient supply of water to nourish the palm, and the roots, firmly lodged in deep crevices, were well pro? tected from the waves. Between the saiiojr and the tree in? tervened a small stretch of shallow wa? ter. Landward this submerged saddle shelved steeply into the lagoon. Al? though the water in the cove was twen? ty fathoms in depth, its crystal clear? ness was remarkable. The bottom, composed of marvelously white sand and broken coral, rendered other ob? jects conspicuous. He could see plenty of fish, but not a single shark, while on the inner slope of the reef was plainly visible the destroyed fore part of the Sirdar, which had struck be? yond the tree, relatively to his present standpoint. He had wondered why no boats were cast ashore. Now he saw the reason. Three of them were still fastened to the davits and carried down with the hull. Seaward the water was not so clear. The waves created patches of foam, and long submarine plants swayed gen? tly in the undercurrent To reach Palm Tree rock -antici? pating its subsequent name-he must cross a space of some thirty feet and wade up to his waist. He made the passage with ease. Pitched against the bole of the tree was a long, narrow case, very heavy, iron clamped and marked with letters in black triangles and the broad arrow of the British government "Rifles, by all the gods!" shouted the sailor. The Sirdar carried a consignment of arms and ammunition from Hongkong to Singapore. Providence had decreed that a practically inexhaustible stove of cartridges should be hurled across the lacoon to the island. And here were riiies enough to equip half a com? pany. He would not risk the precious ax in an attempt to open the case. He must go back for a crowbar. What else was there in this store? house thrust by Neptune from the ocean bed? A chest of tea, seemingly undamaged; three barrels of flour, ut? terly ruined: a saloon chair, smashed from its pivot; a battered chronometer. For the rest, fragments of timber in? termingled with pulverized coral and broken crocker:-. A little farther on the deep water entrance to the lagoon curved between sunken rocks. On one of them rested the Sirdar's huge funnel. The north? west section of the reef was bare. Among the wreckage he found a coil of stout rope and a pulley. Ile instant? ly conceived the idea of constructing an aerial line to ferry the chest of tea across the channel he had forded. He threaded the pulley with the rope and climbed the tree, adding a touch of artistic completeness to the ruin of his trousers by the operation. He had fastened the pulley high up the trunk before he realized how much more sim? ple it would be to break open the chest where it lay and transport its* contents in small parcels. He laughed lightly. "I am becoming addle headed," he said to himself. "Anyhow, now the job is done, I may as well make use of it." Recoiling the rope ends, he cast them across to the reef. In such small ways do men throw invisible dice with death. With those two lines he would within a few fleeting seconds drag himself back from eternity. Picking up the as, he carelessly stepped into the water, not knowing that Iris, having welded the incipient sago into a flat pancake, had strolled to the beach and was watching him. The water was hardly above his knees when there came a swirling rush from the seaweed. A long tentacle shot out like a lasso and gripped his right leg. Another coiled around his waist "My God!" he gurgled as a horrid sucker closed over his mouth and nose. He was in the grip of a devilfish! A deadly sensation of nausea almost overpowered him, but the love of life came to his aid and he tore the suffo? cating feeler from his face. Then the. as whirled, and one of the eight arras of the octopus lost some of its length. Yet a fourth flung itself around his left ankle. A few feet away, out of range of the ax and lifting itself bodily out of the water, was the dread form of the cuttle, apparently all head, with distended gills and monstrous eyes. The sailor's feet were planted -wide apart With frenzied effort he hacked at the murderous tentacles, but the water hindered him, and he was forced to lean back in superhuman strain to avoid losing his balance. If once this terrible assailant got him down he knew he was lost The very need to keep his feet prevented him from at? tempting to deal a mortal blow. The cuttle was anchored by three of its tentacles. Its remaining arm darted Its remaining arm darted to again clutch the man's face and neck. with sinuous activity to again clutch the man's face or neck. With the ax he smote madly at the curling feeler, diverting its aim time and again, but failing to deliver an effective stroke. With agonized prescience the sailor knew that he was yielding. Were the devilfish a giant ot its tribe he could not have held out so long. As it was, the creature could afford to wait, strengthening its grasp, tightening its