Show th deserted Desert cd house B by M edah M V ROSS copyright llo 1910 by american V ass 0 there waa was iiii ulli oil tile i nt but ue v teenie ceru ere ii 1111 t tat ulle I 1 to to locate the point where the hotd 4 were being run in ve were I 1 il d bit it waa was n beach midway belinn the two principal ports of the region ne e watched the oust night and da for beeks hut not a sign of illicit work did we sie driving to the city 1 reach ed a on a rocky coast night was coming on and no hotel hotal or other shel ter was aas at band I 1 spied a bouse house a hurt short distance ahead of me set on which the waves ayes were ere beating it was of brick and colon colonial lal in style with nith long pillars extending from tho porah to the roof which was built out to cover it the place had a forlorn luok look and on coming up to it I 1 found ll 11 unoccupied I 1 went nent around it thinking that it I 1 could affe t an entrance I 1 would at least tind find shelter there for the night but wa was 4 not a window or a door floor that was not per perfectly secured I 1 waa was about to drle on when I 1 espied a limb of a tree brushing against an upper window one shelter shutter of which had bad rotted away I 1 climbed the tree went out on the limb broke the glass and anti vilt entered ered the house had it not been for curiosity I 1 would have gone out as quick as I 1 came in valle it waa was furnished throughout ghouL there tin re was not an article in it that was not rotting uway there was bed bell clothing but it was moth eaten there were curtains but they were dropping from their supports ports there were car pta litts but they came apart as I 1 walked 0 over ver them the only live things in the houe hou 1 e were millions of bugs hugs I 1 would have retired from this dis tits mal abode and slept in the open air but the night was as cool and I 1 espied a fireplace in one of the rooms so with the of once handsome chairs 4 and other articles I 1 built a fire then having ione une out for my blan kits and stabled mv my horse I 1 rolled ray my helf lu in the former lay down before the fire ore and slept something awakened me I 1 knew not what the tire was out but there wai was a strip of light on the ceiling aboe my hend I 1 wan was viewing it w with ita perplex liy hy it uund in moment r that I 1 was on the ground floor und and the tile flooring had bad shrunken Leu so as tu to leave tra rack clit it occurred to me that ahre wa was 4 some one in the collar cellar noticing otiel ng a round spot of light on the ceiling I 1 kue it came through it knot holt hole haid grauling tra ling to the bole hole I 1 could look into be t cellar A lar Iser several pral iun min wery artt storing staring bales 4 and 1 obo oho I 1 exclaimed to myself ilert Is the leak nalle we have atlen 1 en watching the smugglers 4 above they nave been running goods tn in down here I 1 barrun the man win who put u us 4 on to the dile tane locution biot aaion was aa one of them I 1 made up my mind verv quickly a as at t to c in I 1 course oure of action that Is in ca case cae e they dian t go to the stable and find my hore hone which would betray me I 1 would where here I 1 was till morn ing thin pursue tuy my journey return with lie in n wait for the gier 4 tind und capture the gang I 1 iliev alev wre wire nut not in ili the tl cellar tin min minutes tte lift er 1 then the ased to shine nuil there was wa 4 no further oil PI tit ante of heir their presence pre ct I 1 to in tit ir i them I 1 u out to to mike sound olind of lock lul it door floor or othar el evidence dence of their virture dir ture but not 1 0 I brer ill tit I 1 I 1 lit im i r I 1 ahe lie deemed to ili lim li m e aone ne into th tir ground or flown up it t blinci 3 in ili the morning I 1 atit went into ill tel ie lar the till goods tou 1 tin of or liki lilt lines t 4 i nd nil otha r articles 4 to vt hk h 11 hll 1110 dut lilt it 14 attached I 1 then thell went ent aboe abode ina I looked tart artfully fully to th tbt 01 t raf tre all till birami und bolted on oil tin lilt inside itt turning to the ellar I 1 holtel about fur for goine of f erss clift I 1 found nun chere lied ti lit ix IN nu lift wn v the ruen get out as I 1 hd hid iome torne in through it windam hut but him ln did ili liny y I 1 ring tn in the caseb of goods 41 0 sot o dilling ft iture the place with 0 out tit fita further ther investigation I 1 w N liked ill ocr the pr emles 4 and down donn to tue tap rock rocks on which tb waves were break in the tide title wis high it was a vin fortunate bebau t I 1 could att I 1 P aundt a wore antl af ir tory nillon of the rocta if it it had twin beill lit tin we ebb pill I 1 r olvid to dair to lilt lita r 1 I faribon w j mt jl l it i t it ild 41 tell hitun ro in lit six 1 boll laurs hati ahen HIP the llda all would IN ht lit th lont lowest t point lit lin n avitt lv vv nl itt nick I 1 found that n noih k had bet beiji 13 Is I 1 ft it pit 1 lilt it I 1 I 1 1 r 0 fregat nu the dime rt v is 1 it ir tuti I 1 isaid liui ib as still I 1 wac shallow for nie tu to get on oil it lit i tit null ill kocl rix lr fall tut cut it r reit 1 hime I 1 arned und anti raw saw ili nn 14 in lit file lilt rock into which it 11 bocie IN 10 lint aul ed jt at hulf half vitt I 1 wil hiis boemi in ill KU kii ry r y nil all about it 11 u 0 o I 1 annite a raft pulled hyso if to tu the sit aid walked through it 0 mgt amiling lu in tho the direction of the ataee till I 1 wat wa t 11 by nil iron d dar mir tint thit inc me for the time I 1 apat ari nl linroe brought a enter ed d the hou bouse houp p when no one alte war nimet waited for the next appearance nt fit and took tb thu pj all la in thai that they bad had concealed once tonce aled a 1 in i with earth the imp open inc into the im gp leading to the water at high tide title the mouth of th ili pai sage wa concealed ard at tow ow t tiar ld re a mere cleft lo 10 the rocks |