The Transient Lake

its seemingly improbable character is the tale I am about to give you in truth,

deep, quick breath and lo

d; "but you are a truthful man, Captain Be

his most positive manner. "What is more, I s

s story. But before we follow him through i

ance that he was a man m

a heavy, full beard. His blue eyes twinkled with honesty but

n all quarters of the world. But two years previous he had retired with

ay, and when he heard of the success of Frank Reade, Jr., the son o

d him hospitably in his b

he declared. "I have often heard

, and inspected his various inventions. Among them the one whic

came into his brain. He at once was deter

which he now proposed to give Frank, an

ine a ship as ever rounded Cape Horn. We were south of Panam

en hither and thither, half the time running before the wind. We could not tell where

carried the maintop with it. Later the main also went and we were alm

ntil the morning of the fifth day, which broke

her down under a jury rig until we found a good pl

h cliffs and reaches of sand. Of course we cli

ul mountain passes and gorges. There was something weird and mystic about the whole region. But we knew t

med to have the shape of a fiend or a hobgoblin or an elf. The trees were fantastic in shape, there were hideous plants an

s of a talking species, yet unlike parrots. I cannot hal

the signs of a former civilization. We also discovered that the mountains were h

farther shore of which was so far distant that we could

irs. Where a few hours before there had existed a mighty

eys lay in its place. It was a mighty surpris

oked logical. Or perhaps a chasm or barrier at some far end had given wa

urther question. We spent a number of days exploring the basin. By some strange in

ut the basin, one of our par

th cement. It was half imbedded in a plain of sand. Tha

ome time other human beings than ourselves had visited the

ow and our first mate, Bill Langley, discovered a movable stone

f some extinct race. In looking into the place we would not have been s

eaned over the aperture a while and rubbed his

ntin' old shark, if there ain't

' I exc

ubmissio

' I exclaimed somewhat e

d Bill, solemnly. And I saw th

und and looked in also. Something bright and yell

ates. Steady me whi

the mound. It did not require but a few moments to

ionaires. I own that I was near crazy at the time. There it lay in ba

en we all sat down and discussed t

course this was satisfactory. Then it was

e mound. Then nightfall began to threaten. We suspended work, and it was decided not to return to camp, but remain on t

p. It was about three miles distant. At length Bill Langley

here an hour later, much fatigued. We lit a fi

easure and what golden plans we could lay

uggested turning in; but the words hadn't

he exclaimed; 'what in

istant, monotonous boom like rolling thunde

sound, and that was once during an earthq

d held it high. But we could see nothing but a few fai

same dull roaring and trembling c

inking it some inexplicable phenomenon of a tropi

he next moment we were picked up as if in giant arms and carried clean to the summit of the