coils, pulling and pumping at its prey with remorseless certainty. He was nearly spent In a paroxysm of despair he resolved to give way and with one mad effort seek to bury the ax in the monster s brain. But ere he could execute this fatal project, for the cuttle would have instantly swept him into the trailing weeds, five revolver shots rang out in quick succession. Iris had reached the nearest rock. The third bullet gave the octopus cause to reflect. It squirted forth a torrent of dark colored fluid. Instantly the water became "black, opaque. The tentacle, flourishing in air, thrashed the surface with impotent fury. That around Jenks' waist grew'taut and rigid. The ax flashed with the inspira? tion of hope. Another arm was sev? ered The huge dismembered coil slack? ened and fell away. Yet was he anchored immovably. He turned to look at Iris. She never for? got the fleeting expression of his face. So might Lazarus have looked from tue tomb. "The rope!" she screamed, dropping the revolver and seizing the loose ends lying at her feet She drew them tight and leaned back, pulling with all her strength. The sailor flung the ax to the rocks and grasped the two ropes. He raised him? self and plunged wildly. He was free. With two convulsive strides he was at the girl's side. He stumbled to a bowlder and drop? ped in complete collapse. After a time he felt Iris' hand placed timidly on his shoulder. Ile raised his head and saw her eyes shining. "Thank you," he said. "We are quits now." . CHAPTER VI. F' IERCE emotions are necessarily transient, but for the hour they exhaust the psychic capacity. .^mmJi The sailor had gone through such mental stress before it was yet noon that he was benumbed, wholly in? capable of further sensation. Being in good condition, he soon re? covered his physical powers. He was outwardly little the worse for the en counter with the devilfish. The skin ! around his mouth was sore. Iiis waist ; and Jegs were bruised uno sween pf I the ax had cut clean through the bi ing leather of bis left boot with touching the flesh. In a wore!, he 's practically uninjured. He had the d3glike habit ol' shah himself at the close of a fray. He so now when he stood up. Iris sho\ clearer signs of the ordeal. Her f was drawn and haggard, the pupils her eyes dilated. She was gazing i: depths illimitable, unexplored. Ck passion awoke at sight of her. "Come," said Jenks gently. "Let get back to the island." He quietly resumed predominan helping her over the rough pathway the reef, almost lifting her when 1 'difficulties were great. He did not ask her how it happer that she came so speedily to his assi ance. Enough that she had. done daring all for his sake. She was we and trembling. Reaching the firm sand, she cot walk alone. "Did-the thing-grip you?" ? nervously inquired. . "All over at once, it felt like. T beast attacked me with five arms." She shuddered. "I don't know h( you could fight it" she said "H< strong, how brave, you must ber' This amused him. "The veriest co ard will try to save his own life," he s swered. "If you use such adjectives me, what words can I find to do ji tice to you, who dared to come clo to such a vile looking creature a: kill it I must thank my stars that y< carried the revolver." "Ah!" she said. "That reminds n You do not practice what you preac I found your pistol lying on the sro* in the cave. That is one reason wi I followed you." It was quite true. He laid tl weapon aside when delving at the roc and forgot to replace it in his belt "It was stupid of me," he admitte "but I am not sorry." "Why?" "Because, as it is, I owe you m life." "You owe me nothing," she snappe* "It is very thoughtless of you to m such risks. What will become of n if anything happens to you? My poii of view is purely selfish, you see." "Quite so. Purely selfish." He smi ed sadly. "Selfish people of your tyi are somewhat rare, Miss Deane." She moved toward the cave, but h cried: "Wait one minute. I want to get couple of crowbars." "What for?" "I must go back there." He jerke his head in the direction of the reel She uttered a little sob of dismay. "I will incur no danger this time," h explained. "I found rifles there. W must have them: they may mean sal vation." When Iris was determined a bou anything her chin dimpled. It puck ered delightfully now. 