San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1891-02-06


our breakfast, though little late, and
I've got pole here that picked up"
That's bamboor' said Maxwell, in a
kind of awe struck voice.
whats thatg"
''Why, do you see the Joints? This
here is Chinee, and it's boiler, and these
here Jints go clean through. The Chinee
fellers mako buckets out'n bamboo. We
can do the same for waterloo you see?''
George had for IN instant half notion
to cry, he w&s 50 glad, but, he simply
said:
Il never saw ono before. But, how are
we to cook our Gsh:''
"Well, l guess Wen have to eat these
raw. can eat mine so if you CAM
George was l0t quite sure that he could,
but lie IVES very hungry.
eve cat listers and clans raw, and
don't sec why fish wouldn't be just as
good"
George cleaned the fish and washed.
them III the sea water, and thoy each ate
one raw, but when the first craving Of
hunger had passed neither wanted TO eat
another.
They partially sheltered themselves
from the burning rays of the sun by az
overhanging rock, and they lay down
little to rest and talk over their position.
George told Maxwell what he had seen
from the TOP OF the plateau, and Maxwell
said:
eve must be on Great Darlington, and
the one you seen to the BASTARD is Abe
marie. | don't see how we drifted PAST
that and to this here place. 1t kinder
makes Teller believe in providence, don't
it? 1t is TO this here island that Cap Mel
son wanted 10 come, for this is the only
one as has any water of consequence.
We've got water and grub, but we've got
snakes and SulGmanders and spiders for
neighbors, but we might have wuss
S'pose we just occerpy our time cuttin' off
these here iintS to make buckets out'n
this ere bamboo. Now that's another
streak of luck. We can havG r'ater and
keep it.
Tomorrow we will set about RIGGING
some sort Of . cgutCh for me so'st we can
explore little If this is Great Barring
ton, rs think, Il is where the old Span
ish pirates used TO come for safety, for no.
body dared follow them. They seemed to
have secret channel or something and
they could come and so here without dan
ger, while the pursuers would so drifting
about. or fall afoul of Rodondo like we
did. Mebbe Wen find some traces of
them when we can go around. "
Soon they had, with their sharp knives,
cut the bamboo into lengths and pierced
holes so that George could string them on
q rope and he prepared TO go for water,
and he returned with heavy load. After
they had drank he went TO get their fish,
and found that the heat of the sun on the
black rock had baked them thoroughly.
This was discovery worth knowing, and
they made much more appetizing meal
than before. AS it came on toward sun
set George, who, boy like, was restless
and curious, wandered around, came sud
denly upon another of those enormous
turtles which live upon these deSolate
islands. These immense creatures seem
condemned &c toll upward, always over
these slippery rocks; why, none knows,
and their apparently eternal existence is
passed in this weary labor. This one was
wedged closely up against the foot of a
ledge, with his great head and neck NOV
ing backward and forward and up and
down, but with all his force he was try
ing to push away the obstacle, q great
beetling cliff, and determined TO never
leave until it had coded. Not for once
did it think of turning around and going
away, and it would probably stay there
till it died in its vain endeavor
George ran back to tell Maxwell, and
he said that they would try and kill it,
for its flesh was good, and the shell would
be very handy, but the boy thought they
would stand a poor chance with so gigan-
tic a beast.
"Au we have to do is to turn him on
his back. He can't harnf us anyhow,
and then we can soon finish him.
Maxwell took off his shirt and wrapped
it around his injured foot and crawled on
his hands and knees toward the spot, and
George followed sOrrowfully, for he could
not bear the idea of the suffering Max
well must be enduring now, but when
they reached the spot and Maxwell saw
the great creature, as large as an OK, he
rose on his feet, and hitched up his pants
and said:
"He is big Teller and no mistake, but
we've got to have him. The worst is to
turn him over. Now, take hold here and
up and over with him. Now, one, two
three! Over he goesw And they both
lifted with all their strength, and at last
he rose in the air and rolled over ON the
rock with sounding crack of his hard
shell, and there he lay wildly beating his
flippers and moving his long neck around
in his futile cndeavor to turn back again.
Maxwell forgot his pain and drew his
knife, and in few moments the poor
beast was bleeding to death, and they
turned away as they saw the agonized
entreaty in the great sorrowful ewes.
''If that air Teller is really commodore
or captain, may the Lord forgive me,
but don't believe nothin' of that sort of
story; do your"
81 don't think it can be so, said George.
81 never heard my mother say anything
like that. She said that if we were good