V B I "t- ; II afe W ings of the II 1W& HM Morning c i Vlli Z2b?. "-"IT ' CONIINUED. "This Is n i-liimj;7 of diet." l.o ex plained. "No; wo don't boll the leaves or niblilo the bark. When I split thl.s imltu open you will llnd that the In to: int- Is full of pith. 1 will out It out lor you. and then It will bo your task to knead It with water after well wash ing It. plek out all the liber and finally permit the water to evaporate. In ii couple of days the residuum will be come a white powder, whleh, when boiled. Is sago." "Good gracious!" said Iris. "The story sounds unconvincing, but I believe 1 am correct. It Is worth a trial." "I should have Imagined that sago Kiew on a stalk like rice or wheat." "Or Topy!" She laughed. A dilllcult situation bad passed without undue effort. Un happily the man reopened It. While using a crowbar as a wedge he en deavored to put matters on a straight forward footing. "A little while ago." he said, "you ficcnicd to Imply that I had assumed the name of Jenks." But Miss Doaue's confidential mood lind gone. "Nothing of the kind," Bhe nald coldly. "I think Jenks Is an ex cellent name." She regretted the words even as they fell from her lips. The sailor gave a mighty wrench with the bar, splitting the log to Its clustering leaves. "You are right," he said. "It Is dis tinctive, brief, dogmatic. I cling to It passionately." Soon afterward, leaving Iris to the manufacture of sago, he went to the leeward side of the Island, n search for turtles being his ostensible object. "When the trees hid him he quickened Ids pace and turned to the left In or der to explore the cavity marked on the tin with a skull and crossbones. To his surprise he hit upon the rem nants of a roadway that Is, a lino fl trough the wood where thire wore no well grown 'roes, where hhc ground bore traces of humanity In the shnpo of a wrinkled and mildewed pair of Chinese boots, a wooden sandal, even the decayed remains of a palki, or lit ter. At last he reached the edge of the pit. anil the sight that met his eyes hold him spellbound. The labor of many hands had torn a chasm, a quarry, out of the side of the hill. Hotighiy circular In shape, It had i diameter of perhaps a hundred feet, and at Its deepest part, toward the clitf, it ran to n depth of forty feet. On the lower side, where the sailor stood, it descended rapidly for some fifteen feet. Grasses, shrubs, plants of every va riety, grew In profusion down the stoop slopes wherever seeds could llnd precarious nurture until a point was reached about ten or eleven feet from the bottom. There all vegetation ceas ed, as if forbidden to cross u magic circle. liolow this belt the place was a charuol house. The bones of men and animals mingled In weird confusion. Most were Tlic place was a charnd limine. mere skeletons. A few bodies nine the sailor counted yet preserved some resemblance of humanity. These lat ter were scattered, amonn the older rel i .-. W:: :;:: :5f:--5-' c::v' iiiifSiJ5: By LOUIS Mf By LOUIS TRACY i Copyright. 1903, by Edward J. Clode I iKv:.!;?! .'wh: w f :. ics. They wore the clothes of Dynks. Characteristic hats and weapons de noted their nationality. The others, the llrst harvest of this modern Gol- j gotha, might have been Chinese coo lies. When the sailor's fascinated vl-1 slon could register details ho distin guished yokes, baskets, odd looking spades and picks strewn amid the bones. The iinlinals worof all of one type small, lanky," with long pointed skulls. At last ho spied a withered hoof. They were pigs. Over all lay u thick coating of tine sand, deposited from the eddying winds that could never reach the silent j depths. The place was growsomo, hor-, rlbly depressing. Jenks broke out Into n ciaminy porspiruuon. no socmen w be looking at the secrets of the grave. Vl IUML IMS MUJIUIIUI lilll'lllvini; no-. sorted Itself. Ills brain became clear- or, recovered Its power of analysis, lie , began to criticise, rellect, and this Is the theory he evolved: Some one, long ago, had discovered valuable minerals in the volcanic rock. Mining operations were in full blast, when the extinct volcano took its re-1 vengo upon the minimi nuts gnawing at Its vitals and smothered them by a deadly