Secret of Everett's Cove.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVIII, Issue 20922, 11 July 1931, Page 4 (Supplement)

Secret of Everett's Cove.

" 'Bout time, we went hunting for some more relics," said Ned Everett to his young brother, Bob, as they mounted some of their l?st" finds in their Maori museum. " Let's go down to the cove this afternoon, and have a look in that cave in the cliff, there must be tons of Maori stuff buried there."

The boys had one of the best Maori museums in the countryside, and they frequently made long excursions when searching for specimens. Their parents had become used to their long absences, and did not worry much if they happened to stay away all night. Everett's Cove was like many another in New Zealand —a high cliff sloping away at the sides to green, heavily-grassed paddocks which fringed the beach; This Saturday afternoon then, found the boys resting on the top of the cliff after their long walk from the farm house. They had brought with them a long coil of rope,, a mattock, and a bag in which to put any of their finds. The cave of which Ned spoke had never been visited by them. They had oftert seen its opening high up ,in the cliff face, but now they intended to explore it. V : As they lay there talking Bob suddenly turned to Ned* and asked him if he did not feel a kind of tremor, as if an engine or something were running under the earth beneath them. • <

"An engine!" exclaimed Ned. "You must be dreaming. No,'by jove, you're not!" he said, catching his brother by the arm, "I distinctly felt it myself then. Come on, let's hurry with the rope, I'm going down to have a look." They quickly made the rope fast to a pohutukawa trg,e nearby, and arranged a code of signals: one pull on the hand-line meant to stop lowering, two meant to haul up again, and three hang on. As soon as Ned had tied the line round his waist he walked to the edge of the cliff and edged himself slowly over, while Bob took the strain as much as he could. The cliff bulged out for about 6ft. and then sloped in toward a ledge, near which

the cave entrance lay. It was no joke for Ned, as he swung there, to ease himself down, but at last he accomplished the feat and sighed with relief as he touched the ledge. Signalling to Bob he commenced to edge himself along to where the cave lay. The strange noise . and vibration of which they had become aware above now sounded louder to him. At least, he reached the cave'entrance "and passed within. Bob, who all this time had been banging on to the rope, now found it slack in his hands, so that he knew Ned had reached the cave. Owing to the bulge in the cliif he could not watch Ned's progress, but still holding the'rope he leaned down to call out to Ned.. He heard just then a muffled shout, a falling of dislodged stones, which made the startled seagulls fly around with weird cries, and then a long silence. Again and again he shouted, but never did he get a reply, so that leaving the rope he ran down the slope of the cliff on the landward side and at length reached the beach. When he got there he could see where the rocks had fallen, and the rope dangling by the mouth of the cave, but even though he called again, no sign of Ned. Going to the top of the cliff again he too commenced to climb down the rope, and # presently arrived safely at the mouth of the cave. The boys each had brought a candle and matches with them, and Bob, when he had made himself secure in the cave mouth, lit his candle. The place was in pitch darkness, and no sign,of Ned. Bob found that he could stand upright in the entrance, and started to walk in. The way led sharply down for about 50ft., and then stopped abruptly at a heavily studded door. Under this Bob could see a faint glimmer of' light. Evidently Ned had got this far, so Bob pushed at the door gently and found that

By STEPHEN M. NIBLOCK.

it opened readily. Blowing out his candle he cautiously pushed the door open. The sight that met his eyes made him. stare in amazement.

Before him lay a vast cave, lit by electric light, the source of which was

a dynamo humming away in one corner, evidently the cause of the vibrations they had felt above. In another corner stood

a vast object covered with a tarpaulin, while to one side of it stood a long work bench at which a man stood looking at the contents of a glass which he was

holding over- a bright flame. The bench was covered with all manner of tools and instruments. To Bob's amazement Ned

stood by the bench watching him and seeming to be quite at home. Taking courage from this scene Bob went eagerly forward. They both turned at the sound

of his approach. "Hullo!" said the man cheerfully, " What, another one; how many more are coming to : day?" "Oh, is my young brother, sir," said Ned, introducing them. " I was so interested that I forgot he was waiting above for me." Then Ned told Bob how he had climbed into the cave - entrance, and just as he had slipped the rope off his chest had lost his balance, and would have fallen over the edge had not a hand come suddenly out of the dark and caught him.. The stranger then explained how fortunately he> had just reached the cave entrance for a breath of fresh air and had been in time to save Ned.

" Now you boys, 1 guess, are aching to know what all this means. I'm glad you arrived to-day and not before, bufc as it happens I have finished the job on which I have been working for months and to-nighfc I leave here by boat. Perhaps you would like to help me. I can do with two strong chaps. Come over here and have a look," be invited, as he walked to the large object covered with the tarpaulin and commenced to take it off.

Before' the boys there stood a large model aeroplane, complete in every detail, while beside it stood a weird contrivance to the boys' untutored eye. "I am a member of the Royal Air Force," he explained, and for a lonp; time was testing out all the_ new types of war planes. My people live out here, and I came out to see them on 12 months' leave of absence. Then one day, while I was spending a holiday round here, I found this cave, and rigged it up bit by bit v as a laboratory. For the last sis months I have lived here, and now I'm off home again. " You see," he went on, " I've invented a piano here that will fight at 200 miles an hour. It is made of a new bullet-proof metal I've discovered, and besides that I've improved on the machine-guns used and made one that will fire both through the propeller and to the rear as well. There it is—and he pointed.-; to the weird-looking contrivance ithey had noted before. To-night at high tide I have arranged for .a boat to come and take it away, to be shipped to London." Then the.boys told him how they had happened to be looking for Maori relics j and had intended to search the cave.

" Well, you haven't found much, have you?" said the stranger, with a smile, " but I'll tell you what, -I'll give you some things of mine as souvenirs if yon help me pack up." Then they set to work. Under the able direction of the inventor the machina was dismantled and packed in big elites. When all this had been done a block and tackle was rigged at the cave mouth ready to lower them to the lighter at high tide that night. By the same means the crates were dragged up to the cave entrance. By the time all this was finished the boat had arrived. The boys spent the night with the inventor in the cave, and the next' morning bid him a happy farewell. That was the secret of | Everett's Cove, and that is, why the two boys have some exhibits in their museum which are the envy of all the other collectors in the .district. * 8