Kelson chuckled--here was one way at least in which he could
occasionally get even with Hamar. Hamar's features were Yiddish, and
the Yids were none too popular in California.

"Oh, all right!" he said; "if the subject is so painful I'll try and
avoid it in future; but it's odd how some things--for instance, murder
and noses--will out. Let me see, what have we here? 'Discovery of
ancient books, manuscripts, etc., relating to Atlantis.' Apparently,
Thomas Maitland, when shipwrecked on an island, called Inisturk, off
Mayo, in Ireland, found a wooden chest of rare workmanship--he had
seen, he says, similar ones in Egypt and Yucatan--containing some very
ancient books--curiously bound, and some vellum manuscripts, which,
after an infinite amount of labour, he managed to translate. The
books, he says, were standard histories, biographies, and scientific
works on occultism--all published in Banchicheisi, the capital of
Atlantis--and the manuscripts, he affirms, had been transcribed by one
Coulmenes, who believed himself to be the only survivor of a
tremendous submarine earthquake that had destroyed the whole of
Atlantis. The manuscripts included a diary of the events leading up to
the catastrophe--even to the meals! How about this?--'Sunrise on the
day of Thottirnanoge in the month of Finn-ra. Breakfasted on cornsop,
fish (Semona, corresponding to salmon), fruit, and much sweet milk.'"

"For God's sake, don't!" Curtis groaned. "Skip over that part. The
very mention of grub makes the gnawing pain in my stomach ten times
worse."

"You're different to me then!" Hamar grinned; "I love to think of it.
My word, what wouldn't I give to be in Sadler's now. Roast beef--done
to a turn, eh! As only Sadler knows how! Potatoes nice and brown and