outpouring of carbonic achl gas, tin? bottled up poison of the ages. A horde of pigs, running wild over the Island placed there no doubt by Chi nese Ushers had mot the same fate while Intent on dreadful orgy. Then there came a European who knew how the anhydrate gas, being heavier than the surrounding air, set tled like water In that terrible hollow, lie, too, had striven to wrest the treas ure from the stone by driving n tunnel Into the cliff. He had partly succeeded and had gone away, perhaps to obtain help, after crudely registering his knowledge on the lid of a tin canister. This, again, probably fell Into the hands of another man, who, curious but unconvinced, caused himself to bo set ashore on this desolate spot with a few inadequate stores. Possibly he had arranged to be taken off within a fixed time. Hut a sampan laden with Dyak pi rates came first, and the Intrepid ex plorer's bones rested near the well, while his head had gone to decorate the hut of some fierce village chief. The murderers, after burying their own dead for the white man fought hard, witness the empty cartridges searched the Island. Some of them, Ignorantly inquisitive, descended Into the hollow. They remained there. The others, su perstitious barbarians, lied for their Uvo.'V iinbarklng so hastily that they took from the cave neither tools nor oil, though they would greatly prize these articles. Such was the tragic web he spun, a compound of fact and fancy. It ex plained all perplexities save one. What did ":t!2 divided by 1" mean? Was there yet another fearsome riddle awaiting solution? And then his thoughts flew to Iris. Happen what might, her bright picture was seldom absent from his brain. Suppose, egg bunting, she lind stum bled ncross tills valley of death! How could he hope to keep It hidden from her? Was not the ghastly knowledge better than the horror of a chr.nco ram Me through the wood and tbt ishock of discovery nay, Indeed, the risk of a catastrophe? He rushed back through the trees un til he caught sight of Iris Industrious ly kneading the sago pith in one of those most useful dish covers. He called ?o her, led her wondering to the track and pointed out the fatal quarry, but In such wise that she could not look Inside It. "You remember that round hole wc saw from the .summit rock?" he said "Well, It Is full of carbonic acid gas, to breathe which means unconsciousness and death. It gives no warning to the inexperienced. It Is rather pleasant than otherwise. Promise mo you will never come near this place again." Now, Iris, too, had been thinking deeply. Itohcrt Jenks bulked largo In her day dreams. Her nerves were not yet quite normal. There was a catch In her throat as she answered: "I don't want to die. Of course I will keep away. What a horrid Island this Is! Yet it might be a paradise." She bit her lip to suppress her tears; but, being tho Kve in this garden, she continued: "How did you find out? Is there anything nasty in there?" "Yes, the remains of animals and other things. I would not have told you wore It not imperative." "Are you keeping other secrets from me?" "Oil, quite a number." Ho managed ta conjuro up a smile, and the ruse was effective. She ap plldtho vamls tojils jiast history.. '''I hope they will nol bo revealed so dramatically," she said. . "You never can tell," he answered. They wore lu prophetic vein that morning. They returned In silence to tho cave. "I wish to go Inside with a lamp. May I?" he asked. "May I eon.e too?" she demanded. He assented, with an explanation of his design. When the lamp was In or der he held It close to the wall and conducted a systematic survey. The geological fault which favored the con struction of tho tunnel seemed to di verge to the loft at the farther end. Tho "face" of the rock exhibited the marks of persistent labor. Tho stone had been hewn away by main force when the dislocation of strata ceased to be helpful. Ills 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. "I cannot be certain," he said doubt fully. "Would you mind holding the 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 tho foreign metal. They hurried Into the open air and examined the fragment with curious eyes. The sailor