W7
r-
rga
,-"gF
MaI-SIH
yflw&ptsig Wf'Tf
rsM
rt T T T,
rgr-.T
THE PITTSBTJRQ- DISPATCH, SUNDAY, JULY 21, 1889.
10
r
P-
I
Sf passengers perished? Was there any farther
"1 will stnke a match." said Erwing, "and
climb out for an exploration."
Be took a match lrora his. pocket, and drew
It across bis knee. The crackling little Dzz of
ignition was followed by a loud, rasping sound,
tlbe section of the car bccan to move. Al
thouch the striking of the match had only by
chance accompanied this new disturbance, the
coincidence made the noise and motion all the
more appalling to tne huddling group. They
ragnely surmised that an extensive fall of rock
was pushing along their remnant of the coach.
It was certain that the slx-wbeeled truck under
It was drawing its attached iron rods and
broken timbers out of the barricade. The
Erating of metal and stone, the breaking of
wood and glass, and the violent wrenching and
ehaking of the floor to which the bewildered
persons fell, proved to them that something
had detached their fragment of a vehicle from
the wreckage. The noise was too great to per
mit the bearing of one another's voices. They
could ce nothing, for the match was shaken
S rom Erwinp-s fingers. But it had shown him
where his wife and sister were, and while he
made fast to them Trtth Lis hands, he threw his
legs around life bases of the seats, to which
tbey also clung. Barlo and Adaman seized the
first sold things that their bands touched. All
lay in confusion and dismay.
They were qnickly mado aware that the
wheels were going faster and faster under
neath, and that they wero not riding on rails,
out were jolting over an uneven surface and
banging against rocky sides. It requires an
experienced traveler to know In the dark
whether his car is moving one way or the other
on the level, but it is easier to feel the descent
of even a light grade, and in this case the inde
scribable sense of downward movement as
serted itself amid all the commotion. The
truck was going down an incline. It crunched
leand and pebbles, it swajed with the inequali
ties of the surface, it scraped along the rock, it
dragged the rattling ends of loose Iron rods
behind, and it threw the occupants about In
spite of their desperate clinging, but nothing
checked more than momentarily the awful
acceleration of sneeiL and they could do noth
ing but prayerrulfy await such a deadly stop as
seemed inevitable. At first they were mentally
Venumbed by the horror of their mysterious
transit, and their minds comprehended little
else than an instant expectation of being
dashed to death. But as seconds became
3 he Queen Ducoieri the Chariot.
minutes, and the minutes did not bring a de
molishing disaster, they begin to wonder as
well as dread. Mrs. Erwlnc drew herself closer
to her husband and kissed him tenderly. It
meant goodby. But it bad a rousing rather
than a soothing effect on the nan. It made
liim resolve to do something instead of lying
there inert and 1 clplcss.
'narlo"" he shouted. "Barlo!"
Hcllol" was the response.
"I'm here, too," cried Adaman.
The din and the jolting made the words diffi
cult to hear, although the speakers were almost
heaped together.
lake hold of the ladies, both of you,"
Erwing directed. "Llwg all together. I'm
jroing to find out where w e are."
After making sure that Dell and Lu were
firmly gripped he strnck a match. The air
blew it out instantly. Then be crawled under
the shelter of a seat and tried another. Bv its
fitful flare he could discern nothing. What
else was there to do? A lurch of the car threw
hira on his back, acd be called to the women to
ask if they were still there. Their answer con
sisted of two little screams of lrigbt. Then be
made an outcry on his own account. It was so
nearly exultant that the others feared he was
The brake!" be yelled. "Like enough I can
get to the brake. Mind the ladies, and I'll try."
He made bis way forward flatly on all fours
to the broken door, and, using all his strength,
wrenched it out of the shattered frame that
held it. This was accomplished slowly, and
painfully too, for while at it he was thrown
Lard against the sides. The air rushed Into
his face through the opened doar, showing that
the velocity was as great as he had thought it.
He dropped again to his hands and knees, and
crept out on the platform The boards were
splintered, but the frame ork of the structure
did not seem misshapen. He found the iron
rail twisted from its place and bent nearly fiat.
Following it with bis bands, he located the
wheel of the brake. It was torn from its fast
enings and all awry. Hope sank out of his
heart, and left him faint and limp; but the
same rush of air that indicated the peril of the
descent also revived him. and he pulled him
self up to the brake. The agitation of the
platform was still more violent than the
floor further back had been. One corner
strnck the rocky wall and broke off a
shower of stone in bits which pelted
bis face. The truck slowed across the
passage and collided against the opposite side
with a gouging, grinding impact. He clenched
bis hands on the rim of the wheel, and, as be
was thrown half way around it, be found that
it turned with him. After all, then. It might be
workable, blowly and w ith difficulty he forced
it to a complete revolution, and then to anoth
er. Its connection with the bearings on the
wheels were intact, for he felt the jarring and
quivering when the blocks touched the iron,
lie was a very muscular man, and the emer
gency urged him to an utmost exertion. The
application of the brake retarded the wneels
only a little, but their speed slowly decreased
and at lentrth they stood still. He tightened
the tension to the extent of one more cog, and
adjusted the ratchet to hold it there.
Erwing struck a match, and this time it was
not blown out. By its licht bo saw that his
four companions had risen to sitting postures.
The odd part of the sight was that Mrs. Erwing.
Tom Barlo and Jasper Adaman each had a
band gripped to Barlo's satchel. Through all
the distraction they had not forgotten the 30
pounds of gold.
"Ha, ha, bar' Lu Erwing laughed: "vou
three must have thought that bag was a life
preserver."
The circumstances were not conducive to
much merriment, however, even in the jovial
cirl herself. Adaman let go. and so did Mrs.
Erwing. leaving the treasure again in Barlo's
possession.
The men lit more matches, and by them found
the means of a better ligiit. The oil lamp still
hung from the roof of the car, and its metal
construction had saved it from other breakage
than that of its glass chimney. With it in his
hinds, Erwing led the way to the platform,
and the ladies were helped to alight. Tbey
stepped on a surface of gravel. At the sides of
a passage scarcely a third wider than the car
were walls of rock, on which were no marks of
human workmanship. The roof was of very
unequal height, too, and it was clear that this
was no tunnel made by man.
"This is the old course of an extinct stream,"
said Erwinc after holding the lamp close to
the ground, and to the rock. "We are in an
underground passage an elongated cave left
by a ner that has now dried up, or been
turne trto another channel. That is certain."
H d we get into itT" Mrs. Erwing said.
The question was a poser. Each member of
the party had a guess to make, and an acknowl
edgment of a failure to advance a reasonable
theory, excepting Adaman, whose gravity and
dignity had already been resumed. As his con
clusion was the true one, it should be given
here.
"These mountains abound in underground
streams and dry courses," he said. "I am
something of a geologist, and I have examined
a .i-rnber of caves that were evidently the out
lets of such extinct rivers. Now it seems
probable to me that the railway tunnel chanced
to be cut so close to one of these natural
passages that only a thin, cracked wall of rock
separated them. Our car ran off the track and
struck the wall so hard as to break clear
through it. Then the stone caved down from
above, separating our cud of the car from the
other, which was left in the tunneL We saw
the rest of it burn up, didn't we ? That loos
ened the truck on which we were, and it ran
down the inclosure with its own weight.
"And bow far hive w e cpme, I wonder?" said
Barlo.
"Let me see," said Erwing, taking out his
watch, and opening its dented case with some
difficulty; "it couldn't have been far from 5
o'clock wben the accident happened. Now it's
almost 6. At the shortest we were SO to 40 min
utes on the way. Of course, the roughness of
the ronte may have made the speed seem great
er than it was, but if we didn't come at the
rate of 25 miles an hour, then I am out in my
calculation. Bo we are anywhere between 10
and 20 miles from the funnel."
Tbey went lnspectingly around the vehicle in
which they bad made the trip off the track. Its
front was not smashed as by a straight-ahead
collision with solid rock. It bad broken
through A wall that old sot utterly wreck it
before yielding, and the roof as far back as IS
feet bad gone through the aperture before the
fall of dlslodced tons of rock smashed the
structure n the middle, so nearly severing it
that the lire completed the dismemberment.
An examination of the truck showed that it
was not injured, while the splintering abra
sions and deep indentations on the fore cor
ners and sides of the remaining section of the
car body were more from contact with the
sides of the water course than from the
original impact. The incline or the passage, so
far as determined by walking 20 rods forward
and back, was about one foot in ten, but the
explorers had no means of knowing bow nearly
that represented the grade down which they
bad passed. Tbey could see, however, that the
long iron rods, which had originally been
girders to support the car, but which had
trailed along the ground in the descent, had
acted as a hindrance to the speed, as well as a
sort of rudder to keep the truck from turning
abruptly against the rock. This drag had
donbtless saved their lives.
