Forbidden Cargoes

taken one of Pant's flashlights. As he sent its gleam down the chamber he found it impossible to see the distant wall. The ceiling was low, so low

himself. "Might be diffi

ue between two rows of natural pillars, he caught a st

hing, an ornament of gold of elaborate design, when his f

glance, and

human skull!

r at least thought he knew. They had found the final r

old and silver ornaments, pots of bronze, strings of jade beads, and who knows what other pricel

nd, he began gathering up handfuls of the most attractive trin

ange occupation that he felt the same c

t raced wildly. "It's as if t

the chatter he caught the sound of an attempted chant, the Carib chant w

and another. Every tick of his wrist watch sounded out in the

ng down, to roll about the floor like barrels on the deck of a tossing ship. A grinning sk

his ear. It was the Carib's voice. The next moment a power

They were common enough in Central America. They had been caught in a cave while an earthquake was in progres

* *

ed with a rare showing of determination toward the curious object which lay on the rocky shelf. He had made it out as a small chest some two feet long and a foot deep. He had discovered that t

by a heavy sea, the second was like the shudder and crash of a gr

ts throne. He thought at once of his young companion. He had brought him to this pl

At once he thought of his water-proof packag

andfather. Can't los

other boy and his black servant had vanished, he pushed forward. He had gone a dozen paces, had barely e

orward. And now his eyes fell upon the ope

ust filled the air until he could scarcely see; yet through it all one fact stood o

iking him squarely, sent him crashing to earth. There, brui

er and brighter, brought him courage to battle on. That light was the sudden realization that God, the one

One calm thought led to another. What had struck him? Not a rock.

black!" h

ng gleam of light. It was in the

again. "They escape

as away, follo

the debris that had been scattered about, his progress was unimpede

boy could travel so f

me by a terrible fear of a heathen god, forsaken his young charge? Ho

ce him to go back," h

s fears wer

ssed it in safety and was skirting the shore of the lake, which was r

had fought his way forward until at last the great bulk of the black man stood out before him. Th

icture of his grandfather's face. He thought of the water-pro

s away, was the black and his young master. This last onslaught had been too much for the giant native. His knees h

and as they stood there they felt the rude shocks no more. The surf

l, with a little thrill of joy, the younger

e. They had reached the entrance. A moment more and

is pocket an object that gleamed in the

t with jade, a small bronze god, grinning and terrible, a miniature silver goblet, and some ot

Kirk, "we will

said Pant. "I believe the earthquake closed the ent

er. He was thinking of the strange chest that was a

uake must have done to the old Don's castle! Come!" he cried, shuddering with a terrible app

the great Carib, he sprang