Part 16 (1/2)

”I've got it!” he exclaiht of this oldLady's coffin and bolted it His own is not bolted, although the bolt exists in the saot in and pulled down the lid Oh! what nonsense I aet out and think”

So we crept froun to oppress us and sat ourselves down upon the floor of the cave, where for a while we remained silent

”I am very thirsty,” said Bastin presently ”Those set some tea--I mean water, as unfortunately there is no tea,” and he set off towards the mouth of the cave

We followed him, I don't quite knohy, except that ished to breathe freely outside, also we knew that the sepulchre and its contents would be as safe as they had been for--well, how long?

It proved to be a beautifulit sub-consciously, for really our--that is Bickley's and ences were concentrated on that sepulchre and its contents

Where Bastin's may have been I do not know, perhaps in a visionary teapot, since I was sure that it would take hinificance of our discoveries At any rate, he wandered off,no remarks about thean to shout to us from the end of the table-rock and ent to see the reason of his noise It proved to be very satisfactory, for while ere in the cave the Orofenans had brought absolutely everything belonging to us, together with a large supply of food fro; even our books, a can with the bottom out, and the broken pieces of a little pocket iously transported, and with these a few articles that had been stolen froreat taboo had been laid upon all our possessions They were now carefully arranged in one of the grooves of the rock that Bickley supposed had been made by the wheels of aeroplanes, which e had not seen them at once

Each of us rushed for e desired most--Bastin for one of the canisters of tea, I for my diaries, and Bickley for his chest of instruments and medicines These were res and the food; also a bell tent and soht from the shi+p Then Bastinfirst said grace over it with unwonted fervour Nor did we disdain our share of the beverage, although Bickley preferred cocoa and I coffee Cocoa and coffee we had no time to make then, and in view of that sepulchre in the cave, what had we to do with cocoa and coffee?

So Bickley and I said to each other, and yet presently he changed his mind and in a specialblack coffee which he poured into a ther thereto about a claret glass of brandy Also he extracted certain drugs from his e, which he first boiled in a kettle and then shut up in a little tube with a glass stopper

These preparations finished, he called to Toive hi was h we hunted everywhere we could not find him Finally we concluded that he had wandered off down the beach on business of his own and would return in due course We could not bother about To so about a little, Bickley announced that as we had now some proper paraffin lamps of the powerful sort which are known as ”hurricane,” he proposed by their aid to carry out further examinations in the cave

”I think I shall stop where I a himself from the kettle to a fifth pannikin of tea ”Those corpses are very interesting, but I don't see any use in staring at theain at present One can always do that at any ti away in that cave, and I have a lot to say to him about my people; I don't want to be absent in case he should return”

”To wash up the things, I suppose,” said Bickley with a sniff; ”or perhaps to eat the tea-leaves”

”Well, as a matter of fact, I have noticed that these natives have a peculiar taste for tea-leaves I think they believe them to be a medicine, but I don't suppose they would coetting the head of Oro Anyhow, I a to stop here”

”Pray do,” said Bickley ”Are you ready, Humphrey?”

I nodded, and he handed tokind, filled with boiling water, a tin of preserved milk, and a little bottle oflit two of the hurricane lamps and seen that they were full of oil, we started back up the cave

Chapter XI Resurrection

We reached the sepulchre without stopping to look at the parked machines or even the marvelous statue that stood above it, for what did we care about machines or statues now? As we approached ere astonished to hear low and cavernous growlings

”There is soe! it's To be after?”

We peeped in, and there sure enough was Torowling his very best with the hair standing up upon his back When he saho it was, however, he ju e,” I exclai else,” said Bickley

”What are you going to do?” I asked