"How shall wo get out!" was an early ques
tion. N
"By walking back to the tunnel," was a ready
answer.
"But when we get there," said Barlo, "who
knows that we could make our way through
that mass of rock? I don't believe we could. It
was a great many feet thick, and composed of
an immense quantity of stone."
"Huh," Erwing whispered; "do yon want to
drive all the courage ont of the ladiesf"
"I'm inclined to think.'' said the more hope
ful Adaman. with a quite judicial air, "that
we'd better take the other direction. I observe
that there is a perceptible current of air com
ing from that way. Tbe atmosphere is not
stale here. There is a ventilation, proving
that tho Dassare has two open ends. Now, is
it not fair to presume that the mouth affords a
better egress than the other terminus Besides,
I know something of the geography of this re
gion. Big Sandy creek runs parallel with the
railroad until near the tunnel, and then turns
off southerly. May it not be that we are In the
bed of a stream that used to be a tributary of
tbe Big Sandy, or even of a former course of
that river itself, and which will lead us to the
open airT"
"And there's a big advantage in favor of
travel in that direction," said Erwing, "that of
riding over walking. Why can't we use still
further the wheels that have trundled us this
fart"
"Mercy, no," the bride exclaimed.
"After we' e once escaped death on it?" Lu
protested.
"But now we can control It," he argued.
"The brake will enable us to move is slowly as
we like and as fast as we dare. We have a
lamp here, but no oil to refill it, and we ought
to make the best use of its light during the
time it will burn. We have nothing to eat or
drink. That is another reason to hurry. I say
All aboard" "
A thorough inspection of the running gear of
tbe truck was made, and of the brake ap
paratus. Tbe lamp was fastened In front, and
back of it was nlaced a- hiphlv nolished nanel
from the once finely decorated interior of tbe
car. By that device tbe headlight of a locomo
tive was imitated, very feebly, and yet with re
flection enough to throw a mild illumination
ahead. Erwing took his place at the wheel
and the others grouped themselves on the plat
form. He cautiously 'ooscned the brake and
the wheels started. Then be applied the check
sufficiently to let the car roll along down the
passage very slowly.
CHAPTER 1IL
A CHAEIOI DESCENDED.
The tourists realized, in their cautious and
perfectly controlled progress down the under
ground passage, how perilous had been their
previously rapid descent. The stream that
once poured through this natural tunnel bad
been so swift as to have made its way, in a re
mote time before the clay had become rock, in
a remarkably undevious route; yet there were
benus that threw the car bard against the out
er wall, and places of more than average de
clivity wbicb, but for the brake, would have
imparted tremendous momentum. The peril
through which they had passed was seen to
have been so great that they marveled at their
escape, and, as they peered eagerly into
tho darkness ahead, tbey crouched on
the platform in nervous apprehension
of disaster. The innate jollity of Lu
Erwing, representing tbe volatile extreme of
tne party's nopes, was depressed into pouting
fright, and the habitual gravity of Jasper
Adaman became an unfathomable depth of
portentous solemnity. But extremes met in
in these two persons, for it was Adaman who
lent his arm to the small but gripping bands
of Miss Erwing, while he held fast for both
to tbe band rail that was still intact, Tom
Barlo bad one arm around the door post, while
with the other band he clutched the bag of
gold. Mrs. Dell Erwing was huddled at tbe
other side of the door. Nobody bad any in
clination to stand upright on the jolting ve
hicle, slowly though it went, except William
Erwing, to whom thebrake wheel afforded sup
port while he worked it. All leaned forward
in their efforts to see further into the gloom
than the light of tbe lamp reached.
At tbe end of a mile or more tbe air fresh
ened suddenlv, and blew into their faces much
harder than their slow movement could have
caused. They heard a sound of running water
above the noise of tbe wheels. The lamp was
extinguished by the draught. Erwing tightened
thebrake with all his might, but it no longer
stajed the car, although it blocked the wheels.
There was a precipitous slide; which would
have tumbled the passengers off if they had
not been holding fast, and they knew that they
bad gone swiftly down a steep place. Then
they were aware, in the darkness, that a rush
ing stream was encountered, and that it caught
tbe car and swung it into a direction almost at
a right angle from that in which it bad been
going. The dry tunnel had emerged into one
through which a torrent was dashing. Bewil
derment at the change of conditions lasted only
a moment, and the tourists comprehended, as
they might not have done but for their rapid
schooling in tbe possibilities of mis
chance, that they were in a new
peril. Then daylight came into Eight.
It was rods ahead when tbey first saw it, and
it defined the end of the passage. The water
swept the car along, submerging it so that the
platform was covered, and jet letting its
wheels grate along tbe rock bottom. Not a
word, not a cry, was uttered. All eyes were
fixed on the distant, but nearlng aperture,
which was like a bright disc set in blackness.
Tbe overwrought visions acutely saw that a
yellow cloud was floating across the irregular
section of blue sky. They moved swifter and
swifter toward the opening, and its dimensions
relatively spread as tbey approached, but with
out disclosing anything but cloud and azure.
Astbertrot very near to it tbe roar became
that of falling water, and in the now ample
light of day they saw the hurry and curve of
the river where it left tbe slope and made a
downward plunge. They were going to be
borne over a cataract.
Erwing quitted the orako and sprang to bis
wife. All clung desperately to each other and
to tbe car, which shot out from the end of tbe
tunnel, impelled by the rush of water like a
projectile. Tbe ejection was powerful enough
to make the trailing remnants at tbe rear clear
tbe precipice, and then the car dropped straight
downward. The awful sense of falling was
increased In horror by the uncertainty as to
the height; but the torture was momentary,
for the car was descending between tbe walls
of a chasm, which narrowed downward, so
that tbe platform on which the five persons
crouched was first squeezed between the con
fines of rock, and then brought to a stop. They
had closed their eves instinctively for a shock.
On coming to a rest without casualty, although
not without some violence, thev gazed about in
astonishment. The car was lodged in the cleft
of stone 103 feet from tbe bottom. Behind
them was the waterfall. In front the view
opened out upon a heavily wooded plain,
through which tbe river meandered lazily, as
thougb to regain composure after its under
cround turbulence and lof tv ralL
The shaken quintette lay flat on the careened
platform, fearing that it would slip from its
lodgment and spill them to the bottom of tbe
chasm; but after a minute of that tbey peered
over tho edges and saw a party of about a hun
dred persons gathered on one bank of a pool,
from which the waterfall raised a mass of
foam, spray and mist. The sun was settlngand
its last level rays made this dampness resplend
ent with evanescent bits of rainbow, while the
almost enclosing rocks echoed the roar of the
waters in a melody which rose and fell with the
wind that was fitfully blowing. Tbe people
were men, women and children, fantastically
clad in costumes that mixed the fabrics of civ
ilization witb the skins and feathers of savage
costuming. Thev were gazing up at
the car in manifest awe. The up
turned faces showed the characteristics of
Indians and negroes, separate and distinct In
some cf the older representatives of one or the
other race, bnt amalgamated in the younger
individuals with singularly irregular results of
features, hair and complexion. They were
silent and nearly motionless, with tbeir eyes
turned aloft, buddenly an old negress ran to
tbe middle of tbe tbrong. She was as tall as
any man among them, and herfigurewas erect,
but her kinky hair was white, and her face was
wrinkled with age. fabe wore a dress of rudely
dyed skins, and bright feathers were stuck
about her head. She tossed her arms, swayed
her body and began to chant in a Mgh, shrill
voice, which was quickly accompanied by the
harsh but rythmical singing of tbe others. Tbe
song, or hymn, was In reception and honor of
tbe travelers, as shown oy the looks and gest
ures. Between J0 and 40 years agp, Kansas was a
battle ground for pioneer settlers, some of
whom were determined that the slavery of
negroes should be instituted in the new State,
while others wei e equally resolute to establish
human freedom. The history of "Bleeding
Kansas" has been written in many forms, but
in none of these accounts is the story of tbe
Akenorths told. A negro family named Ake
north migrated from Louisiana to tbe extreme
western end of Kansas. Tbey were runaways
from bondage, seeking a now home in tbe
wilderness. Misled in their expectation of
finding Kansas a place of safe refuge, and
alarmed by the warfare encountered there,
tbey abandoned their settlement on what is
now called Monotony river, to flee still further
from cruel civilization Into the mountainous
wilderness of Colorado. There tbey remained
in a region that is still primeval. Their fright
and hardships partially crazed them. Either
by a curious coincidence, or as'the result of
irrational association; the father, mother and
two sons became monomaniacs. The mother
may have been well started toward lunacy De
fore quitting Louisiana, where she wasavoudou
priestess among ber people: and the father may
have been semi idiotic before excitement un
balanced bis weak intellect, for be was a very
Ignorant and susperstltious native African.
