The Press., 1883-11-15
{Harper'a Young Peeple.) A PICNIC WITH DEATH.
A STORY OF TEE GREEK ISLANDS.

A STORY OF TEE GREEK ISLANDS, There are not many places in Europe, or, indeed, in the whole world, more beautiful than the little islands which stud the sea between Greece and Asia Minor. From Scio and Lesbos down to rocky little Ten edos, they all seem just made on purpose for holiday jaunt and so, doubtless, thought the party of merry picnickers who came skimming over the smooth bright sea onsi fine May morning on their way from tic isle of Syra to 8 small, low-lying islet few miles beyond it.
 ''We1f, call that lovely place" cried one of the girls, as the green slopes and broad white sands of the smaller island, trees, came full into view. 1T wonder the folks here should give it such bad name. ,"
 'There's story they tell about it, 7 said her brother, Chow some old chief lived here once who had made his son clear out be- cause he'd done something awfully mean ]; and one night the son ceme back with 8 lot of pirates, and killed his father, and burned up the whole place and ever since then nobody will live on it at any price ,
 s"They do seem shy of it, that's fact, |" added another. ''I had quite job to make our old Greek fellow yonder" (point- ing to the sallow, wiry, gray-haired fisher man in the bows) ''bring us over here at all and when he saw the lunch baskets put in he muttered something which they told me meant, He who feasts there shall have Death for his guest.
 | Beyond all doubt old Stephanos, the fisherman, was anything but pleased with his job, even though it was the best days work he had done that year. His brown, wizened faca seemed to grow gloomier as 1 1 ,.l, T, ho hoo f, at length ran right up on to the smooth sand, nothing could persuade him to go any farther upon the ''evl ground He curlsd himself snugly up in the bottom of 1 the boat, and prepared to sleep until the party oame back.
 But the joyous holiday makers troubled themselves little about Stephanos or his fears, dismissing both with hearty laugh. The lunch baskets were soon landed, and their first idea was to have their meal on the shore and then explore the island But finding no convenient spot along the beach, they decided Qittle dreaming how impor- tant that decision would be to them alb to ascend the ridge above, and carry their lunch along with them.
 A snug place was soon found under the lee of huge rock, which completely shel- tered them from the sun and there, with the cool sea-breeze playing around them, and the little island outspread below them in the midst of the clear, bright waters, they enjoyed themselves to the utmost.
 But the fresh breeze died away little by little, and hot, close, lifeless heaviness settled down upon the lonely sea.
 ''Isn't it terribly hot 9 cried girl, dis consolately. ''I thought 1t was going to be quite nice. and now its as bad as Broad way ill August.
 f'It'll be cool enough before long, l guess" said the leader of the party, who had scrambled up on to the rock overhead s"There's big cloud coming along over wonder, and rain-clou at that"
 Every one rose to look, and burst of admiring exclamations broke forth ''How grandl' ''Doesn't it come on quickly ?" ''It doesn't seem to spread at all, though. :" 'sIs it cloud, after all ?'' "Why, what else can it be ?"
 The careless question was suddenly y and terribly answered. As the picnickers look ed down, with feeling of wonder which was just beginning to be mingled with a vague uDeasiness, upon the long dark gray saw it reach lonely rock that stood gaunt- ly up out of the blue sun-lit waters several miles to the northwest.
 As they passed it in their boat that morn ing they had looked up and seen that rock towering full fifty feet overhead but now as the advancing shadow reached 1t, it van- ished at once beneath mountain of foam ing water that leaped up into the air more than hundred feet.
 'sIts aOave /" screamed the leader, springing back "Run run P
 The warning was hardly needed. AL most before he could utter it the whole party was running helter-skelter toward the top of the ridge
 But quickly as they fled they were only just in time. Hardly had the last one been dragged up by the rest on to the steep I tower-shaped rock that crowned the slope 1 when there came shock and @ crash as if l the very earth were torn asunder. In a moment the whole island had disappeared and all around them up to the very foot of | the rock was one roaring whirlpool of boil l ing foam. and flashing spray.
 l The wave itself went by them like the rush of waterfall, but such mighty mass of water could not sweep over the sea without shaking 1t far and wide. Fol lowing upon the great wave came a long ! train of lesser pillows, roaring and foam | ing and flashing on every side, and more than two hours passed before they could venture to descend from their place of l refuge. -...., ........ s.. .~.. When they did come down at last, they found themselves in the midst of scene of desolation which no words can describe. By one stroke the beautiful little fairy islet had been changed into hid 4ous desert. Trees were torn up by the roots, or twisted round like straws. Stones and gravel lay heaped in uneven ridges, between which lay deep pools of saltwater. Huge bowl ders, hurled from their place, stood gaunt- ly up amid the dismal waste of bare wet sand that overspread all the once green and sunny uplands, and the sea was roll ing fathom-deep over the spot where their boat had lain high upon the beach only few hours before
 To look for any place of encampment amid such chaos was simply hopeless. Shivering with cold and terror, the forlorn party crtpt back to their sheltering rock There, with the waters surging about them like 8 dull funeral vail, they covered all through the long dreary night.
 The next morning our eastaways were luckily seen by passing steamer, which sent boat to take them off. Nothing more was ever heard of their own boat, or of poor old Stephanos, whose superstitious fears had brought down destruction upon