Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1889-04-11
ecame almost wild with excitement

sue eAcidluleu, dIetT ioOh1ng at the Illus
tration of some English scene. would it
be possible to go thither, wonders"
On this, all who were in the saloon-and
it was quite full-regarded her with panied
establishment. as if they could hardly be-
lieve their own ears.
yes" she repeated, defantly, 81 should
like to see England, and so would you. only
you are afraid to say so. How Ihate these
hypocrisiesy'
Then she turned to the pictures again
| There were many which she could not I'M
derstand, and she was continually demand
| ing explanations.
This" she said, smiling, reminds me
of Hamlet and Polonius. 1t is very like a
whale"
cit is a whale" said; "those men in the
boat are happening him."
you call it whale-hunting, SUPPOSED"
"'Whale-hunting' is not bad; but it is
| generally called whale-fshing."
! Did you ever see shark-hunting?"
81 have seen sharks hunt a man, if that
| is what you mean," 1 said, with shud-
| der, thinking of the terrible death of poor
| Peyton.
| II don't mean that; mean men hunting
sharks-'fighting' would perhaps be a bet
| ter way of putting it."
"Never, and don't"
"You shall, then 1t is splendid sport.
| we will have hunt tomorrow. Which
will you be, hunter or a spectators"
"Well, until have seen something OF
the sport l think would rather be spec
tator," L answered, cautiously.
you are wise" said the queen, dryIy;
''for unless you are a strong swimmer and
very expert in the water However, you
will see. | suppose we may take some of
| these books and few of these cases ashore
with us?''
To this question there could, of course,
be but one answer; and I was about to give
orders accordingly, when somebody shout
| ed from the top of the companion that
Bolsover, who was still at the wheel, want
ed me on deck.
The ship was still under way, for at Mab's
request we had steamed slowly round the
bay, and were now within a couple Of
miles from the place we had selected for
an anchorage.
Tom was talking to Amyas Fame, with
whom he seemed to have struck up friend
ship, and who, knowing the coast thor
oughly, was acting as pilot.
''Mr. Fame thinks as we had better run
bit further on than the place you thought
of, said the bOatswain. He knows of a
little inlet where we can moor her, stem
and stern, and where she'll be almost as
safe as if she was in dock. That'n be bet
ter than anchoring."
but is there water enough"
Enough and to spare. Fourteen feet at
low tide alongside the rocks"
'All right. Nothing could be better; and
- VII be so much handler for landing the
cargo. If you and Mr.. Fame will remain
at the wheel and do what is necessary, Pu
stand by the engine"
Gay, ay, sirl I'll pass the word when
you are to stop. / think you had better go
slower bit now. We shall have to send
one of them boats ashore with rope"
Half an hour later the ship was safely
berthed, and moored stem and stern in
such way that she could rise and fall
with the tide without touching the rocks,
which rose sheer out of the water on either
side of her.
This done, the cases selected by the
queen, and the books, were lowered into
the largest boat, and we all returned to
Fairhaven. was in the same boat with
Nab and Field: old Tom went with Amyas
Fame, and as we walked up from the jetty
he informed ME, rather CURLY. that he
should not go with me to Mr.. Fields, but
that he was going to stay with Mr.. Fame.
GAS you like, Bolsover," replied, coldly,
for his manner was not only unfriendly,
but almost discourteous.
| CHAPTER XX.-THE SHARK-FIGHTERs.
| "What relation is Amyas Fame to the
queen?" 1 asked Field, as we sat smoking
our pipes in the veranda of his house, and
watching the crescent moon as it rose out
Of the mist beyond the Painted Rocks.
| He is the eldest son of her fathers
younger brother, and the~ext in the line
| Or succession"
"You mean that if she were to die, no
would become king"
mot king; protector"
81 mean protector. I have no certain In
formation on the subject, but I take it for
granted that she is not married."
NO." laughed Field. "Mab is not mar
ried wish she WERE"
! ''Nor likely to be?"
''Not that am aware of; nor do I think
she favors anybody"
"Does anybody favor herr"
"Oh, dear, yesl Most of our eligible
young men would be glad to become Mab's
for herself in good time"
''Do your Fair Island ladies propose,
/! thena"
"As often as not. Denzil was a strong
! advocate for the equality of the sexes; he
said that when a young woman takes a
! fancy to any particular young man, there
| is no harm in her telling him So"
"And is that principle acted on at pres
ent?"
| GAS often as not. 1t Is sometimes one
way, sometimes the other"
then asked my host how it was that the
| queens expression of a desire to visit Eng
| land should have caused SO much surprise,
| not to say horror, among those who heard
| her.
"She said that, did she" exclaimed
Field. Mortified in his turn. What will
/ she be saying next, l wonder? / don't
| think she was in earnest, though. She
| often says outrageous things, just to startle
| people; and 'pon my word, she succeeds.
can easily tell you why they were sur
prised. Her reat-great-grandfather was
one of the wisest men that ever lived. We
| have to thank him for all our happiness
and prosperity; and there was nothing he
more insisted upon than the necessity of
preserving our independence; and SO long
as we maintain our isolation and keep the
existence, or, at any rate, the whereabouts
of Fair Island secret, we shall be safe from
molestation In his time he would let
nobody leave the island, except, perhaps,
for sail round the coast, on any pretext
whatever; and the rule has been enforced
ever since. I ought rather to say that no
/ body has ever so much as expressed de-
| sire to break 1t. (Mr. Fame was wise In