Tbe woman dominated tbe family, and led
them into a belief that, some day, deliverance
would come to them miraculously. Her super
stitions fancy conceived a chariot which would
bring the conquerors of their enemies. That
was the doctrine she taught them in, and
around which she formulated a crudo sort of
religious worship. As time passed tbey affili
ated with a remnant of Arapahoe Indians.
The Akenorth sons married Arapahoe squaws;
and other sons and daughters born to the elder
Akenorths also wedded with Arapahoes. until
there was produced the Negro-Indian tribe
which congregated below tho waterfall when
the white travelers emerged from tbe mount
ain. These mongrel people lodged in tepees,
ate tbe beasts and fish of the mountains, and
in many respects lived like the aboriginal
Indians; but their language became almost
wholly that of the Negroes, and old. Chloe
Akenorth queened it over them, with her weird
witcheries brought from Louisiana, and
adapted to ber hallucination a forthcoming
redemption bv supernatural charioteers.
Such was "the condition of tbe Akenorth
Arapahoes when, assembled in the ravine for
periodical rites, they saw what they instantly
believed was the expected chariot descend.
Tbey bad never seen a railway car, and tbe
shattered portion of a drawing room coach was
sufficiently fine and strange to look to them
like a supernatural vehicle. So Chloe raised
the hvmn of .welcome, and ber followers sang
it with reverent unction.
The party suspended half way up the gorge,
however, took an entirely utilitarian view of
the affair. They sought a way of getting aown
to safe ground. Erwing venturesomely climbed
across a crag and thence to a jut of rock, from
which a footpath led precipitously down. He and
Adaman helped Mrs. Erwing and Lu to reach
the path. Barlo was last to abandon the car.
He had the bag In his hand. His feet slipped
and he scrambled on all fours. The bag flew
open, and the three ingots of gold fell with
three splashes Into the pool below. LuErwing's
hands were just then held tightly in one of
Adaman!, while bis arm sustalningly encircled
her waist; ard that was quite proper, for Er
wing bad half carried his wife across tbe same
Insecure place; and tbe merry Lu was so un
offended by the necessary familiarity on tbe
part of Adaman,and so habitually alert to any
thing comical, that she laughed outright at the
spilling of tbe contents of tbe bag.
"O, be's lost his biusb and comb, and who
knows what all," she exclaimed.
"And who knows what all?" Adaman gravely
echoed; "I do."
"You do?" Lu asked.
"That is no I don't," he prudentlv replied.
They bad reached the path, and Lu disen
gaged herself from bim, except that she let
him retain one hand for guidance. Barlo came
last, carrying the empty bag.
"Was there anything valuable in itf ' asked
Erwing.
"I suppose not," Mrs. Erwing hastily inter
posed. "No." Barlo added; "it's of no conse
quence." ine AKenonnsmetinemat tne iooi oi me
declivity. Old Chloe was foremost.
"Bress de Lawd," she cried! "ye's kem et
last. Yah's de cba'yet whad totched ye,
'cordlu' to do promise. Bress de Lawd."
Tbe visitors did not comprehend this recep
tion, but they judiciously kept that fact to
themselves, and it was not until the ensuing
day that, point by point and in the" course of
conversations, thev had acquired an under
standing of this isolated, mountain-bound tribe
of Negro-Indians.
"Yo's kem to tell us we'se free," was one of
Chloe's declarations, with just a perceptible
tone of query in it; "I know dat's so, Mas'r
don' tole me dat an't so!"
"We can tell ou that all the colored folks in
tbe land are free," Erwing replied, "and that is
the truth."
Tho visitors were very hungrv and tired. The
sun sank out of sight, and twilight was falling.
A hearty meal of coarse maize, small fish and
rabbit meat, stewed together in an earthen
dish over an open Are, was soon served to them.
They ate with enfastidious relish, and drank
the clear water from the pool into which the
30 pounds of gold bad been dropped. Night
brought clouds, but no moon, and the darkness
was unrelieved except by a camp fire. It was
while sitting around the blazing logs for an
hour after the supper that the Akenorths. and
mainly Chloe, imparted tbe information that
the tribe resorted to tbe ravine because
"de Are ob promise" burned there.
"We was gnlne to worship dis ebenln'," she
said; "an' now we kin praise de Lawd 'case de
promise am kep'." "
Tbe place was not remote from that Yellow
stone Park, which is one of the world's won
ders, with its boiling geysers and other phe
nomeaa of internal fires. On the hillside abovo
the waterfall was a low cone of rock, with an
aperture only four inches in diameter, and to
the surface arose through this volcanic hole a
tongue of flame. A steady supply of natural
gas fed it, and a draught sucked it up from far
below, but the blaze never reached higher than
the apex of tbe cone, although at night a red
glow stood like a pillar of fire over tbe spot.
Tbe heat was intense. Birds were overcome
in flying over it, and tbeir bodies fell lifeless.
The rock was red hot where it joined tbe vent.
Around the "Fire of Promise" the Akenorths
had built a roofless inclosure of stone to make
a temple, and at one end of tbe structure was a
rough altar on whicb stood a very ttgly image
of a god, or devil, such as the Arapahoes an
ciently fashioned in pottery. It was only 12
inches high, and it represented a squat figure,
like those that the Aztecs, of Mexico, and the
savages of Alaska modeled In wood, clay aud
stone. W hatever may have been its original
office in Indian religion, it was by Chloe em
ployed in her voudou ceremonies; in connec
tion with sacrifices at tbe volcanic fire. But
on this occasion nothing mystic or elaborate
was done. The old negress conducted ber peo
ple and tbe strargers to the temple, where she
led tbe former In several chants, and explained
to tbe latter that their arrival was tbe culmina
tion and climax of tbe tribe's bones,
"Mas'r Erwing am our delib'rer," she said,
fixing upon the biggest man of the three as tbe
chief of the party, "an de Qwantan shall be
guv to him. Dat's de law, and dat's de gospel.
De Qwantan he go to Mas'r Erwing."
The "Gwantan" was the clay image, and tbe
name she gave to it was doubtless derived
from tbe Arapahoe language. Sbesaid in effect
that the thing bad been emblematic of an ex
pectation of deliverance. Her mind was more
superstitious than clear on tbe subject, but she
was positive that the "Gwantan" must be
given to Erwing, and that thereupon tbe tribe
would b free to go out from their corner of
hiding into the world. So she made a rambling
speech presenting tho object to bim, and be
gravely accepted It. After the' formality was
over, the visitors were escorted back to the
ravine, where a tepee was allotted to them for
the night. They were to sleep In tbeir clothes,
on heaps of pine boughs, covered by skins.
While the arrangements were being made,
Mrs. Erwing contrived to talk privately with
Tom Barlo about the gold In the pool.
"The water is ten feet deep, so they've told
me," ho said, "and the waterfall keeps it so
dtsturled that nobody can by any chance see
the bars where they lie. Now, I advise you to
let them stay there they'll be safe enough
till you can send me or someone else back to
fish them out. That is, unless y ou want to let
your husband know as he'd be sure to if we
tried to tote tbe metal along. Remember,
w c've got to ride on ponies from here a matter
of I don't know bow many miles It may be a
hundred, for we must go away around the
mountain that we came directly through and
he'd be sure to discover the metal."
Barlo's advice was so much like insistence
that the woman was silenced. She was sure
tbat she did not desire to abandon hope of
conveying tbe gold to her husband, somehow
and sometime, without his knowing whence it
came. Perhaps Barlo's plan was best. She
was thinking about it when Jasper Adaman
slyly drew ber away from tbe others.
n"I know what was in tbat bag," he whispered,
"and I've seen by your actions tbat you do. I
was sent from the Assay office to follow It, be
cause we thought Mr. Barlo might be a tblef.
I am now convinced be is tempted to steal it,
an) bow, notwithstanding be was authorized by
you to get it. At Mirage be was on the point
of absconding: and tbe accident by which he
dropped it into the water wasn't an accident at
alb I saw him opening the bag beforehand.
His plan, depend on it, is to return and get tho
gold appropriate it then report to you that it
couldn't be found."