picked It with his knife, and tho substance In tho 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-1 have seen" - He wrinkled his brows and pressed away the furrows with his hand, that physical habit of his when perplexed. "I have It," he cried. "It is anti mony." Miss Deane pursed her lips In dis dain. Antimony! What was anti mony ? "So much fuss tor 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. Hut, be ing thorough In all that he undertook, he returned to the cave and again conducted an Inquisition. The silver lined 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 toll, their lives, for this? So it would appear. He that as It might, lie had more pressing work. If tho 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 tho 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," ho muttered. Then he quickened ids pace. With the first active spring from rock lo rock his unacknowledged doubts vanished. He might find stores of priceless util ity. The rolloctlon 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. Hero the bed of tho 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 sufilclent supply of water to nourish the palm, and the roots, firmly lodged In deep crevices, were well pro tected from the waves. Between the sailor and tho tree In tervened a small stretch of shallow wa ter. Landward this submerged saddle shelved steeply Into tho lagoon. Al though the water in the cove was twen ty f. '.bonis In depth, Its crystal clear ness was remarkable. Tho 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 vlsiblo the destroyed fore part of the Sirdar, which had struck be yond the tree, relatively to his present rtandpolnt. He had wondered why no fronts u'ere cant ashore. Now he saw the reason. Three of them wore stll fastened to tho davits and carried down with the hull. Seaward tho water was not so clear. Tho waves created patches of foam, and long submarine plants swayed gen tly In the undercurrent. To reach I'nlin Tree rock antici pating Its subsequent name lie must cross u space of some thirty foot and wade up to his waist. Ho 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. "Hllles, by all the gods!" shouted tho Pallor. The Sirdar carried a consignment of nrms and ammunition from Hongkong to Singapore. Providence had decreed that a practically Inexhaustible store of cartridges should be hurled across the lagoon to tho Island. And here wore rltles enough to equip half a com pany. Hejvould jiptrlskthe precious Frm Here to There On First and Third Tuesdays op , May, June, July, August, September, October and November TO Missouri, Arkansas, Territory One Fare Plus $2 ,J. C. LOVKHIN, Ass'lCion'l Pussengor Agent, Kansas City, Mo. A.b.(hase For fwv During nil theso years A. have boon acknowledged to grade. Tho most critical and them unsurpassed In Tone, Action and Durability T.. .11..1 .., .1!... ..!!.... t) illU UIMLIH'l, UIMl I IIIUU.-! Pianos, and will gladly put you our representatives, or mail and upeeial prices. 0LNEY-GAST0N AlUSIC CO. St. Jose pi), ijmnMji Succusor to T. J. WAStlllUKN. lintubllslieil In 186H. ax Til an attempt to open tho case, lie must go back for a crowbar. What else was there in this store house thrust by Neptune from the ocean bed? A chest of lea, seemingly undamaged; throe barrels of Hour, ut terly ruined; a saloon chair, smashed from Its pivot; a battered chronometer. Vov the rest, fragments of timber In termingled with pulverized coral and broken crockery. 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 hare. Among tho wreckage he found a coll of stout rope and a pulley. He 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, lie had fastened the pulley high up the trunk before ho 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, ho cast them across to the reef. In such small ways do men throw invisible dice with deinli. With those two lines ho would within a few Hooting seconds drag himself back from eternity. Picking up tho ax, lie carelessly stepped Into the water, not knowing that Iris, having welded the Incipient sago Into a fiat pancake, had strolled to the beach and was watching him. The water was hardly above his knees when there came a swirling rush from tho