The sun., 1889-12-08

| l0li null OF WnEoT, rs l0uBbu Wbh 0fOLI Woh vi
aperture Of the kind that saw. dipped az
the sailor had. and found the water slightly
but only very slightly. braokish. This CON
cluded was owing 10 the overwhelming weight
OF rain that had followed the upheaVal OF thif
island, ovorfloHing the hollows and holes In II
so abundRnty as to drown the salt water, Witn
which. Of course, the cavities had been nlleo
when this head Of lava had been forced to the
surface. bade Finn dip his hand and taste
and told him that our nrst step must be to hi
upon some means OF storing good supply be-
fore the heat should dry up the water.
There were two sailors lying close together q
few yards from where the seaman had squat
ted himself. and called to him to know II theJ
wero alive. He answered yes. and shouted to
them, on which they turned their heads, and
one of them languidlY rose 10 his elbows. the
| other lay still.
1T will be the wreckage that drownded most
Of them. and that hurt them that's come of
with their lives" exclaimed Finn. 1T was
like being thrown into whirllnE machinery.
How many shnll We be able to muster2 fear
hevre but bodies, sir" indicating the figures
over which Outbill was STOPPING.
All this while Laura and her sister we're
standing and conversing. was starting to
walk to the wreckaRe that stood at the fore
shore. when Laura slightly mouoned to me to
approach her. at once went to her. watch-
| Ing eyory foot OF ground I measured, for
the island was Just surface Of pitfalls, and
| one could not imagine how deep the larger
among them might prove. Lady Monson
bowed to mo with as much dignity as IL she
were receiving me in q ballroom. Her face
| looked like dead womsn's vitaliEed by some
necromantio agency. 30 preternatural was the
ghastly air produced by the contrast between
! the tomb-like tinoture OF the flesh and the
raven blackness Of her mass Of flowing hair.
and the feverish row in her large dark eyea
returned her ealutation, and she extended Q
lifeless, ice-cold hand.
II am asking Laura what is to become OF
US ?" che exclaimed, with distinct hint OF her
imperious nature In her voice. and fastening
her eyes upon me as from q habit OF command
ing with them.
II cannot tell" answered: our business
Is to do the best we can for ourselves"
How many are living y she asked.
"We do not as yet know. but fear no more
than you see alivo. My cousin Is drowned. I
fear"
Her eyes fell: she drew deep breath. and
continued looking down: then her gaze. full OF
sudden fire, flashed to my face again.
Il am not accountable for his death. Mr..
Monson. Why do you speak significantly OF
this dreadful thing did not desire his death.
would have saved his life had the power to do
so been given to me. o God" she cried, lit 10
cruel to talk or to look 30 as 10 mako me feel
as II the responsibility Of all this were mine"
She clasped one hand over another upon her
heart, drawing erect her hae figure in a pos
ture full Of indignant reproach and passionate
depreciation. Indeed. had never met her be-
fore. and not known better. should have
taken her to be some nne tragedy actress who
could not perform In the humblest article OF
1av mil ~ Svffh
dressing her behavior with the airs Of the
| stage.
Pardon me-" I exclaimed you mistake.
I meant nothing significant thought you
would wish to know II your husband had been
spared. This Is no moment for discussing any
other question in the world but how are we to
deliver ourselves from this terrible situation"
As turned to leave them thought she re-
Rarded me with entreaty almost with wistful-
ness. If such eyes as hers could ever take that
expression. but she remained silent; and CIV
ing my love Q smile-for my love she was now.
and cannot express how my heart went to
her as she stood pale. worn. heavy-eyed. but
lacking nothing OF her old tenderness and
sweetness and fairness. by the side Of her sis
ter. listening umidly to the naughty COM
manding creatures words-I walked to meet
| Cutbil who was slowly returning from his in
spection Of the bodies.
They're all dead. sir" he exclaimed.
"Ah!" I cried.
There's poor old Mr.. Crimp"-his voice
failed him he added o little later. They look
more to have been killed than drowndsd. SIR"
"Sir WilfrIdf ?"
mo: he isn't among them"
We stood together. looking toward the bodies.
"Cutblll." said I. I'VE must all turn to now
and collect what We can from the wrcok that
uaaful IN na Tharaba 70
eat here saving dead fish. which will be rottinG
presently"
The sea stretched in lead under the lead OF
the sky, saving in the far east, where the open
ing Of the heavens there had shed pearly film
upon 1t bright with sunrise. The swell had
fattened and was light, and rolled slugglshly
to the island. sliding up and down the smooth
incline soundlessly, save whom now and again
some head Of 1t broke and boiled and rushed
backward white and slmmering. Isent long
look round. but there was nothing In sight
One could follow the ocean Rirdle sheer round
the island with but the break only Of the queer
rugged mass Of rock In the centre where the
slope came to Its height. The line OF shore which
the remains Of the yacht centred was stretch
OF some hundred and fifty feet OF porous rock
like meerschaum In places. the declivity worry
gradual 1t was covered with wreckaRe. and
remains OF the vessel continued to be washed
ashore by the set and hurl OF the SWELL
L went to work with Cutbil to haul high and
dry whatever We were able to deal with. We
were presently Joined by two OF the sailora
Finn and the other man made an effort to ap-
proach. but perceived they were too weak
and would be OF no use to US. and called to
them to continue resting themselves. Laura
and Lady Monson were seated together, and
watched US, could not gather that they con-
versed: at least, though I often directed
glance at them, never observed that they
looNed at each other as people do who talk.
We toiled long hour. and in that time had
stacked. at good distance from the wash of
the sea. q store OF articles of all kinds: casks
OF flour, salt beef. biscuit for forecastle use. q
cask Of sherry, some cases Of potted meats, and
other matters which should only weary you
by cataloguinR. Had the ehore been steep We
should probably have got nothing. but It
shelved gently far past the point where the
yacht had struck, and as the goods had hoated
out Of the yacht they were rolled up like peb.
~. Ill. L.. sI..