Their conference was interrupted, bnt they
managed to renew it, and, before tbe Bleeping
accommodations were ready for use, tbey bad
agreed upon something tor Adaman to do. It
was of bis own devising, and he was very proud
of it, for it seemed to compensate for the low
ness of detective work by lifting it to an eleva
tion of positive genius. He waited until after
midnight, when no eyes except Mrs. Swing's
were open to see bim glide quietly from the
tepee. He looked cautiously about before
rising to bis feet in the open air, but nobody
save himself was astir in tbe camp. He stole a
hundred yards away to the pool at tbe foot of
tbe waterfall. Then be took off all his
clothes and went into tbe water, taking
care to keep far enough from then all itself for
safety. He was submerged half a minute or
more, and then he came up for breath. From
bis next trip to tbe bottom be returned ladened
with one of the ingots. A second was similarly
recovered. The search for the third was longer
and more arduous, but at the end of an hour
the 30 pounds of gold lay on the shore. Adaman
dressed himself, took the metal in his arms, and
climbed with it up tbe bill to the "Fire of
Promise." Tbevoudouismof old Chloe seemed
to outfit, tbe temple with no superstitious ter
rors for him, but he was wary until convinced
that no human being was there. Of tbe "Gwan
tan" be showed no fear or averion. He went
to the image, and pulled it off tie altar. Torn
ingHt upside down, he smiled sitisfleoly 'on as
certaining tbat it was hollow. (The clay of Its
composition was as hard as stone, and Qum
brously tmck; but It had been) originally mod
eled on a cons of wood, whichhad burned out
in tbe baking, leaving an empty space witb a
smalt aperture at the bottom.)
Adaman carried the piece of antique pottery
to the vent of tho "Fire of Promise," and set
it head downward thereon, 'like a miniature
cupola over a blast furnace. He watched tbe
result with deep concent- Would tho tremend.
ous beat crack tbe image? No. it slowly red
dened, and tben became a dull white. It was
a veritable crucible, which the volcanio flame
licked with its red tongue until, if tbe aged
clay had been metal, it would have liquified
and run down into tbe fiery throat. Then Ada
man thrnst the ingots one after another into
the Inverted image, where tbey gradually be
came molten gold, for the soft, unalloyed metal
did not long resist the fire. As soon as this was
accomplished, he cautiously pushed tbe idol off
tbe fire-vent with a stick, but left it upside
down until it and it contents were cooled suf-.
flciently to permit him to set It in its accustomed
plare on the altar. The "IJwantan" now had a
golden lining, but the outside was unaltered.
Tbe man made bis way back tobls companions,
among whom Mrs. Erwing only was awake,
and she fell asle after acknowledging with a
mile his very dignified nod of assurance.
The sun was not much earlier than tbe Aken
orths next morning, but tbe strangers u ere per
mitted to sleep as long as tbey would. Ex
hausted by both mental and physical stress,
tbey slumbered soundly, and it was not until a
o'clock that William Erwing emerged from the
tepee. His companions were out soon after-'
wards. A breakfast was ready for them. It
was so much like tbe previous night s supper
that only the time of eating it made the differ
ence in name appropriate, uia umoe directed
everything that was done, and accompanied her
work with voluble talk. She mixed tbe ad.
Lrentures of the Akenorths with the rude ser
vice Ol (ue jucai, iuiu luouiusb nwuisivtu vagar
ies of her monomania with perfectly practical
arrangements for the departure of her guests.
Six ponies had already been apportioned by her
to carry them to the railway. He knew the
general direction they ought to take, and, ven
turing beyond tbeir mountain refuge for tbe
first time, tbe little tribe was to escort them a
part of tho way.
"But why provide six ponies to carry Ave of
us?" Erwing asked.
"Dat's one fo' one all 'roun'," Chloe ex
plained, "an ono fo' de 'Gwantan'."
"Are we to take the image away?"
" Cordin' to de law an' de promise, yo's to
hab de 'Gwantan'. Ef to' didn't take it, de
Laud knows we wouldn'n' dar go 'way rum
neah. 'Sides, chile, dar's a heap o' luck in de
'Gwantan', 'deed dar am an' I guv's it all to
yo'."
'Tin sure of it, William," Mrs. Erwing in
sisted; "the idol is yours do you hear? and
all its good luck."
"Then thank you. Chloe." he said. "I insist
on paying thirtv dollars apiece for the ponies
that's tbe market price, and you will need the
money when you abandon this sort of lire
hut I accept your gift of tbe 'Gwantan'. It
shall have a place in my household, and If it
proves a fetish to bring good fortune "
"Nebber f eah." the negress broke In. "See
whad it done fo' us. Oh. you'll find luck In it,
sbuah, shuab."
"And I'll see that tbe good fortune Is evolved
from it," Mrs. Erwing remarked, in a low
voice, and in words that only Adaman fully
comprehended.
While the preparations for tbe horseback
'trip were going on, she found an opportunity
to thank Adaman for his valuable services.
"And whenever I can requite them," she
added, warmly, "only let me know."
"I fancy, Mrs. Erwing," he responded, with
an access of stiff gravity, "tbat I may wish to
get your influence in a matter of well to be
explicit in a matter of the heart in point of
fact, my own heart."
"What do you mean?"
"I mean that I shall undoubtedly fall in love
with your sister-in-law. Miss Erwing, and I may
ask you to assist me, that is, assist ber to fall in
love with me."
Adaman's dignity gave symptoms of col
lapse, and the approach of the unsuspecting
i.u, jaugning in uer jouy way at some oddity ol
tbe camp, left only time for Mrs. Erwing to
give so much assent as silence implied.
But in the procession that rode three days
later into Wild Horse, a station on the same
railroad whicb tbe party bad quitted through
tbe accident in the tunnel, there were six
figures on six ponies, and ono of the side-by-side
pairs was composed of Adaman and Lu.
Seriousness and merriment seemed tc have
mated themselves thus far agreeably. At the
front were the bride and bridegroom of this re
markable honeymoon tonr, and at the rear
came Tom Barlo and the "Gwantan," the idol
carrying secretly the gold which the man had
as privately set out with from Denver. In
that fashion ended the journey off the track.
(TUB END.)
Copyright, 1SS9: all rights reserved.
WONDERFULLY CLEVER BEARS.
They Stole a Farmer's Hoc, Penned Them
Up nnd Fed Them.
Atlanta Constitutions
Out in tbe oaky woods the wild animals fre
quently exhibit intelligence to a remarkable
degree. One of the largest planters, Mr. J. K.
Beal, in going the rounds of bis immense plan
tation noticed that in a field bordering the,
-Pocasin swamp the best rails from bis fence
had been abstracted. Any rails tlecayed or de
fective were left, while only the newest and
best rails had been taken. This continued for
quite a while. The planter supposed that the
negroes had been taking them, but could find
no clew to tbe thieves. After awhile bis hogs
began to disappear until at last wuen be went
to call tbem up none responded to the cry.
Next, in tbe same field from wbence the raiis
bad been abstracted, the growing corn crop be
gan to suffer. Bushels of roasting ears disap
peared and at last tbe tracks of some large
animal were discovered leading from the corn
field to the mysterious depths of the Pocasin.
They were tbe tracks of a huge bear. So much
damage was being done to the crops that it was
determined to tty to find the brute.
Accordingly a party was organized, and away
they went following the trail tbat became
more and more indistinct. The Pocasin swamp
is interspersed with dry hammocks, like oases
in a desert. On, on, through mire ana ooze, mi
through the little shaded islands and back
again to swampy ground. At last they reached
a large high hammock rising almost like a hill
from the mysterious depths of tbe swamp.
Here high and dry they were astonished to
discover a great pen, "as large," says the nar
rator of this singular adventure, "as large as a
great bouse." Upon examination it was found
that the Den had been built of the stolen f enea
rails, within it were tbe kidnapped bogs, J
BieeK anu lau atdudu it in every airection
were the tracks of the bear, innumerable in
number and the ground well trodden down.
Within the pen were some of tbe remains of
the roast'ng ears abstracted from Mr. Seal's
field. Tbe hunting party were struck with
amazement, and sat down around the well
filled pen to try to unravel the mystery, There
was but one solution. Every evidence pointed
to this one fact: The bear had stolen tbe
planter's fence rails, had built the pen upon the
secluded hammock, had stolen bis hogs, and
then selecting bis best shoats, bad penned
them up, and was fattening tbem up for winter
use upon Mr. Beal's rozsting ears.
THE DRUMMER'S EUSE.
A Comedy In Two Acts, in the Wild Down
Bait.
Bangor Commercial.
A short time ago a drummer from abroad
called at a Bangor livery stable and wanted a
double team for a ten days' trip into tbe coun
try, and the stable man refused to let him one
on tbe ground tbat he was a stranger. There
was much discussion over the matter, and
finally the drummer said:
"What is your team worth?"
"Four hundred and fifty dollars," was the re
ply. "If I pay you that mm for it, will you buy it
back again when I return?" asked the customer,
aud upon receiving an affirmative reply, ho
promptly put up tbe cash. Ten days later he
returned, and driving Into tbe stable, be
alighted and entered the office, saying, "Well,
here is your team, and now I want my money
back."
