Part 46 (2/2)

Again we stood at the point where the streah the broad arch of a tunnel

”There's a chance there,” said Harry, turning to reed ”But that's a ten-mile current, and probably deep”

I waded out some twenty feet and was nearly swept beneath the surface as the water circled about my shoulders

”We couldn't follow that on our feet,” I declared, returning to the shore ”But it does look pro At ten miles an hour we'd reach the western slope in four hours Four hours to sunshi+ne--but it ht as well be four hundred It's impossible”

We turned then and retraced our steps to our caive up the idea of following the bed of the stream, for it was certain that somewhere it found the surface of the earth, and I revolved in my brain every conceivable ht was in Harry's mind, for he turned to ers, I could make a raft that would carry us to the Pacific and across it The hide of that thing over yonder would be just the stuff, and we could get a piece as big as anted”

I shook ht of that But we have absolutely nothing to hold it There wasn't a bone in his body; you know that”

But the idea was peculiarly te it Desiree was asleep on her pile of skins We sat side by side on the ground so in low tones

Suddenly there was a loud splash in the streaad!” exclai to his feet ”Did you hear that?

It sounded like--remember the fish we pulled in fro to do with this,” I answered ”It's nothing but the water-pigs I've heard 'em a thousand tih of them”

But Harry protested that the splash wasand waded into the streaate I rose to my feet and followed him leisurely, for no reason in particular, but was suddenly startled by an excited cry from his lips:

”Paul--the spear! Quick! It's a whale!”

I ran as swiftly as I could to the shore and returned with our spears, but when I reached Harry he greeted me with an oath of disappointment and the inforreatly excited

”I tell you he enty feet long! A big black devil, with a head like a cow”

”You're sure it wasn't like a pig?” I asked skeptically

Harry looked atbut water for a month,” he said dryly ”It was a fish, and some fish”

”Well, there's probably et some sleep, and then--we'll see”

So filled ourselves with sleep and food (I had decided, after e my hotel), we started out, armed with our spears Desiree accompanied us Harry told her bluntly that she would be in the way, but she refused to stay behind

We turned upstrea our chances better in that direction than toward the swifter current, and were surprised to find that the cavern wasover a mile we had not yet reached the farther wall, for alked at a brisk pace for a quarter of an hour or more

At this point the stream was considerably wider than it was below, and there was very little current Desiree stood on the bank while Harry and I waded out above our waists