Part 35 (1/2)

In spite of Chutney's brave attempts to cheer theer bag of crackers must feed six mouths until they reached the end of the cavern That event ht be in a

It was so very rapidly The possibility of encountering more rapids they now dreaded but little, for it was very improbable that worse places could exist than that which the raft had navigated so stanchly

”We ht and day,” said Guy, ”and in darkness We have four torches left Only e hear the sound of rapids dare we light one of the out the torch that was burning, and instantly they were plunged in total darkness

This marked the commencement of a period in which all trace of tis, they drifted on and on with the current, alternately asleep and awake

At certain intervals a torch was lit for a few moments while they ate the pitiful scraps of food that Guy distributed with rigorous iht were taken advantage of by the colonel to record in his diary the brief incidents of the journey

A few extracts from it, made with his perlooan with the departure from the lake and terminated abruptly in a misfortune remarkable for the utter despair that followed on its track:

_First stage_--This is the second day since leaving the lake We received three crackers apiece Twice a torch was lit to aid us in passing rapids They proved to be insignificant

_Second stage_--We slept by turns Had three crackers apiece All coood Plenty of se_--We now sleep most of the time Chutney has cut down the rations to two crackers apiece Bildad is ill Drinks water incessantly and de

_Fourth stage_--Current not so rapid All in low spirits We are tortured by hunger Sir Arthur dreas by his accounts of thee_--Alas! worse and worse! Bildad and Sir Arthur ill

Chutney is a hero He tries to cheer us all Gave half his share of food to Sir Arthur Thinks I don't know Bildad raving Had to tie hie_--Bildad and Sir Arthur very weak Today a gleaht a fish a foot long We devoured it raith the ut us

_Seventh stage_--Chutney still hopeful Bildad and Sir Arthur in a bad way Provisions for three days still remain We _must_ reach the ht nothing

_Eighth stage_--The outlook is dark I fear none will ever read these pages The river begins to run sluggishly Bildad shrieks and raves continually Sir Arthur is better They are all asleep now Forbes and I were put on guard, but Forbes has gone to sleep, and I a it A dizzy weakness is co over me, and----

At this point the writer appears to have dropped his book and pencil and fallen asleep

Just what space of time was covered by the above quoted entries from the colonel's book is uncertain A ould probably be a fair guess Thethat period can hardly be ier They traveled in utter darkness, and, to add to the horror of it all, two sick ain take up the thread of the story

It is not to be wondered at that Forbes and the colonel were so derelict as to fall asleep at their post of duty To remain awake in their condition was simply impossible It was terribly unfortunate that it should be so, as what folloill prove

The raft encountered no rapids during the tier was concerned it uard or not

Forbes and Chutney awoke about the sa, he lit a torch to see how the current was running The light woke Canaris and the colonel al and asked feebly for sory glare to their eyes, and Guy turned round to reach the bag It was not in its accustoered to his feet in astonishone Who has taken it?”

They glared at each other with fierce mistrust

”Ah, look! look!” shrieked Canaris suddenly ”The black wretch!” and springing across the raft he flung hiely by the throat

Melton and Guy tore hi--empty