Tbe sum was passed to him and he turned
and was leaving the place when the livety man
called out, "Look here, aren't you going to
settle for that team?"
"For what team?" asked the drummer, in a
surprised tone.
"For the one you just brought back."
"Well, now.'" drawled the drummer, "you
aren't fool enough to think that I -would pay
anybody for the use of my own property, are
youf and he shook the dust of the place from
his feet
K0 FLIES OX THE FARMER.
Bnt Tbey 8 worm on tbe Cows and Slake
Batter Expensive.
Philadelphia Becord.l
"You can blame its poor quality and its high
price on tbe pesky files," said a sun-browned
farmer as he unblcsbingly charged an inexpert
enced housekeeper a round half dollar for a
pound of pale-looking butter yesterday.
"Do vou mean to tell me that tbe cows live
on flies?"
"No, but the flies feeds on the cows. Won't
let 'em have a mlnit's peace. Cows do notbln'
but stand in clover and switch off flies. They
come borne at night empty as a bladder. Cows
can't cbew clover while hundreds of flies and
muskeeters is feedin' on 'em, and so we get
no milk. Butterm be bad till the files go
away."
Perbapa It Told the Truth.
Albany Journal.;
The carelessness of the gentleman who
wielded tbe paint brush, and tbe clear case of
oversigbtedness displayed by the manager, ex
plains why a sign with this inscription was
permanently exhibited in a well-known cloth
ing store for several days before being dis
carded: THESE PANTS to,
Wobth J2 50." J
AN ITALIAN STUDY.
Ouida Falls Foul of Marion Craw
ford and Describes the
HANKERS AND CUSTOMS OF ITALY
As Ihej Really Exist Outside of the
Modern Novel.
PEOPLE WITH COMPLEX CHAEACTEES
rwnrrrEN roBvinr. dispatch.!
Marion Crawford is a writer who has the
faculty'of interesting his public; it is to be
regretted that he is also-a writer who too
frequently forgets what he owes to preceding
writers? Iu a recent chapter of his story
called "St. Ilario," he makes the singular
declaration tbat no foreigner ever under
stood Italians. It is a statement of audacity,
and, I think, wholly without ioundation.
The incomparable passages of Stendahl rise
first of all to the mind; passages in which
the Italian mind is turned inside out like a
glove, and the Italian character dissected
and understood with the most exquisite ac
curacy. Byron comprehended entirely the
Italian temperament; George Sand also, aud
portrayed it with that accuracy which Mr.
Crawford denies to every foreign student of
it. Is he ,so very suie that he himself so
perfectly comprehends it? He has certainly
continual opportunities to familiarize him
self with it, but I confess that, in my opin
ion, his portraits of Italians might be
Germans, English, Dutch, Spaniards, or
anything else that he might be pleased to
title them, were it not for the names which
he bestows on them, and the local color
which surrounds them.
In his story of "Sarracenesco," as in its
sequel, "St. Ilario," the characters of the
father and son are so little Italian that they
resemble rather two fierce taciturn sturdy
herren of North Germany, or the 'squires of
the Scottish or Enplish borders; they are in
nothing whatever Italian, nor is the heroine,
the Princess Astrardeve, of the first story,
who becomes in the sequel the wife of Sant
Ilario, any more Italian either; she is the
strictly moral, devout, externally cold per
son who has so often smothered in her secret
soul a hundred romances, and is indeed a
very English-like gentlewoman, admirable
in all relations of hie, but profoundly unin
teresting. These three principal personages
are Roman by blood, titles and habits; but
they convey no sense to the reader that they
are more Roman than they are anything
else.
A COMPLEX CHABACXEB,
Mr. Crawford implies by his statement
that no foreigner writing either in prose or
poetry has ever written anything showing
any comprehension of them; he has been
satisfied certainly tbat be stands alone in the
world in comprehension of the.n. Despite bis
talent and bis opportunities, this may by less
interested judges be doubted. He does not
seem ever to have discovered that the "very
simple creatnre" whom he admires has been at
all events sufficiently complex to baffle himself
and successfully to induce him to judge of it
wholly from its exterior.
The Italian will pass a lifetime without re
vealing his Innermost self to his dearest asso
ciate; tbe polished shell In which his real self
dwells nnseen has been enough for Mr. Craw
ford to study, and even this he seems to me
only imperfectly to have observed. It is a shell
which has many irridescent and many opaque
hues. The supreme and distinguishing exter
nal characteristic of tbe Italian is what the
French language defines as charme. It is a
charm of manner, of address, of air and aspect,
of gaiety and courtesy, which is worn like a
velvet glove. It is not confined to class, it may
be found in all classes, and is in all full of
grace. It only vanishes under the stir of rage
or under the sting of suspicion, but then it van
ishes rndelv. comoletelv. even brntallv. When
tne Italian thinks be Is put in the wrong, or
likely to lose money, this polite gay amiability
which is natural to him at all other times,
changes as rapidly as his own blue seas
change under a white squall. But although
this charme may not, does not, resist disturb
ance, and disappears even in the highest bred
when Irritation or apprehension is aroused, yet
it softens and enlivens many relations of life,'
and sweetens and adorns many occasions of in
tercourse which in other lands would be harsh
or ordinary. It is not invariable, but it is fre
quent. "There are few characters as beautiful as
mine in the world. I am good to imbecility,"
said an Italian to me this year. He was in all
appearance a "very simple creature." In fact,
he is a man about 45 years old. He has a
frank, smiling, kind face. He began life as a
servant, then became a stutter of birds, then
set up a modest shop of odds and ends of bric-a-brac.
Little by little bis shop and his com
merce have crown; be has combined with tbe
Jirofltable trade of manufacturing antique ob
ects tbe still more profitable trade of money
ending. Ho is known to benttrazzino (usurer),
but this does not impair his credit. On tbe
contrary, it enhances it. "Ha graun' name
tulla piazza," all his townspeople say in speak
ing of hira. He has nurchased lands and
houses and theaters. He has utterly ruined
numerous families; be is keen as a knife, cruel
as a ferret, sharp as a needle, but he says that
he is "good to imbecility," and says It with so
pleasant a countenance, so frank a good faith,
that, if 'Mr. Crawford has the honor of bis
acquaintance, he undoubtedly classes him as
"a very simple creature."
DIAMOND CUT DIAMOND.
Mr. Crawford urges in favor of their sim
plicity that one Italian cau cheat another. Un
doubtedly. A more ingenious schemer i will
always be able to entangle a less ingenious
schemer, and success in scheming, like success
in other matters, depends on the extent of the
intelligence employed. In no two persons is
tbe intelligence equal, and the Italian proverb
recognizes this wben it says tbat to do good
business there must be two, un minchione e tin
furboL e., a fool and a knave.
Moreover, the overweening vanity of the
Italian lends itself constantly to his destruction;
he is convinced that no one can cheat him, and
this blind belief in himself causes a futility
which makes him frequently a prey to tbe cun
ning of others. Tbe most conspicuous trait in
the Italian character Is vanity. If a
woman tells bim he may call on ber
be is apt immediately to believe tbat she
offers him the tenderest rendezvous. It
is impossible to make him see his own mistakes,
or any inferiority of any kind in himself.
Whatever he does is iu bis own eyes well done,
and. If it be not so also in your eyes, the fault
is yours. It is this vanity which makes Italy
so dangerous a politicnl factor in European
policy, and which English statesmen so peril
ously flatter because tbey never know tbat it
exists. It is to this vanity tbat their own
statesmen successfully appeal wben tbey rely
on tbeir bombast about African victories, and
German admiration, and European alliances,
and Tunisian ambitions, to blind the nation to
tbe deadly yoke of a ruinous taxation and the
fatal blister of a perpetually debilitating and
irrittting civil legislation.
An accusation whicb is, I think, very com
monly brought against the Italians, and often
unjustly, is that of physical cowardice. A na
tion in which the slow, terrible, backing duel
of the saber. Is tbe common form of duel can
not be very cowardly. In the Lombard floods.
In the Sicilian volcanic eruptions,ln tbe Ischian
earthquakes. If there were many signs of
cowardice there were also many proofs of great
courage and heroic endurance A man in my
employ had a terrible accident in my absence.
Tbe first thing be said in bis pain was, "Do not
telegraph to the signora; it would only vex her
when she is happy." Another man in my em
ploy carried in bis arms three miles a little boy
which had been bitten by a (so-called) rabid
dog, to bring it safely to me. This was. it is
true, before M. Pasteur had contributed so
largely to increase the panic terrors of man
kind. COURAGEOUS SOLDIERS.