'T will come with you," she announc ed. .."Very well. I will wait for you. Th< tide will serve for another hour." He knew he had decided rightly. Sh( could not bear to be alone-yet. Soor the crowbars were secured, and thej returned to the reef. Scrambling now with difficulty over the rough and dan? gerous track. Iris was secretly amazed by the remembrance of the daring ac? tivity she displayed during her earlier passage along the same precarious roadway. Then she darted from rock to rock with the fearless certainty of a cha? mois. Her only stumble was caused, she recollected, by an absurd effort to avoid wetting her dress. She laughed nervously when they reached the place. This time Jenks lifted her across the intervening channel. They were standing on the landward side of the shallow water in which he for.ghtthe octopus. Already the dark fluid emitted by his assailant in its final discomfiture was passing away owing to the slight move? ment of the tide. "Now that you have brought me here with so much difficulty, what are you going to do?" she said. "It will be madness for you to attempt to ford that passage again. Where there is one of those horrible things there are others, I suppose." "That is one reason why I brought the crowbars," he explained. "If you will sit down for a little while I will have everything properly fixed." He delved with one of the bars until it lodged in a crevice of the coral. Then a few powerful blows with the back of the ax wedged it firmly enough to bear any ordinary strain. The rope ends reeved through the pulley on the tree were lying where they fell from the girl's hand at the close of the ; struggle. He deftly knotted them to the rigid bar, and a few rapid turns of a piece^-of wreckage passed between the two lines strung them into a tautness that could not be attained by any amount of pulling. Iris watched the operation in silence. The sailor always looked at his best when hard at work. The half sullen, wholly self contained expression left his face, which lit up with enthusiasm and concentrated intelligence. That which he essayed he did with all his might He, toiling with steady persistence, felt not the inward spur which sought relief in speech, but Iris was compelled to say something. "I suppose," she commented with an air of much wisdom, "you are contriv? ing an overhead railway for the safe transit of yourself and the goods?" "Y-yes." "Why are you so doubtful about it?" "Because I personally intended to walk across. The ropes will serve to convey the packages/' [TO DE COXTIXUED.l ir Ic. ?_. EiTii Worse. Mrs. Hoyle ? hear that your hus? band died intestate. Mrs. Doyle-Well. I don't know what his trouble was. but he had to have an operation.-Town Topics. THE FLORENCE TRAIN. The Atlantic Coast Line Will Put on the Morning Train April 16th. Mr. E. I. Reardon, Secretary of the Chamber of Commerce, who re ceu??y addressed a letter to General Manager Kenly of the Atlantic Ccast Line in reference to the operation of a morning train from Florence to this city, is in reciept of the following letter from Supt. of Transportation E. Borden : Mr. E. I. Reardon, Secy, and Treas., Sumter Chamber of Com? merce, Sumter, S. C. Dear Sir: I beg to acknowledge receipt of your commnication of March 27th, in regard to change of schedules between Sumter and Bisbop ville and extension of same to Flor? ence, First, I beg to thank you for the kind expression and good wihses on ycnr part, and to assure you that I have the deepest interest in the wel? fare of Sumter and contiguous terri? tory. It gives me great pleasure to advise that with the new schedule, April 16th, we will arrange to schedule a regular train to leave Florence at 8.00 a. m., arrive Sumter at 9.15 a. m., and at Lucknow at*ll.25 a m., re? turning from Lr "Off, leave there at 4.25 p. m., * Sumter 6.CO p. m. depart from at 7.00 p. m., and arrive at 1 ^ je at 8.45 p. m. You will note that this afternoon train closely follows our train No. 32. Under the circumstances, will arrange to rna it as a mixed train from Sum? ter, putting cars on it at Sumter only. We sincerely hope thut the earn? ings of' the train will justify the ex? periment of operating it, and that the citizens of Sumter will lend us their good will and influence, which we have heretofore enjoyed to the very greatest measure. Yours very truly, E. Borden. The putting on of this train be? tween Florence and Sumter rounds out Sumter railroad service and gives the city the best railroad facilities of any town in the State. This train will be of great convenience to the people of Florence and intermediate stations who wish to come to Sumter or go to Columbia or the upper part ot' the State in the morning and will be of decided benefit to this city; the retail merchants, in particular, will be benefitted. It is to be hoped that the train will be profitable to the Atlantic Coast Line and that it will be made a permanent part cf the service on this branch of the system. Miss Jeanette L. Gilder, editor ?? The Critic, places the morals of di? vorce in this lucid manner before t^e readers of the New York Globe: "An honest man does not repudiate his business respousibilites nor refuse to pay his gambling debts. Then why should he be considered honest in repudiating his domestic Habilites or refusing to pay the debt incurred in the great lottery? lt is not considered honest for a woman to have children and no husband. Then why should it be considered honest for a woman to have children by two living men? They cannot- both be her busbauds. And surely-the fact tbat some words have been said by some licensed officer over one does not make her more vir? tuous than the other, for apparently they have not bound her any firmer. Neither does a trip into a complaisant State that legalizes these connections *lter-the moral aspect of the case. These are perhaps ugly facts to look in the face, but they ar? none the less true, and if the sweetness and sacred? ness of American homes are to be maintained the ugly facts of their pro? gressive marriages must be en? visaged." Wheeling, W., Ya. April 5.