Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1888-03-08

deadened by the fearful roar of the
wind which sent the boat driving be-
fore it with indescribable speed!
Yet the seas were running even
faster, and to keep the buoyant boat
ahead of them, the tail peak of the
sail was Iashed down to the tack and
set after the manner of storm tri-
sail. with infinite difficulty. And now,
though half full of water. the little
craft fairly flew before the gale.
Hour after hour passed without
much apparent cessation of the
tempest which seemed to have blend
ed with and given fierce impetus
to the northeast monsoon. Fol hours
the boat must have averaged atwelve-
knot rate of speed. In after MARIA
| ton Hiram was accustomed to give
| her sailing rate a gradually in
creasing ratio till it reached twenty
| two knots per hour. This. of course.
| with due reference to the credulity
| of his audience.
The darkness was so intense
| that the division between day
and night was not discerned. And
so they sped for length of time
seeming almost indefinite.
But in the tropics one extreme fol-
lows another with marvellous swift
| ness. Gradually the gale became a
| heavy breeze-the breeze the regular
strength of the monsoon. The thun-
der and lightning spent itself.
The darkness gave place to
/ Il hi 10
astern the horizon was mark ed by a
widening rim of crimson and gold her.
! aiding the dawn of another day. With
the upheaval of the sun from the ocean
bed the clouds dispersed. and the, sea
subsiding. sparkled and danced after
its own peculiar fashion. In every di-
re ction were islands of various sizes.
From what he remembered of the
schooner's location on the previous
day, Harry felt quite sure that this
was the Solomon group.
"Cannibals. amt theyP' asked Hi
ram; but of that Harry knew little OF
nothing, save that European trading
vessels had prejudice against touch
ing there.
| Cannibals, or not, food and water
must be had at all hazards. And at
high noon, the boat, Swimming through
a fringing reef across Il peaceful Ia
COON. and up the mouth of q little
river found resting place under q
wide spreading hibiscus, with claret
color and yellow blossoms, among
which purple butter flies. the size OF
ones two hands. were fitting.
Above them lowered palms of diff
ferent sizes. from the size of walnut
to its fullest development Gaily-
hued tories and parrots, white cocka-
toos and tiny parrokeets by the hun
dreds, chartered and laughed in the
iree-tops. Toucans clattered their
great bills, and impish- faced monkeys
swung head downward from the
great towering lianas. which crept
from tree to tree.
Being true New Highlander. Hiram
regarded every thing with the calm
philosophy. born of an equable tenn
permanent
It's all han sum, allow" he said
in answer to Harry's enthusiastic out
| breaks, ''but meal vittles would be
sight han somer, to my way of think
in"
The claims of his own healthy appe-
tite beginning to assert themselves,
Harry made suitable response.
Taking the grains as their only weap-
ons of defense in case of possible
emergency. Hiram stepped ashore,
followed by his companion.
The stiffness was intense, exceptin g
for the bird chatter and distant
booming sound from far inland. not
unlike the PARKWAY drumming" of
the New England grouse or partridge.
Forcing their way through the dense
underbrush the two explorers sudden.
ly came upon q well-beaten path lead.
ing. by gentle slope, upward from
the river bank.
Following this for nearly quarter
of mile they emerged from the tropic-
al forest into small open glade in the
center of which stood a tree nearly
ninety feet in height, of the band anus
species.
The glossy pearl-gray trunk, per-
fectly round and symmetrical. was
some two feet in thickness. extendin Q
straight upward without knot oil
limb, fully seventy-fve feet. Then
it branched outward in every direc.
tion-the sumbrella-shaped top being
of the thickest and densest green i'm.
aginable.
Gosh, what mast that would
make" was Hiram's comment, while
Harry could only stare in wonder and
Amusement at the magnificent tree
which far over-topped the tallest cab
bage palm in the vicinity.
A short distance away was spring
of cool, clear water, of which. despite
its slightly sulphurous taste and odor.
they both drank freely.
That's good tar's it goes" said
Hiram, drawing his sleeve across his
lips, "an' now for somethin' to eat,
an then we III"
What Hiram further proposed will
proba bly, never be known. For all al
once the booming sound they had
vaguely noticed. swelled into a noise
of alarming proportions and contin-
ually increasing nearness, while above
it rose mingled chorus of yells and
cries. by no means of q reassurine
nature.
And the unpleasant feature of it al
was, that the sounds. accompanied
with distant tramping of feet. not
only proceeded from the forest glades
. on either side but from the direction