The courage which Italian troops show in
flood, in fire and in pestilence is remarkable,
tbe mofti so thatthose troops are almost wholly
made up of reluctant conscripts, young men
whose hearts are with the homes from which
they have been torn, poor soldiers, ill-paid,
ill-fed, ill-treated, and, for the most part, bitter
enemies of their officers and of their service.
These soldiers have little or no inducement to
do well: wben they have served their time they
go back to their original labor or trade. The
emoluments of even the higher military grades
are so miserable that an Italian Colonel is paid
less than an English butler. Tbe soldiers are
marched and counter-marched till they drop.
When allowed the luxury of the railway they
are put in cattle trucks. Tbey have Intolerable
rations. They are clothed with no regard to
season or climate. They are shot at attempt at
any Insubordination. There is not one in a
thousand that serves willingly. Yet in times of
cholera, of earthquake, whenFo andBrenta
break their banks, or .tna or Vesuvius over
whelm smiling fields and fruitful vineyards,
these youths display a courage far finer than
the courage shown in battle, because a courage
uusustained by any excitement and unstimu
lated by any hope of recognition or reward.
Of mental courage he Gas, usually speaking,
not a shred; he will never admit tbat he has
said anything which is likely to get bim Into
any sort of trouble or opprobrium.and tbls kind
or timidity is fostered by the absurd laws of
libel, which punish any term of truth telling,
however sincere, justified or proven, as if it
were a malignant calumnv.
On the other band, of moral courage no
Italian has any possession or knowledge. If
here and there one be endowed witb this rare
quality ne is regarded by bis fellows as a mad
man; while any Impersonal feeling for an idea
is viewed as a mild but hopeless form of in
sanity. An Italian cannot bear to be In the
minority, or to differ from those about bim in
such a manner as to appear singular. He is
quarrelsome, easily irritated, easily offended,
morbidly alive to slights, and what is called In
French processionnaire, litigious about small
things, especially if these small things repre
sent any Bum, however trifling, of money. But
of all these traits, and many others whicb de
mand longer analysis and definition than can
be given here. Mr. Crawlord, who thinks that
no foreigner except himself has ever under
stood Italians, presents but few features in bis
Italian portraits. He has seen the debars, the
"domino, the surface, the smile of "tbe good
simple creature," and has rarely looked
further.
COUETEOTJS HOT UNTEUTHFUI
The Italian;, so fortunate in so much, have
been unfortunate in one thing, i. e., tbat their
critics and admirers laud them for qualities
which they do not possess, and deny to tbem
qualities which they do possess. With the En
gllsh people falsehood Is considered, nominally,
as a great sin, but rudeness and offensiveness
are considered sincerity. With the Italian
falsehood is looked on as venial, nay, advisable;
but politeness and good nature are deemed
necessities. It is, no doubt, best to live with
Italians as wise diplomatists live with one an
other, that is to say, on terms of cordiality and
courtesy, but sans sa fler trop. sans se fivrer
jamais They are not frank themselve and
they have a profound contempt for frankness;
they never wholly reveal themselves, and tbey
esteem you a fool if you so reveal yourself, or
they think tbat you have some deeply-concealed
and extremely base personal motive for
doing so. On tbe other hand, they are con
stantly hurt and irritated by the want of polite
ness and tact which Northern people so con
spicuously display. The rage of an Italian
must be at the whitest of whlto beats before
be will so far forget himself as to say an un
civil thing. Even when bis actions are brutal
his soeech will nsnallv still remain courteous.
The inattention, slovenliness and roughness
which are the fashion In English manners, and,
alas! are becoming so In French manners,
appall and off end tbe Italian,and appear to him
barbaric and intolerable.
The jerk of tbe bead in greeting, the
brusque, curt, indifferent speeches, the inat
tention to women, the tramplfng on all
etiquette, and the blunt expressions of per
sonal opinion, in season and out of season,
which are characteristic of the English man
ners, arc, to the Italian, so many marks of
absolute uncivilized boorishness, and he sees
with amazement tbat anyone of his peasant
women will courtesy better than nine out of
ten Northern ladies of fashion. That an
Englishman sits in the presence of women with
one leg thrown over the knee nf the other leg
seems to the Italian the most ill-bred vulgarity.
A great and lamentable mania for imitating
English, Americans, and Germans in their
worst points is, unhappily, on tbe increase with
every year: and tberesults. though sometimes
comical, are always disastrous.
"1 have left my wife drunk on a heaDof
stones in the road; she Is so very English, you
know!" said not long ago a courtly and accom
plished Italian gentleman, exceedingly proud
and triumphant over his announcement.
THE PEBFECTIOIT OF MANNEBS.
Manners are nearer perfection in Italy than
anywhere else. Here tbe "grand air" still ex
ists, and is so entirely natural that it is as de
lightful as it is elegant. Unhappily the trav
eler sees little or nothing ot this, for with the
aristocracy he has no intercourse, and the
peasantry he does not see; whilst what be does
see constantly is thatmezza-cae a or bourgeoisie
who flU the streets; shopkeepers, clerks, busi
ness men of all sorts, wbo are at all times tbe
worst mannered of all nat'ons, and who in
Italy, by their imitation of Germans and Amer
icans, by their adoption of ways and tones, cos
tume and manners of the brnsque, inelegant,
slovenly, peevish modern type, do great injus
tice to the Italian nation, which by tens of
thousands of travelers they are considered to
represent.
Germany may or mavnot ba a valnahla allv
to Italy; she may be the big brother, wbo hon
estly protects the little one, or she may be tho
monkey who uses the cat to get her chest
nuts. But whatever the political issues
of the Italian submission to Ger
many, there is - no question tbat tbe
Italian imitation of German manners and cus
toms has had a most disastrous effect on tbe
Italian middle-class, and the Italian civil ser
vice; and has made tbem ashamed of their own
natural srood nature, courtesv and nlinhiltv.nnfi
has made them dogmatic, rude, and Interfering I
w a uckcu Djiiuii ij uuucvuuuaiiu iueuj,anu
wearying to the general public As the pot-bat
and the ulster are to tbeir persons, so is tbls
new and unfitting fashion to their manners. It
has even touched and iuvp-ded a higher class; and
the young Italian prrhce, with bis sporting
clothes and jargon, his6lgeon shooting, bis ab
sinthe drinking, his crizo for club life, his Imi
tation of London mashers and Paris paneurs,
is a very inferior being to his father,- gracious;
stately, elegant, living a dignified life in bis
own palaces and country houses, and taking a
paternal interest in all bis dependents and
peasantry. Ouida.
SUAEPSedOTING PISH.
Curious Piscatorial .bpecimem Found by Dr.
DleUthr in Siam.
.New York Sun.l
Dr. Carl Meister, auerroan traveler, is telling
some very curious stiirles just now about shoot
ing fish which he fottnd in the rivers and small
lakes of Slam. The
shooting fish passes most
of its time doing i
pools near the shore,
othing In tbe deep, quiet
When It becomes hungry
it swims slowly do'
stream near tbe surface
of the water. As so
iasit sights a fly or bug
on a bush or bit
f grass at the water's
to a position within
edge it floats up
two or tnree ieot
f the insect. For a few
seconds it rema
s motionless, apparently
taking aim with i
i month about a hair's
breadth under wal
r. Then it projects its
yondtbo upper jaw and
under jaw slightly
fires from tbe lit
rounu aperture inus
r at the fly or .bug. This
with lightning raDldity,
f ormeo a drop of w
drop of water movi
anu lnvanaoiy nits
aimed. The insect
e inca at which it is
lis into the water and the
leister says he has often
fish cobbles it. Dr.
seen a shooting fish1
quick succession af I
,iag 30 or more insects In
r this fashion. Bugs with
nam sneus or neav
pervious to the sho
wings are sometimes lin
ing nsn's arop ot water.
Any ordinary insec
than tbe end of :
however, oi sniauersize
man's thumb is usually
knocked senseless b;
it.
In Siam Dr. Meisi
his aquarium seve
r caught and preserved in
il shooting fish. Theybe-
came very tame, j
any kind of an obj
iey would snoot at almost
t that was held over tbeir
time, lotest tne
Mrister occasional!
ccuracv of their aim. Dr.
held over tbe tank a bit
of white pasteboa:
I, on wbicb was painted a
alf the size of the ton of a
mack ny oi apout
lead pencil. Nlnefiy-nine times out of a hun
dred the fish hit tie fly squarely, and tbe one
hundredth time i missed it only by a hair' a
breadth. The end! of a pencil, or a finger, or
any small, ronnd object, held over tho tank, al
ways attracted a tidy shower of drops from tbe
fish below. Threcj ot the shooting fish were
trained bvDr. Meister to jump five or six
incbes out of wkter to get bits of food
from between his fingers. Dr. Meister con
siders shooting Asm to bo tbe most Intelligent
of all fish, and destjined to supplant gold fish
hi theparlor aquariums of Europe and Amer
ica. The shooting lllsb is usually the size of a
man's band, short and thick, and of a grayish
green color. Four qeavy black strioes cross
its back, which, neaa the sides, is of a sllverv
hue. It is a veryishy and cautious fish, is
rarely found near ether fish, and is very diffi
cult to eaten.
