Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1889-04-04
A QUEER RACE
BY WILLIAM WESTEL.

| The next moment the door opened, and
| one OF the maidens whom we had seen on
the veranda appeared at the threshold.
| Order rejection to be served for these
gentlemen an hour hence" said this queer
queen of queer race. ''Now, Mr.. Erie,
pray begin; and, if possible, make your tale
last until the rejection is ready"
l obeyed; and when 1 saw how much the
account Of my voyage interested my listen
ers-above all the queen, who never took
her eyes off me. and I am sure missed not
8 world told it in full, from start to fin
ish, and as L warmed to my work l think
| told it effectively, keeping back nothing
save the incident of the captains manu-
script, which, as thought, belonged rath-
CT to Toms story than mine.
Once or twice the two men made as If
they would have interrupted me: but
Queen Nab stopped them with an imperi-
Gus gesture. Until I had finished she
would not suffer word to be spoken, and
then was simply overwhelmed with ques-
| tons
What did mean by an auxiliary screw
and getting up steam? How could ship
move when there was no windi were
among the first
tried to explain; but, as they were alb
solutely ignorant of the properties of
steam, had difficulty in making my ex-
PLANTATION clear. Nab, 1 could see, fully
believed me; but when 1 spoke of railways,
| locomotives, steam-engines, and the rest,
Field and Fame smiled incredulously On
this bright thought struck me,
$50 with me on board the DIANA"
said, 'and [ will ship the screw and start
the engine. There is coal enough in the
bunker for run round the bay. When
that is done we must fire up with wool"
"By all MEANS" exclaimed Nab. Eyes,
| will go on board, and then you can show
me all these wonders Only to think that
ships can be made to move and carriages to
run simply by boiling water! 1t seems al
| most"
"Impossiblep put in Fame.
'No, not impossible; am sure Mr.. Erie
tells the truth. Say, rather, incomprehens-
| fble, and most passing strange. We have
no right to disbelieve things merely be-
cause they are new and startling. But
pray tell me, Mr.. Erie, whether there are
, any books on the 'DianaP"
eyes, good many. Two or three hun
dred volumes, should think"
1.-TWO or three hundred volumesi Oh,
how glad you make mel" she exclaimed,
| fairly clapping her hands with joy. Books
are better than steam-engines; and we
have so few books. and those we have are
almost in pieces. See this copy of 'Shak-
speareP "-holding up the volume she had
been reading-"it will hardly hold togeth-
er: my 'Plutarch's Lives and Paradise
Lost are in the same evil case, and poor
Robinson Crusoe' has almost ceased to
exist. We have several works in manu-
script, and | am having more copied; but
paper is not plentiful in Fair Island. Think
| you there is any on the 'Diana?"
Some, certainly; perhaps a great deal
| Our cargo is miscellaneous, and paper is
| largely exported from England"
England! Ali l shall want to know
much about England, Mr.. Erie. I shall
tire you with my questions; | am sure
shall. But here is Marian, to say the re-
lection is served; and after so much talking
you cannot fail to be hungry"
| AS Nab spoke she rose from her chair.
| I rose also, and offered her my arm which,
after momentary hesitation, she took
guessed, from her manner and the looks of
the two piebald gentlemen, thatI had done
something unusual. But as it did not seem
| that Nab took the attention amiss, could
easily dispense with their approval.
| The rejection was set out in the next
room on a table which, like everything
else about the place, was evidently of home
manufacture. The pottery was equally
rude; the display of glass scanty, and of
ancient fashion and shape. The forks were
wooden-handled and two-pronged; the
knives bore strong resemblance to butch
ers' whites; but, strange to say, the plates
were of silver, and we drank our Adams
wine-Queen Nab offered US nothing
| stronger-out of goblets of gold. The
viands were abundant and well cooked.
| We had soup, fish, and fowl, yams and po-
| tatoes, savory pies and sweetmeats, with
| fruit in great variety and abundance; but
neither beef, mutton, nor pork. Our host
ess took the head of the table; l sat at her
right hand, Field at her left, and old Tom
sat opposite young Fame. The boatswain
! did not seem to be enjoying himself much.
| He was not used to ladies' society, poor
| fellow, and detested cold water. lam sure
/ he would have preferred a meal OF lob
scouce and plum-duff on board the "Di-
ana" washed down with a glass of half
water grog, to the finest rejection anybody
could set before him. The Queen tried IN
vain to set him at his ease and draw him
out. She only succeeded in overawing
him. But she made one more effort.
won't you take an orange, Mr.. Bolso-
YER" she said, offering him one with her
own hand. sit is very fine one, grown
in my own garden, and picked by myself"
''Take it, Tomp' I said, seeing that he
hesitated.
'"Thank you kindly, ma'am." he ex-
claimed, stretching out his arm to receive
the proffered gift.
"My Godi What is this?' she exclaimed,
dropping the orange and Selling the arm.
"What is this? Santa Anna, 1744,' and
the figure of shipl How, when, where
what means it, Tell me, what means its"
All looked at her in blank surprise. Old
Tom seemed thunder-struck, and could an
swer nothing.
what means its" repeated the queen.
GLOW came this inscription on your armt
| want to know"
The boatswain, still speeches., pointed
| to me.
This man appears to have lost his
Senses" she said, turning to me. "Wlll
you he good enough to tell me, MIR. Erlef-
at once, if you please"
| CHAPTER Xvu.-A REVELATION.
Queen Nab evidently intended to be
obeyed; and as Toms craze and the chap
| lain's narrative was no secret, and found
myself in the presence Of mystery which