Lexington weekly intelligencer., 1877-04-07

lnl111l1Daln
month had passed in this intercourse,
and the ships lading was being rapidly
when. in an evil hour, the
talk between the two turned on the SUBJ
iect of the Holy Island.
Does nobody live on the island but
the priest P'' the captain asked
The chiefs son looked round him sus-
piciously. Promise me YOU won't tell
anybody ?" he began very earnestly.
The captain gave his promise.
There is one other person on the
island" the lad whispered; "a person
to feast your eyes upon if you could
only see her! She is the priests daugh-
ter She was taken to the island in her
infancy, and has never left It since. In
that sacred solitude she has never look
ell on any human beings but her father
ana mother. l once saw her from my
canoe. taking care not to attract her
notice, or to approach too near the holy
SOIL. Oh. so young, dear master, and
OH, so beautiful " The chiefs son COM
pleted the description by kissing his own
hands in silent rapture.
The captains fine blue eyes sparkled.
lie asked no more questions: but later
on that day, he paid secret visit to the
emnence which overlooked the Holy
Island The next and the next he stole
away to the same place. On the fourth
day fatal Destiny favored him. He saw
the nymph of the island through his
telescope. standing alone upon the cape
! on which he had already discovered her
father. She was feeding some tame
birds. which looked like trute doves.
The glass showed the captain her pure
robe. iiutteting in the sea breeze; her
!ong black hair falling to her heels; her
! slim and supple young figure. her simple
! grace of attitude as she turned this way
and that. attending to the wants of her
birds. Before her was the blue ocean;
! behind her was the lustrous green of the
island forest The captains vivid ina
! ginat0n supplied the inevitable defects
of the glass. He looked and looked un-
/ I'll his eyes and his arms ached And
when she fitted lightly back into the
! forest with her birds after her. the cap
tain shut mp his telescope with Il sigh,
and said to himself, II have seen an
angel -
/ From that hour he became an altered
man he was languid, silent. interested
IN nothing. General opinion decided
that he WAS going to he taken i'll.
y week more elapsed, and the officers
and crew began 10 talk of Il voyage 10
their market in China. The captain re-
fused To- fix Il day for sailing. He even
took "tfenSc at being asked to decide.
lnstcad OF sleeping III his cabin he went
ashore tor the night.
Not many hours attcrward. Just be-
tore day-break, Mr.. Duncalt, snoring in
his cabin on dech. was aroused by 4
hand laid on his shoulder The swing
ing lamp, still alight, showed him the
du>ky face of the chiefs sou, convulsed
with terror. BY wild signs. by discon-
nected words in the little English which
ne had learnt. the lad tried to make the
mate understand him. Dense Mr.. Dun
calf, understanding nothing, hailed the
second officer, on the opposite side of
, tn" deck The second officer was young
and intelligent. He rightly interpreted
the terrible news that had come to the
| ship. The captain had broken his own
rules. Watching his opportunity, under
cover OF the night he had taken a canoe,
: and had secretly crossed the channel 20
the Holy Island No one had been near
: him at the time but the chiefs son. The
lad had vainlv tried to induce him to
: abandon his desperate enterprise, and
had vainly waited on the shore in the
+ nope of hearing the sound OF the paddle
announcing his return. Beyond all rea
sonable doubt. the infatuated man had
/ set foot on the shores OF the tabooed
= island
The one chance FOR his life was to con
, ceal what he had done until the ship could
be got out of the harhor. and then Ct no
= harm had come to him i'll the interval to
l. MI irrbf IL II la-
. cided to spread the report that he had
i really been taken i'll. and was confined to
= his cabin. The chiefs son, whose heart
J. the cap,ain's kindness had won. could be
t trusted to do this. and to keep the secret
: faithfully tor the captain sake.
I Toward noon the next day they at
e tempted t. take the ship TO sea. and tall
E ed tor want OF wind. Hour by hour the
heat grew more oppressive. As the day
t declined, there weie omilous appearan-
( ct- in the western heaven. The natives.
e who had given some trouble during the
day hy their anxiety TO see the captain,
IL and by their curiosity 10 know the cause
of III" sudden preparations for the ships
departure. ali went ashore together.
= looking >uspiciouslv AT the sky and re-
= appeared no more. just at midnight
e the ship suddenly trembied from her
I, keel II her ma>theads. Mr.. Duncaf.
Il surrounded by the startled crew. shook
v his knOttv fist ut the Island :ts ii he could
a see it in the dark My lads, what did
:. tell YOU? That was shock OF earth
d quake
With the morning the threatening as
n pect OF the weather unexpectedly disap.
= peared. a faint hot breeze from the
lc land. Just enough to give the ship steer.
. age way, offered Mr.. Duncalia a chance
II OF getting to sea. Slowly the Fortuna,
is with the mate himself at the wheel, hall
h sailed. half dritted, into the open ocean
IS At distance of barely two miles from
" the island the breeze was felt 10 more,
d and the vessel lay becalmed for the resi-
i of the day.
is At night the men waited their orders,
d expecting TO he sent alter their captain
- in one OF the boats. The intense dark
N ness the aIrlesS heat. and Il second shock
l. of earthquake warned the mate TO be
e. cautious. II smell mischief IN the air.
le said Mr Duncalt 1.-The captain must wal
:; til! am surer OF the weather.
l. Still no change came with the new
:; day. The dead calm continued. AS the
IS day declined another ominous appear
i, ance became visible \ thin line o
= smoke WAS discovered through the tele
b scope, ascending from the topmost peak
l. of the mountain on the main island
ID Was the volcano threatening an erup
a. ton' The mate Tor one entertained nc
Y. doubt of it. by the Lord. the place il
Sc going to burn up said Mr.. Duucalt
come what may OF it, we must find the
ID captain tonight.
n TO be Continued.]
~ RUSSIAN SPENDTHRIFTS.
~