San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1891-02-07

| tables, and after awhile the wretched mar
traded them off to ships for firearms anc
ammunition, and thus provided with
arms, he slaughtered and murdered every
one who came near him.
Other stories were told Of another out
law who had managed TO reach another
one of these islands with a small colony
OF men as vile and ferocious as himself,
and here he established himself as king,
and for bodyguard he raised packs OF
| bloodhounds. They subsisted on the stores
| they brought and the turtles. They used
| to spread ont blankets at night, with a
stone placed in the center, which caused
the heavy dew TO gather and drip down
into vessels below, and SO obtained their
scantv supply Of water.
All these piratical persons had long
passed away, but still George and Max
well remembered the stories and felt that
it would be well to be cautious. they did
not know what island they were on, nor
who might inhabit it. Perhaps some of
their own crew might be found here, liv-
ing alone and deserted, and so they talked
over all they had ever heard, and took all
the precautions they could.
They at last took their way around the
great cliff and soon found that there was
mountains OF rock and scoria all around.
though this depression was as barren and
desolate as the island where they lived.
This island was larger than tAeir own,
but as far rs they could discover had no
water and absolutely no vegetation, and
as yet bore no sign of ever having been
inhabited, and after long search they
were about returning to the cave to re-
commence their journey towards what
they now called home, when George said
eXcitedly, Max, l think see what may
have been a flag staff. Will you look'
Right down there, near the water"
Maxwell took the glass and looked
long time in silence and then said
"Well, we might go and see 'Twon't
do no HARM
"You stay here, Max, and | will go
down If find anything l will signal
and then you can come"
mo, sir, you keeps close by me, or /
by you. This is no place for Us to get fur
away from each other. When we are to
hum ] don't mind, but here, not by Jug
full"
They marked their way and set off
downward toward the place where they
thought hey had seen some sort of an
upright post, and when they reached the
place they found a sort of timber that |
had 80 rotted away that it was impossible |
to discover it's use, and they were disap-
pointed in some degree, yet stimulated to |
search further, and it was well for them |
they did, for at the first depression be- |
tween the rocks and hills they found |
spot as green and luXuriant as they could |
m, try nd of i
hurried glance Max cried ont:
George, we've struck bettern' a gold |
mine. This here is garding run wild /
and them are pumpkins and taters and /
melons. all self seeded and growed. We /
have fell on that devilman's island, and |
like rs net that there stump is the very |
hing as he used to signal by. He must |
be dead-unless''-
II guess he is considering he lived here
about 200 years ago. / wonder if we
,ould manage to make us garden, Max,
md get these things to grow over home.
Let's try, anyhow"
Materially"
nat we could eat"
They found that after the manner of
Wild tropical plants there were young |
|
'ipe fruit, and decayed plants and fruit |
Ill round them, thus perpetuating their
growth forever, the old plants which died
tle scanty soil, until they were
II thrifty and full of their fruit. The
We're small aud with very
ough skins, but very sweet inside, and
he wateTmelons were Of a fair size, but
hey had mach more of pumpkin taste
|
declared that it came from growing to-
,ether.
There were good potatoes, and one head
If cabbage gone to seed.
This was real good fortune to the cast
ways, who had so long been deprived Of
vegetables and they built little fire and
nut some potatoes and one pumpkin down
o roast, and while that was doing they
gathered an abundance of seeds, with
which they filed their pockets, and then
hey gathered as many potatoes ana
pumpkins as they could carry.
"Hold on, Max. I've got an idea!
NOW that they can dry pumpkins for
lave helped peel them and string the
pieces. Suppose we just take and peel a
OF of these and string the pieces, and that
way We won't be loaded with lot of
tuff we couldn't eat afterward and what
We took home would he worth saving, for
We can't make this trip often, if ever
lgain What do you say?"
"Why, that you know what you are
bout. But. s'posc we stay over a couple
# days more and dry out the pumpkins,
md that way we can take all there is
lere nighabouts. We con build up a fire
md save cur ile and with the taters and
Kings here we have enough to eat. And
Us clear there amt nobody here, fur if |
here was them vegetables wouldn't
y growed so wild ike.
"a II rinlt We will - sHil GEORGE naVlY. L