seaweed. A long tentacle shot out like a lasso and gripped his right leg. Another colled around his waist. "My d'od!" lie gurgled as a horrid sucker closed over his mouth and nose. IIo wnsJn the grip of a devilfish, , to he continued. MODERN WOODMEN IN SESSION. Work of the Order Shown In State ments of Officers. Milwaukee, Juno 21. Tho head camp of Modern Woodmen of Ameilca opened Its fourteenth biennial conven tion at tho Davidson theater, with be tween 000 and 700 delegates, repre senting over 11,000 camps and nearly 700,000 members, present. The report of Head Consul A. II. Talbot was devoted to a review of tho work during tho biennial term. Speaking of tho centralization of tho work, ho favored tho discontinuance of stato head physicians, all applica Homeseekers Excursions Oklahoma, Indian and Texas for Round Trip A. HILTON, (Joii'l Passenger Agent, St. Ijoims, Mo. Send for ntir convincing booklet, WHY." Twenty Years... B. C1I ASIC Pianos bo of tho verv highest ox port musicians find r II... A 1) HI (OM M III LIU) A. 1). VIWIOIV A'ii? in touoli with ono of $& you catalogues .f MtM Eva?; .. 1 .". ' -1 Mo. fiar L wptf k 14 & tions to go to tho supremo medical director at tho head olllco. During tho biennial tho new members num bered lUI.CIJO, and 1,182 now camps wero chartered. The society, he said, now Includes 11.53 per cent of all those eligible for membership In tho states In which It is organized. This was followed by tho report oC Head Clerk Hawes. The insurance In force at tho closo of the biennial term aggregates $l,13fi,fi78.C0O. Tho soci ety paid 7,051 death' claims, amount ing to $12,fj;i,003, as against 5,800 claims, amounting to $10,73(5,435, dur lug the term preceding. Foresters' prize drills Senior class: Lincoln, No. 190, Captain A. C. Hcr rlck, 97.502; Kansai: City, No. 1,990, Captain William Walker, 98.585; Kan sas City, No. 1,412, Captain J. A. neggs, 90.303; Des Moines, No. Ill, Captain L. H. Tlllotson, 91.00. Junior clasB: Lincoln, No. 909, Captain II. J. Gildorsleove, 72.20; Dos Moines, No. 3,134, Captain A. E. Brunnott, 82.03; Mason City, la., No. 709, Captain W. G. Wells, 58.14. Features of the Day's Trading and Closing Quotations. ChlciiK". June -'(). Wot wi'ntliur In the iiortluvfHt iiiiliircil iii'tlvc liujlni; liy Hhorts In the wlii'iit pit hi-re toilny. A report Unit Franco will In- u ln-avy Importer of Anu-r-Iron wheat uugim-nK-il the (leiniinil. Tim mnrkc-t Hoseil practically nt tho lilRlu-st point of tin- diiy, with July up lVMlUie Coin wns up le. OiitK hIiuwi-i a gain of Mil". PiovlhloiiH were down l!i&ic. Clos liiK pi lees: Wheat -July, WIVie; Sept., 8l7ic5 Hpo. 8e. Corn-July, r.tc; Sept., .Vifte; Dec, 48T4. ()ils July, :ilc; Sept., Ltle; Dec, 'MVt. Pork -July, Jfr-'.K-'Vj; Sept.. .-FIL'.H.-.. I.iml-Jtily, if-.'Jl'V..; Sept.. ?7.!0. Whs-July, $7. 15; Sept.. ?7.75. Chicago Live Stock. ChlciiKo, June. JO.-Cuttle-UecelptH, 0. 000; Kli-iiily; ooil to prime ulcers, .-.fiOiij (I.OO; poor to medium, .f-'.7.VTj5.;i5j stoekers and feeders, if'J.i.Vyi-l.iO; cow, fJ.MKil 1.00; heifers, ?,-'..Vl.75; cuiiiicm, $1.HV('J.I0; hulls, SlM'.VM-l.on; calves, yi.OOffiU.'i'i; Tex.w fed ulcers, $I.(MK((-I.75. HnKN-IU'CUlptM, I'O.OOO; 5o lower; mixed and hatchers, $.V'J fuTiAWy. gooil to choice neavy, $5.;i,"Tr5.4-J'Xi; rough heay. .U7.V.5.10; Unlit, 5.,J5ft5.40; hulk of hali-s, $5.:i,Ji'(t5JTl.. Sheep-He-i-clpts, i;i,NK); lower; good to choice weth ei, SI.50'(5.00; fair to choice mixed, $:i.5t) (ij-1.40; western (Jieep, .fl .005) 5.00; nutlvo lamb, .f 1.75111.50; western lamhs, $5.0D ft0.45. Kansas City Live Stock. Kansas City, June 'JO.-Cattle-IteeelptK, L'.OOO; l(VU'J5e lower; top, 5.70; choice beet steers, I.S.V(in.70; fair to good. Sl.O0((j4.75; western fed steers, !?l.li5d5.'J5; stoekerd and feeders, .f.'IWfi 1. 10; cows and heifers, '.VJ.Vd-I.IHii hulls, SU.'-'.Vft I.OO; calves, $11.00 fiiri.'Su HoK--ltecelpts, 17,000; 5e lower; lop, $5.:i); hulk of sales, $5.20f,V..,7,4; heavy, $.VJO?j.V'."i; puckers, sf5.,J(W.i5.'-,7Ii: pigs ami lliiht, $5.15fij.-.:i0. Sheep -IlecelptH, 5,000; hteady to 10c lower; lamhs, ?5.75(18 7.00; fed ewes and yearlings, ?l.'J5(a5.50; btockera and feeders, S'J.OO&l.OO. ) III P. i : I ra V t7 I -w-ift'i