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England. Reasoning thus, I discovered that it was improbable that a state of war

still existed, and that the people all had been drawn from this portion of England

to some other, where they might better defend themselves against an invader.

But what of their ancient coast defenses? What was there here in Plymouth Bay

to prevent an enemy landing in force and marching where they wished? Nothing.

I could not believe that any enlightened military nation, such as the ancient

English are reputed to have been, would have voluntarily so deserted an exposed

coast and an excellent harbor to the mercies of an enemy.

I found myself becoming more and more deeply involved in quandary. The puzzle

which confronted me I could not unravel. We had landed, and I now stood upon

the spot where, according to my map, a large city should rear its spires and

chimneys. There was nothing but rough, broken ground covered densely with

weeds and brambles, and tall, rank, grass.

Had a city ever stood there, no sign of it remained. The roughness and

unevenness of the ground suggested something of a great mass of debris hidden

by the accumulation of centuries of undergrowth.

I drew the short cutlass with which both officers and men of the navy are, as you

know, armed out of courtesy to the traditions and memories of the past, and with

its point dug into the loam about the roots of the vegetation growing at my feet.

The blade entered the soil for a matter of seven inches, when it struck upon

something stonelike. Digging about the obstacle, I presently loosened it, and

when I had withdrawn it from its sepulcher I found the thing to be an ancient

brick of clay, baked in an oven.

Delcarte we had left in charge of the boat; but Snider and Taylor were with me,

and following my example, each engaged in the fascinating sport of prospecting

for antiques. Each of us uncovered a great number of these bricks, until we

commenced to weary of the monotony of it, when Snider suddenly gave an

exclamation of excitement, and, as I turned to look, he held up a human skull for

my inspection.

I took it from him and examined it. Directly in the center of the forehead was a

small round hole. The gentleman had evidently come to his end defending his

country from an invader.

Snider again held aloft another trophy of the search--a metal spike and some

tarnished and corroded metal ornaments. They had lain close beside the skull.

The Lost Continent