A TTE-A-T'rE INTERRUPTED.
A Parrot SnrprlsealiTwo Lover by Some
Impolite? Remarks.
Detroit Free Press.!
A Henry street girl and a Cass avenue young
man were standing on a corner at the Inter
section of two streets Itbe other night waiting
for a car.
"You never lookeof as well in your life be
fore, Clara," said the I young man in a tender
tone. He spoke low afnd only for tbe ear ot his
companion, but imnlediately a loud voice re-
sponueu:
"Rats P
Tbe youth felt highly' Insulted, and turned
round to chastlso thai nartv who ba! SDoken.
but tbe cirl sootbed him and said it wasn't
meant for them, and he calmed down.
"That car isn't in sigBjt yet," he said. "Tell
me you love me, Clara, Ks much as I"
"Oh, pshawf cried thte unseen party.
"I'll brain him." sboutted tbe angered lover,
brandishing his cane.
"You're a rascal." called a hoarse voice, and
as a niece of crack nr fpllxon the lover's head ha
looked up and saw the Mendome parrot in ber
cigeaoore. xneytake te otner corner now.
Xbak,!
Tboncbt He Had . Sure Thin
Holyoke Democrat. 1
A Holyoke butcher has been paying atten
tion to a young lady at SoVnth Holyoke. His
affection was apparently reciprocated, for he
never left of an evening blut that she bung
upon his coat tails to detain Iblm for one more
kiss. He thought he had al sure thing. But
no. another man came alongtand married ber
tbe other day, and .now one more disconsolate
exs tost xaita in woman.
THE B00E0F BOOKS.
The Bible a Library, Rich in History,
Poetry and Prophecy,
HELPFDL TO EVERY READER.
How One Should Eead it in Order to Derive
the Greatest Benefit.
SIXTI-SIX T0LBUES IN, ONE BOOK
IWmTU.H TOK THE DISPATCn.l
There are a great many possible answers
to the question, ""What is the Bible?" The
question, is not a very long one; there are
only four words in it. Bat the answers are
so many and so long that it would take four
large volumes to contain them; yes, even
four pretty good-sized libraries. I ask 70a
to think of only one of the many answers to
this question. Concerning the profound
subject of revelation and inspiration I have
at present nothing to say. Concerning even
the interesting subject oi biblical criticism
which Dr. Wace and Prof. Huxley have of
late been discussing in the hages of the
Nineteenth Century I have nothing to say.
The one answer to which I desire to call
your attention is this: The Bible is a
library.
Now, the word "bible" means book; and
the Bible is a book in one sense in the
book-seller's sense. In the literary sense
I the Bible is a library. It is a library in
closed between two covers, bat a library for
all that. Suppose vou were to take from
off your shelves GG different books 'and get
a binder to pnt them all into one; they
would be 66 books all the same. The two
covers would make no difference. .
Between the first and the last books in
this library the Bible there passed an
Interval of more than 1,500 years. That is
a space as long as from the days of King
Alfred to the days of Queen Victoria. Se
lect now out of English literature 66
volumes, beginning with the "Anglo-Saxon
Chronicle" by way of history, including
portions of the poetry of Chaucer, Bacon
and Shakespeare, and closing, by way of
prophecy or preaching, with the sermons of
Frederick Bobertson and Phillips Brooks.
Bind these all into one volume, and you
will have a collection of writings corre
sponding in Jone sense to the Bible. The
books of
THIS SCEIPTUEE 1IBBART
were written by very different writersjone by
a great statesman; another by a great Gen
eral; another by agreat King; another by a
poor man; still another by a poor man who
earned bis money by catching fish; some by
prints: some by preachers; one by a skeptic;
many by writers who names are altogether un
known. The books were written in many dif
ferent places one in tne far East beside tbe
Hiver Chebar; another in the West beside the
Klver Tiber; many in the little province of
Palestine; others In the classic lands of Greece
ana Rome.
The books were written at many different
times an interval, as I said, of more than 1,500
years between the first and the last of tbem.
That is a long space. That is time for great
changes of opinion. That is timo enough for
men to grow a great deal deal, to learn a great
deal.
Tho books were written in many different
manners. We are familiar, all of us, with the
great division between them, putting tbem into
two parts, corresponding to the two great
divisions of history tbe birth of Christ at the
center, some before Him, some after Him
called the two Testaments. The word testa
ment means a covenant and tbe word covenant
expresses a relation a relation with God.
Some of these books were written in the old
days when men were under a certain relation
with God. others in tbe latter davs. wherein
men are brought into a closer relation with
God through the revelation and ministry of
Jesus Christ, His Son. Besides
THESE GEEAT DIVISIONS
are many subdivisions. The Old Testament,
for example, falls into three distinct parts. It
is made np of three distinct kinds of writing
history, poetry and prophecy. Tbe record be
gins with blstdry. After a recounting of the
Hebrew story of-Creation and of the great
catastrophe of the Deluge, national history be
gins with an account of the emigration of the
great forefather, Abraham, ot his settlement
In Canaan, ol the going down of his family into
Eivnt. The story of their bondace 1 there is
told, and of their deliverance out of it under
the leadership of Moses. It Is recorded how
tbey wandered in the Wilderness until they
came to the borders of the Land of Promise.
This is tbe contents of tbe first five books of
the Old Testament. Then follows tbe book of
Joshua, describing their conquest of the Land
of Canaan, and, in the latter part, the doom's
day book of Hebrew literature, a description of
the distribution of the land among the chiefs
of tbe conquering tribes. The book of Judges
iouows, recounting me aays ot anarcny, wnicn
very naturally set in.
In tbe books of Samuel, and Kincs and
Chronicles, we have an account of the rise of
the monarchy; Saul its first king, David tbe
second, Solomon tne third, tuen alter Solomon
the great civil war, causing a separation of the
kincdom into two Darts: at last, the cominz
down of the great powers of the East, carry
ing away nrst tne nortnern portion ana men
the southern into captivity.
The books of Ezra and Nebemiah recount
the return of these exiled Jews into their own
land again.
THE POETEY OP THE BIBLE.
Then follows poetry. And this poetry is just
a4 genuine poetry as the other is history. Jew
ish history is just as much history as Macau
lay's "History of England." Jewish poetry is
just as much poetry as Milton's "Paradise
Lost." It is not in rbyme.it is not in metre,
but it is in a form which was just as poetical to
tbe. Hebrews as these melodious forms
are poetical to us. Tbe poetry begins
with tbe Book of Job, a great
drama, just - as truly dramatic in
its feeling and form as the plays of Shakes
peare. The drama of human destiny, the He
brew answer to the great problem wblch has
perplexed man from tbe beginning, tbe prob
lem of the meaning of pain. Next tbe Book of
Psalms, the great hymn-book of the Jewish
people, and this in fire volumes. When you
read the psalms, and come to one wbicb ends
with a particularly jubilant burst of allelullas,
as at tbe end of tbe fort) -first and the end of the
seventy -second, you may know that you are at
the last of one of these flvo volumes. Some of
these psalms were written by David, some by
others whose names we know; many by persons
wholly unknown. After all. what dttterence
does it make about tho knowmgof the author's
name? What difference does it make whether
the plays of Shakespeare were written by
Shakespeare or bv Baton?
The settling of-tbat question one way or
another, or the leaving ot It out unsettled, has
no effect whatever upon the value of those
plays. Tbe book of Proverbs is didactic poetry.
Ecclesiastcs Is tho soliloquy of a skeptic
Canticles is a love story in the shape of a
cantata:
TnE BOOKS OP THE PEOPHETS.
Prophecy follows poetry. Prophecy is taken
to-day in a very limited sense, to mean pre
diction. Prophecy does sometimes mean fore
telling. But more often In tbe Holy Scriptures
it means foretelling. A prophet is a man who
speaks for God, or forth-telling. The prophet
is the man who utters forth the truth tbat
burns within bis heart. Prophecy accordingly
ispreacbing.
The last lt books of the Old Testament are
books of sermons. Four of them. Isaiah. Jere
miah, Ezeklel and Daniel, we call tho major
Erophets, or the greater, simply because these .
ooks are longer. The others we call tbe minor
prophets. The prophets were tbe Hebrew
Ereacbers, wbo uttered such strong, true,
elpful sermons tbat people could not
forget them. Such was the impression
that they made that they lingered
for centuriesln the memory of tbe race. After
this diverse manner is the Old Testament con
structedhistory and poetry and prophecy.
