The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1890-09-27
4 DART FOR LlFE.
Ncr lcrk L6dgcf,

"Overboard with him! Away with til
Jonah, and let him swim ashore for hi
life!"
Words like these broke from many c
the foremost hands, mostly. Portuguese
and Spaniards, aboard the ship Cantor
one moonlight night, whilo she lay he
calmed Gil small roci.girt island in tn
Pacific ocean.
Th"person who had been uniortunat
enough 10 awaken Jacks superstition
notion that he was a "Jonah"--ono VIII
would bring bad luck to the vessel-wa
n tall, long. haired New Zsalander, wit
big brass rings in his ears, with blac
eyes as round as a cats, and n broat
square face, ibp latter grotesguely co,
cred with tattoo marks, which c~ertainl
gave q sort OF wiGrd, fiendish aspect .
his visasc. lie had been picked ii
weeks before from n canoe, which Ia,
evidently been blown out 10 sea, IN
which, containing line and harpoon
showed that the occupant had been hunt
ing Tor whales, or creatures OF that kind
Not a word OF English could no speak
and it was his strange way OF talking t,
himsclf and eest;culatiae, with othe
pecullarities, which had impressed hi
shipmales with the fooliah belief alread
mentioned.
Now, as they rushed toward him t.
carry out their design OF throwing hin
overheard, the ships captain, Georgu
wilkins, 4 fine young fellow of twenty
Eve, whose right leg bad recently bee.
injured by his falling from the rigging
came limping forward, and sharply or
dered them back.
"tle is a Jonah. captain !" cried one.
"Nonsense! Don't molest him again
It will be- mu,iny If you do, as it il
against my ORDERS"
"Bn., sir, Begin your pardon, he'll
bring bad luck 10 us," said an old sailor
"Aa spokesman for the rest, ! ask you
to put him Ashore"
II cannot think OF it. As you all
know, he has so far proved himself t..
good sailor. You will leave him alone
in the future"
So saying, the captain walked aft, tc
find h!s wife Mary, a handsome young
woman OF twenty, Just come Oh deck.
"What was the matter, G~eolge?" sbt
inquired.
He told her, when she said:
"0f course l DO not believe in that ab.
surd notion about a Jonah; but l must
own that Warlock, as you call your New
Zealand savage there, ia a strange, fierce.
looking fellow, and frightens me every
time | look at him."
HE is not handsome, I'll own, but he
is as strong as q horse and a good sea
man."
Yes; but are you not afraid that he
may do mischief some time-may take u
notion TO kill us ali in the cabin, set the
ship on fire, or"
The captain interrupted her with q
laugh.
at is his dark skin and tattoo marks
that ifighten you. You look only ut the
outside. | look deeper, and can tell you
thGtthis Warlock has a good heart"
But Mary shook her head, saying she
could not feel easy until the native was
out OF the ship, and she then tried TO in.
duce her husband TO send him ashore.
The captain shook his head.
~ cannot consent to do that" he said.
ave are short Of hands, and Warlock is
a good man."
Next morning Mary, who had come
on deck with her husband, again broach-
cd the subject OF the night before. She
tried TO coax the captain to send War
lock ashore, but in vain.
"Well, one thing is certain" she said,
~ will not take him with me in the
dingey, as You proposed, when l 90 10
the reef to look for coral"
"Whom then will you take?" .
tom, the little cabin boy"
Better take Wsriock."
But Mary shuddered, saying abe
would rather not 20 at all than have
that fierce native in the boat with her.
The visit to the reef, which was about
II mile distant, had been proposed by
Mrs. wilkins the day before, and think.
ing that abe would enjoy tile trip the
captain offered no objection to her tax.
ing the cabin boy with her. True, be
WIZ not very strong, nor was he skilliuI
with IN oar, but the calm, clear weather
would apparently hold for many hours
longer, 60 that there seemed to be nc
danger, even il the boat was poorly
handled.
As the young skipper had some work
in store for his men on this day, he could
not afford 10 send any OF them with his
wife except Warlock, who, not under
standing English, could be better spared
than n OF his shipmates.
Still adhering to her resolution not tt
take him, Mary finally set out with TIT
cabin.boy in the dingey, which hac
been lowered for her, and ere long sht
reached the reef.
Through his glass the captain had nov
and then watched his vile, no the boy
with his Ratchet, knocked Off d piece 3
coral for her, when, al, at once, without
the slightest warning, q "cat.slualr
struck the sea. A mist, which had beer
gathering around the hills OF the island
had been blown about the reef, now
hiding Mory and Tom from the watch
er's gaze, 40 the ship tore along befor,
the blast, with the men aloit taking il
sail,
Like all squalls Of tho kind, this ont
was OF brief duration, and ten minutel
after it burst upon the vessel it had dice
away, leaving n light breeze by which
the ship, uiosef hanled, WAS headed ny
toward the reef. The captain anSiousll
watched Tor his vile, but seeing n0 sigf
o. her he turned pale.
"Ay" remarked the old sa!lor who
had acted as spokesman to the skipper
tho nip,,i. t.Atarc. THE bad luck La,
commenced. This comes c.."nr having
q Jonah aboard"
He looked, Us he spoke, at Warlock
whose keen, slitteripg eyes were turned
toward the reel.
"You're right, Ben, ",answered the sail
or whom tho old fellow addressed. "You
can make sure that the captin will nevet
SEQ his wife or the hoy again, both, as
take it, havin' been drowned in thu
squall!"
'Allhands were now looking of towar,
the reef.
The captains heart sunk.
1T cannot be that she is lost" h
cried to his mate.
The latter took a long rQuint through
the glass.
"Heaven help the poor lady !" he sale
VI see nothing Of her"
Suddenly WarloCk sprung down fror
the rail forward upon which he ha
haan a.andinO apd viii, thrao bopnd