The Transient Lake

three adventurers lost no time

not a mome

m a thicket and sent a hail storm of bullets upwar

ed Nicodemus, angrily.

abbed rifles and r

rank

ssarily! We are safe just now.

pose himself, Frank s

down t

and a voice-that of D

hat do y

by this unprovok

e our e

you prov

out of the gold buried under the l

are able to sec

hall be when th

e we not as much right

We lay claim to the gold, and don

said Frank, angrily. "I've a

uld," said Nic

oes not belong to you more than it does to us. For that matter, if I should choose, I

oley, obstinately, "is that you go on about you

ned from

to talk with that

we do?" aske

best plan is to sail over to the other side of the lake and wait for it t

odemus; "if they

me enough to retali

matter wa

he summit of a small hill. It would have required several days' jour

. But this new development had p

air-ship could easily cover the three miles to

he treasure. But the unfair and unreasonable conduct of Do

presented the same smiling and smooth appearan

noted a curious yellow cl

med angry proportions. The sun was hazy and

t looks as if we were going t

t say that. We had better anchor the

rn sky was obscured. Then there was a dista

swayed and were bent to the ground, the air-ship was tossed a

uake!" gas

ez luk at the la

and were dumfounded at the

went swirling about like a vast maelstrom. I

hore line began to widen. Isl

uth wa

by the earthquake, was about to make

the waters. The ground

d to vomit lightning until it

o the rail and watched the wonderful

eed, suc

wirling waters. Suddenly t

lass. In a few moments

distance there came a strange noise

efore. Ten-twenty-thirty minutes elapsed, and then, a

rapidly drying in the sunlight. The

in. Hours, perhaps, and maybe days.

ed Frank. "We shall have to get

, studying the shore a momen

rd in the direction indicated. So

the sands, suddenly Nicodemus

e the

g rapidly across the lake bed.

even at that distance fired a number of shots

ctre rapidly left

ered by the air-ship, and suddenly Ni

! Between those ro

e lever from Barney, steered the air-ship

he Spectre reste

ct. It was just as the party had left

excited that he har

a shovel and with Frank clim

he two men were al

limbed to the top of the mound. He removed t

ong time and Frank had thought of sp

ned it toward Frank

id huskily, "it is

the

N

do you

-the gold

urprise and dismay that for

faced his companion. His expre

it is not ther

ptain

er of the cavity," he s

could have

a sudden start an

"Of course the ship's crew did it while L

s face

t we think of it before? Doubtless they removed the

hat e

d. Frank finish

they do

ed. A close search of the vicinity fa

utside the mound and left there

the fated men could have carried such a quantity

be found with their bones

rs some other parties had visited the spot and carr

one fact

ld was

ngs and flown away of itself. The two gold seekers were com