History Is the account of wbat men bare done,
poetry the record of wbat men bave thought,
prophecy the teaching of what men ought to
do and ought to think.
We come to tbe New Testament, and here i 4
the same diversity of manner. The New Tes
tament begins witb history. Here are four
biographies of the founder ot the Church.
Here is an account ot the first beginning of tbe
Church., Heronre letters written by eminent
men at'Eaul, St. Peter, St. James, St. John
some of them to churches, some to individuals,
some to the Christian Church at large. Here
at the end is she singular hook, part poetry,
part prophecy, the Book of tho Revelation of
St. John.
SUHyrVAB OP THE FITTEST.
Now, how came these 66 books to be com
bined into this library T How came they to
come down to us to-day just these books and
no other t -How do we come to have them t
The answer is very simple one. The whole
secret is in the familiar phrase, "Survival of
the fittest," These books have lasted, just as
the great classics have lasted in all literature.
There were hundreds of poets in the days of
Milton, but we remember Milton. There were.
scores of biographies of Christ. St. Luke him
self, at the beginning of bis gospel, tells us
that manv bad taken In band V set forth a re
cital of what the Lord bad said and done; but
four of tbem all have survived, because these
fourwere best. Thus has this library, the Bible,
come to us.
The Bible is a library. But what is the use
of emphasizing that fact! What is the practi
cal meaning of ItT Why, this flrtt of all: This
knowledge of the character of the Bible is a
defense against ignorant criticism of It. Tho
Bible being a library, being composed of differ
ent books, written by different men, in differ
ent places, at different times, and after dif
ferent manners, stands each book by itself.
laca uook muse De criticised Dy ltseii; eaca
bonk stands or falls alone. Suppose it were
possible to prove that four books of the Old
Testament are utterlv false from beginning to
end, wbat effect would that have upon our esti
mate of the Gospel ot St. John? It would
bave just as ranch to do with tbe Gospel of Sr.
John as the discovery of a mistake in tbe
Anglo-Saxon Chronicles wonld have to do with
tbe sermons of Frederick Robertson, and no
more.
KNCnTLEDOE OP THE BIBLE
as a library will also affect our reading of it.
A great many people go to the Bible as they go
to no other library in tbe world. Imagine a
man going to his bookshelves every morning
and taking a book at random this morning
this, another morning that, reading a page and
putting it back again, and yon have the way In
which a great many people read tbe Bible. One
morning a chapter written ages aco for a nation
of slaves, another morning a chapter written
in tbe full light of the Christian revelation,
and all esteemed as being upon the same re
ligious level, because tbe Bible is thought of as
a book. Why, there was a time wben men be
lieved that every letterof the Bible was equally
sacred, no matter where it was, a theory which
would lead us to account those dreary lists of
names in the Book of Chronicles as equally
imoortant and valuable with tbe last words of
our Lord before His passion, as recounted in
tbe gospel of St. John.
lTbe Bible is a collection of different books,
and it must be read if iLwould be read intelli
gently, book by book, reading each volume
through as we would read any other volume.
Tbe Bible is the most interesting book In the
world, tbe most interesting selection of books.
But it is no wonder that many people fail to
find the interest of it because they read It
unlntelligently. Read in this library, the
Bible, just as you would read in any other
library, the books that snit you best, the books
which you And to be most helpful to you. I
would not advise anybody to read the whole -Bible,
but I would advise everybody to read at
lease these parts of the Bible: The gospels for
tbe great example, tbe last chapters especially
of the epistles of St. Paul, for their practical
help in every day Christian living, and a great
many of the psalms, as tbe utterance of re
ligions devotion. Besides these out of this
great religious library select wnaterer helps
you most. But read the volumes book by book
each volume by itself.
Key. Gzokge Hoboes.
PRINCESS LOUISE'S SWEETHEART.
How Lord Fire Dlitlng-nlsbed Himseli,
AVhllo in Tbls Country.
New York World.l
The Thane of Fife is no stranger to New
York, for he paid a visit to this city in 1S7S. and
so well did he use bis time tbat he could even
now give points to knowing New Yorkers. He
was accompanied by Mr. Timpson, of the Lon
don Timet, and was the guest of tbe popular
Ned Sothern, the actor, at tbe Gramercy.
Being an ardent follower of tbe turf, a pas
time in which his immense fortune permits
him to indulge with impunity, no visit to New
York, would have been complete without a trip
to the Jerome Park races, whither he went on
the box-seat of Colonel Kane's tally-ho coach.
The Scotchman has the reputation of being
able to ,ilck out winners on bis native heath,
but on this occasion his usual good fortune did
not attend him. as be managed to drop a con
siderable sum by backing losers.
A yacht was placed at his disposal, in which
he made excursions down the beautiful bay to
tbe lightship and other places of interest, de
lighting the merry party on board witb racy
reminlcences of royal adventures In which he
had taken part. He excited considerable ad
miration by the skill he displayed in making
mixed drinks.
.A STRANGE HUMAN BEING.
A Wild Man Whoao Ancestors Were Kings
and His Queer Habits.
Savannah Mews. I '
The Douglas county wild man has been seen
during the past few weeks at Douglasville. He
came into the town armed with a club every
inch of 6 feet long. His hair, unkempt and
coarse, falls to bis waist, and a stubby beard
creeps over bis entire swarthy face, ne is an
ugly picture. Until a few silver pieces were,
handed him he refused to talk. Wben they"
were given bim he told those aronnd that he' j
lived on berries and caught flsh from the
streams with bis hand, which he ate without
cooking. He never ate bread. He speaks
French, German, Greek and Latin imperfectly,
and Irish fluently. He says his forefathers
were great kings in Ireland, and that now he is
tbe rightful heir to tbat kingdom.
When asked bis name be glared at bis ques
tioner, fingering his club nervously, making no
reply. He does not believe in God, heaven,
hell or hereafter. His clothing 1 curious. He
wears but one garment a sort of gown ot jute
bagging wrapped around the body, fastened
in front with thorns. It Is tied over bis
shoulders and above bis knees with bark,
strings. He Is a weird-looking fellow. No ono
knows his history.
MAN'S HUMANITI TO MAN.
Strangers' Kindness and Care for n. Helpless
Invalid.
The Advance.
gentleman was recently telling me of the
great kindness with which he was treated in a
journey from New York to Chicago. He is un
able to walk. He said: "That journey knocked
all my ideas as to the total depravity of man
into atoms. By reason of a fog which delayed
tbe ferryboat. I was late," he said, "in reach
ing tbe depot in Jersey City. The train was
several rods distant from the pier; it was time
for the tram to leave. The conductor saw the
two men carrying me and evidently hurrying.
He motioned to us not to hurry. As they were
putting me into the car, be said: There is no
need for haste, you shall have all the time you
want.'
"Such courtesies as the bnkemen and
conductors showed me for the thousand miles!
They carried me In their arms, for we made
the trip cover several days: they stopped the
train at tbe station at a point most convenient
for me; they somehow got me tbe lower berths
when yet the first message was that the lower
berths were all taken. In fact, if I had been
tbe President I could hardly have been treated
better." Yes, I said, humanity is kind to
humanity when humanity is in need.
TOO SMALL FOR PLIES TO SEE.
A Scotchman's Willy Reply to the Little
Man Who Employed Him.
Scottish American.
A somewhat dwarfish sportsman from London
was out shooting on the moors in tbe High
lands accompanied by a ghillie, who by his
stalwart proportions presented a singular con
trast to his employer. The midget pestered
Donald sorely, and the sportsman, wishing to
take a rise out of his man, remarked:
"How is it, Donald, that tnese insects annoy
ou so much, and never interfere with me!"
'At. weeL sir." renlled Donald, looking down
at tbe pigmy specimen of tbe aristocracy be
fore him, "I'm thinkin', sir. that mebbe they
hinna noticed you yet."
Tbe Emperor's Unlucky Stars.
Philadelphia Time. J
Tbe Emperor of China is anxious to encour
age the building of railroads in bis kingdom,
but he is surrounded by many obstacles. His
priests, astrologers and advisers of various
kinds are afraid ot Western civilization, and
tbey employ an manner 01 devices to keep the
young potentate trom acting in a progressive
way. The astrologers never find the stars
favorable to the granting of a railroad f ran.
chise.
(The young ladyon therighthas jrutoeea'.
giving an account or what she had to eafitt
the Sunday school picnic, j " v -
Em'ly (the young lady in the center)-:'
Oh, Jennie, do tell ns about tho chickei'
salad aglal (. ;. 3--;
X
u
JBj.aJk " tAat
m