The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1869-08-14
THE BOY MAGICIAN;
OR,
THE Secrets OF HE SEA-
BY LEON LEWIS,
AsrHoR OF 'RED KNIFE; OR, KIT cARsoN's LAST
TRAIL
CHAPTER /.

BY LEON LEWIS,
AsrHos OF "RED KNIFE; OR, KIT cARsoN's LAST
TRAIL"
CHAPTER I.
THE PRISONER MID-0CEAN.
Late one summer afternoon, q dozen years ago, |
solitary white man stood before an idoatrous temple
on an island In the South Pacific.
He was Of middle age, TALL thin and gaunr, with |
rugged features and sorrowful eyes, and with every
sign Of goodness and intelligence.
human form, more than twice as tall as himself, |
which he had just finished, was indicated by the |
mallet and chisel in his hands.
ut is done,n he muttered. "And these heathens |
little suspect that have cut my name and story into
He ran his eye rapidly over the inscription in |
question. 1t was as follows:-
The 9Th Of May 1852 DAVID Lester Of thsam Of Lester
ch.Ssssen Hons Cape Horn mp Heels:
S
nS.Siaais @sds SAYS il sss; ;s%pe and fsr
e as
s sasss
am resolved 70 succeed Or dc death to longer
ss':s!s ii: s.s: Fl;
For several minutes the prisoner contemplated |
these lines In silence.
"Years hence" he then murmured, 'some Ameri- |
can may pass this way and SO learn the secret Of
my fate-tf the worst happens. Heaven grant to my
wife and daughter this consolation And now to
He aroused himself looking wariy around:
the usual track Of ships, and Is called by strange
Polynesian name, signiiying the Land IN the Sea.
Inc OF HGs sian r are TIA Lola
number. They are black as o COAL and proud Of
their color regarding white person az inferior and
The ruler Of the Land IN the Sea, the renowned
M0btNobL was an absolute monarch He had gay
capital Of more than q hundred palmw0od huts, o
navy OF ten large Canoes and barge Of state man
ned by twenty rowers.
and balconies, but rather broad than high 1t stood
way up mountain. Which arose behind It IN the
form OF sugar Loaf, Its summit crowned with all
n ns By BIRDS and menseyR
~ bave terrible odds to overcome" were the next
words that broke from the lips Of David Lester. II
ON the only white man on the island. For years
gle Christian against ten thousand idolaters.
me, II only for the sake Of my wife and daughter.
Oh what infinite longing there was in his eyes at
the deep in the direction Of his far-or home And
with what fervor did he throw himself upon his
knees In the attitude OF PRAYER
art mighty to aid J" cried the unhappy prisoner.
..open thou way Of escape from these heather ana
He was interrupted By an angry curse in the Ian
guage e the idolaters LOOKING up and springing
standing in the doorway Of the temple.
"sayew Numbered this parsonage, In his gut
art thou doing2 Hast thou again forgotten that the
gods Of HoblNobi are alone mighty Dost thou
Brother second in
| consequence only to the monarch He was true
South Sea ldOater, brown, sleek and oily.
| ing the image critically. and without waiting for
| Lester to excuse himself. ut is we'll slave! 1t
| tomorrow. And you shall carve another god twice
as large as this GO, slave, and call the priest Of
Mob!.Nobi to look at your work"
i0OlafprQ
into path leading to the capital, which was nestled
along the bay at the foot of the mountain, many
hundred feet below the temple.
| Lester looked q moment in that direction.
| From his outlook on the temple ledge he could see
plainly the kings thatcned palace, towards which
| the high priest was proceeding and could even
| recognize the familiar faces or the kings body
guards who were marching to and fro before the
II have lived here nearly i've years, watching and
spa,rinsly an this time no friendly san has sp
| peared in these waters l may grow old here and
savage a% shaD
| long life here"
away from the grim, solemn faced idol with bitter
sOh, my wife, my little Amy, where are you at this
| momeDtf Do you think OF me az living2 Or have
you put me out OF your hearts as fate has put
of your livesi Have you taken another into my
place ana am forgottepw
q private door, and mounted by narrow and
crooked stairway to retired portion OF the roof his
IaV0rlte place OF meultatOn.
Standing there, unseen by the priests, whose chat
tering voices came up to him from below he looked
again in bitter anguish OF spirit over the wide ex-
panse OF waters around him.
"1hree times have tried to escape IN canoe, -
he muttered, land every time was caught and
visited with frghtful tortures To be caught again
I'm such attempt will be certain death. Yet will
risk all the fret opportunity that Offers feel II
portentous hour were nearing meas II the very
air were full OF meaning How still Is the sea and
the wind Oh, my God, what IL thatfn
He gazed IN perfect stupefactlon to the eastward,
far out upon the ocean.
glory OF the setting sun for instant lighting :,
her outlines with supernatural beauty, was q
stately SHIP her white sails cleaning she lay be.
Gained upon the waters.
binRly, Historically. "At last, o Heaven III this
should oe an Illusion have seen 30 many ships
II this should be like them-Only the fancy Of fe-
vered brain. Yet 1t does not move. II / shut my
be ship. 1t is one. AT last my prayer is an
swercdo
CHAPTER III.
| PRISONERS HOME,
On the east bank OF the Elizabeth river lust out OF
Norfolk and overlooking Hampton Roads, stood a
beautiful cottage, surrounded by It's own ample
grounds and half concealed by the towering vines
that climbed It's verandas.
The cottage was the home Of The wife and daugh.
ter OF David Lester, the prisoner Of the lone island
In the far Pacific.
Near the close Of lovely afternoon In May, Mrs.
Lester and her daughter sat together upon their front
veranda.
The mother was lovely, sweet faced, sad eyed
woman OF two and thirty years, refined IN manner
as In soul, with great moral strength underlying
all her apparent delicacy and Rentleness.
strange compound OF child and woman. Her sunny
truthful eyes; her fair, broad, open brows her win