GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



June 15. 



John an* 



HE passage througti 

 this portion of the 

 mountains was 

 merely an enlarged 

 cleft; and immense layers of obsidian, like 

 great sheets of black glass, rested against and 

 were part of the mountain above. The tre- 

 mors of the earthquake had dislodged one of 

 these layers, and, sliding down, it had complete- 

 ly covered the passage. The heaving mass of 

 mud and lava was now rising slowly but surely. 

 All semblance of the beautiful valley had dis- 

 appeared, and again the place was returning 

 to its primeval condition— a turbulent volcanic 

 crater. 



The squaws, in weird tones, repeated their 

 death-chant, Alfaretta kneeling near them, 

 her beautiful face turned upward in silent 

 prayer. 



The rest of the party for a few moments were 

 mute with their various emotions. Fred seem- 

 ed to forget self, and to divide his attention 

 between Alfaretta and the rising tide of de- 

 struction. Walking quickly to the sheet of 

 obsidian that had cut off their means of exit he 

 found that it was only two inches in thickness; 

 then hastening along the terrace he luckily 

 found a heavy iron bar that had served as a 

 part of the elevator. With this he approached 

 the obstruction on the run, and under his rapid 

 blows it soon gave way and finally came down 

 with a crash. Sam and Gimp were on hand 

 with a shout, to help clear away the debris. 

 There was hope again lighting up every face, 

 as the exit was cleared. The doctor bade Ala- 

 mantapola take the lead into the passage. 

 Alfaretta followed, and, forcing every one hur- 

 riedly along, he brought up the rear. For a 

 moment he looked back over the strange scene 

 of desolation, and seemed loath to stir until 

 Fred, retracing the few steps he had taken, 

 urged the doctor to hasten. 



" I can not help looking back," said he, sadly ; 

 "and my memory always will look back long- 

 ingly to what was once my beautiful valley. 

 Our loved ones, our homes, our things of beauty, 

 our attachments to earth, must all be taken 

 from us." 



" But, doctor," said Fred, " we can not think 

 of these things now. We must hasten. See! 

 the boiling mass is near our feet now, and 

 there may be other obstructions in the passage." 



^5^^ '^/. /--^^ 



"True, true," said the doctor, sadly, and has- 

 tened with Fred into the passage. 



There was, fortunately, no further obstruc- 

 tion, and at the outer exit even the great rock 

 door was toppled from its balance, never more 

 to respond to the bidding of its master. The 

 doctor again stopped and looked regretfully at 

 the massive stone. 



" The broken key, the ruined safe, robbed of 

 quietness and pleasure, what is there now to 

 live for ? " said the doctor. 



Another tremor of the mountain, and a hot 

 puff of sulphur smoke came from the passage 

 they had left, and they all made greater haste 

 down the canyon; and while the doctor was 

 brooding over the catastrophe to his valley 

 Fred felt a new sense of freedom as he sped 

 along, helping and half supporting Alfaretta in 

 her flight. When fully two miles away they 

 felt it safe to rest, and sat or reclined upon the 

 brown earth as fancy or their condition of 

 fatigue dictated. 



Alfaretta here, after regaining her composure, 

 said, with much feeling, " Fred Anderson, how 

 grateful we should all feel toward you! But 

 for your timely action I really believe' every 

 one of us would have been swallowed in that 

 terrible pit." 



" Let us say it was providential," modestly 

 replied Fred. "As I think of my action it 

 seems to me I was but an instrument to accom- 

 plish a desired end." 



"Aye," said Dr. Hayden, " 'Behind the dim 

 unknown standeth God within the shadow, 

 keeping watch above his own.' " 



Again they were admonished to proceed, by 

 other tremors of the mountain; and after a 

 long and tiresome walk they arrived at the 

 Indian rancheria. To the doctor's astonish- 

 ment the Indians had been so exercised by the 

 earthquake that they fled to the valleys further 

 west, and near the coast. 



It was near evening, and the party made 

 themselves as comfortable as the circumstances 

 would permit. Each person had brought a 

 blanket, and, with a roaring fire in the large 

 round house of the rancheria, each one felt safe 

 for the night. Alamantapola and her compan- 

 ion found food enough cooked near the ranch- 

 eria; and, though the food consisted of dried 

 grasshoppers, these, when cooked properly with 

 a little flour, made an appetizing meal. 