-Sheriff S. Sh erbe, of Fairmont has ben called to Powell where a -*iot at mines among foreign miners has been in progress for two days. The trouble started when several of their number were laid off. It is alleged that they seek the life of Supt. Limbrath The Solomon Islands are among the latest of the Pacific to come under the influence of Christian missions The Solomon Islanders have been re? garded at the most inveterate head? hunters of the Pacific In 1892 the missionaries of the Australian Wes? leyan Methodist Church went out to this dangerous field, and from the be? ginning vthe results were exceedingly gratifying. Aiivone sending a sketch and descript'on may ?ulckly ascertain onr opinion free whether an invention is probably patentable. Communica? tions Bttic?rconlldentiaL Handbook on Patents sent free, o'ldcst azency for securing patents. Potents taken throue': Mxmn & Co. receive speckilnotice, without cbanre, in the 'Identifie Emltm. t nr.-.dsomely illustrated weekly. I.orerest cir vo!atio?? o? anv scientific Journal. Terms; a year - f^ur months, $L So?d by all newsdealers. "'tv .y.'n fifi? iu r\> P? ff.. V/.ishu . t.?i. TV C. DeLORflE'S PHARMACY, 23 South Main St. Open from 7 a. m. to 10 p. m. ; Sunday, 9 a. m. to 1 p. m. Having consolidated my two stores, I will be pleased to see all my customers at the above stand, where I am better pre? pared than ever to serve them. Your prescriptions will be called for and delivered. Phone 45. Full line of Drugs, Garden Seed and Cigars. Your patronage solicited. Call bell for night work. Better Fruits-Better Profits Better peaches, apples, pears and berries are produced when Potash is liberally applied to the soil. To insure a full crop, of choicest quality, use a fertilizer containing not less than io per cent, actual Potash Send for our practical books of information ; they are not advertising- pamphlets, booming' special fertilizers, but are authoritative treatises. Sent free fortheasking. GERMAN KAU WORKS New York-93 Nassau St., or Atlanta. Gi. 21lA South Broad Street. MONEY PICKED UP ! ! BY Writing Life Inscrance In Th? Penn Mutual Insurance Co. I 1BERAL contracts to live agents in unoccupied territory. ADDRESS PERRY MOSES, JR. General Agent, Sumter, S. C. $100,000.00 Capital. THE FIRST NATIONAL BINK of Sumter, S. C. THE Comptroller of the Currency hav? ing approved the increase of the Capital of this Bank to $100,000.00, depositors I now have as security for th6ir deposits : I Capital, - - $100,000 00 Stockholders' Individual Lia? bility, - - - '.00,000 OG Surplus and Undivided Prof? its, - - 25,000 00 Total Security for Depositors, $225,000 00 ONLY NATIONLA BANK flt CITY OF SUMTER. Largest Capital of any Bank in this section of South Carolina. Strongest Bank in Eastern part of this State. Interest allowed on deposits to a Incited amount. BOARD OF DIRECTORS. A. J. CHINA, President. NEILL O'DONNELL, Vice President. H. D. BARNETT, R. D. LEE, & A. LEMMON, JOHN REID, E. P. BICKER. R. L. EE MUNDS, Cashier. R. D. LEE, Solicitor. BOOKKEEPERS. J. L. McCpJIuo, D. J. Winn, Jr. Oliver L. Yates. THE BANK OF SUMTER, ' SUMTER, S. C. City and County Depository. Capital stock paid in, $75,000 00 Undivided surplus, 16,000 00 Individual liability of stockhold? ers in excess of their stock, 75,000 00 Transacts a general banking business; also has a Saving Bank Department. De? posits of $1 and upward received. Inter? est allowed at the rate of 4 per cent, per annnm^payable semi-annually. W. F. B. HAYNSWORTH, President. R. L MANNING, W. F. RTTAMK, Vice-President. Cashier. Jan. 31._ THE SUMTER SAVINGS BANK. HORACE HARB?, President. I. C. STRAUSS. vice-President. GEO. L. RICEER, Cashier. Capital Stock, $25,000 Liability of Stockholders, 25,000 Jip Every Facility For the transaction of business is afford? ed those who deposit their money with The Sumter Savings JBank. Important papers can be drawn up and signed in a private room set aside for use of our clients and any information de? sired will be cheerfully furnished by the management. Savings deposited here draw interest at the rate of 4 per cent per annum. $1.00 w?i open an account and secure a bank book. _ W?? promptly obtain JJ. S. and Foreign 'Send model, sketch or photo oiinvention for' ' free report on patentability. lor free book, S?reTRADE-MARI?$ ? <[ Opposite ?. S. Patent Office < WASHINGTON D.C. ?