The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1891-12-13
CHAPTER II.
A FINE HOLIDAY.

CHAPTER II.
FINE HOLIDAY.
~ was in luck that night and no mistake
| about IL, for the waves must have washed
me far past where the ship had struck and
driven me right on to the main land, for
never a splinter did 1 see of her after ward
or of my Malay boys either. She must
have struck reef Of some sort and gone
down plump with the bowling cravens
aboard down the matches; gone down after
the hole had been gnawed out of her hull to
waters past the soundings.
| "What expects is that we got through an
outer fringe only to be wrecked again an
inner wall half a mile closer to the shore,
and that when l was sent spinning OVER
board the billow drew me on right over the
reef and through the shallow waters to the
lsnd-at any rate, that sea-tangle was the
saving of my life.
81 made a grab for it and catching firm
hold hung on to it until I could get
chance OF something f1rmer, while the
waves washed over me and dashed me
against the rocks. from which the soft
dulse saved me from getting my bones
smashed or my brains knocked out; then
again would be sucked outward with one,
and danca along with the wave, 60 be
| landed back again by fresh wave until |
was almost dazed.
"Still kept my hold, and my head as
we'll out of the water as l could, and that
| saved me.
~ think must have been over a couple of
hours in the sea, struggling hard, when
| dawn began to break, aud was able to see
| things little more plainly.
81 could twig the land In front Of me
against which | wns getting knocked, a
gathering Of rocks all tumbled about under
the cliffs, which looked easy to climb, If one
had the strength TO do so. they were 30
scanned aud ledgy.
| 81 could see, too, that as the light came on
| the storm was going off.
"a big black bank Of cloud was scurry-
ing off toward the nor'west, all charged
with forked lightning, which zig-zagged
about, while to the soueast the sky was get
ting rosy-like and clear, something like
what oyster she'll looks with the lights on
| it.
81 now made pull as the next coming
wave drove me on, and letting go my tangle
stay laid hold of a ledge above it, and
hung on there while the water left me In
It's backward suck. 1t was strain for a
moment, for the weeds had got twisted
about me like ropes, and they hauled away
like mad to drag me back again before they
slipped from me or broke short. Then /
found myself dangling about the boil, and
before the next wave could reach me had
hauled myself over the ledge and could take
a rest.
There wasn't trace Of the smack to be
seen, not even a floating keg, the ocean was
tumbling about dark under that oyster pearl
sky to the soueast With the lightning
charged thunder cloud now almost gone
from the west. My property had sunk 10
Davy Jones locker with all my crew and
everything belonging to me, while here sat
on the bare rocks, without a blessed idea as
to where was, and with ouly my pants
and shirt on, and not even a jack-knife to
defend myself IL attacked by the natives
| tell you what it Is, mates / never felt SO
dicky in all my life before, as when sat on
that ledge, or more inclined to drop back
again into the waves and so finish it up, only
I'm not one of the sort to drown easily.
after bit felt better and started
climbing up the cliffs and very soon
reached TO top, where found myself in q
level country we'll covered with bush and
| showing signs of natives about, but no trace
| of white men.
II struck upon a native track, and fol-
lowed it up mile or two, until came to a
| spring Of water, which from the footprints
in the mud I could see was the well of some
village close by, so as knew the girls would
| soon be about with their cans, and that it
| would be safest for me to get at their soft
side first, before the men got hold Of me,
laid down behind bush near the spring
| and waited.
"It was now bright day although the sun
! had not yet got out of the mist, and all the
forest about me lay solemn and quiet. with
the creepers twisting around the high, thick
trunks and dropping down again from the
branches like knotted rope-work. as 1 lay
quietly looking up through all the leaves
aud twistings and wishing that / had a
pipe, began to think that could be quite
content to stay here for ever, and never
look at blue water suy more, it was 80 quiet
like and peaceful, that it seemed as If 1t
| H.. IL.
used to know when | was little shaver In
the old country-in fact, mates, began to
wish that had done better with my life
than had done, although l never was so
bad, as some of them, that is | never ILL
used woman old OF young, black or white,
although may be I've brought unhappinness
to them when l had to leave them.
81 had got to this lonely, uncomfortable
state of mind when heard the voices of
women laughing aud chattering as they
came along, aud looking out from my hiding
place. soon saw about a dozsn of them
coming TO the well, with their water pots
on their heads, swinging along easy, all
mostly tall, young and well made, without
a suspicion OF any stranger watching them.
ut was pretty sight, mates, for fellow
60 look upon after night of battling with
the tempest. You know tho women on our
side are mostly uuder-sizsd and not to be
lkened to the men for good looks, but this
bevy which gathered round the spring were
different from that; they were all tail and
handsome. and hght-colorei, with big
brown eyes, straight noses, and red lips,
while as they laughed and chartered taey
showed teeth like eoral for whiteness.
1.-THE prettiest among them was a girl
about 16, who, being full grown, stood half
head above the rest. There wasn't mar
ried woman among them, for their hair
was worn long and free; but for hair she
topped them all, it foated about her like q
black stallion's name, all crimpY and shin
ing blue-like when the light fell on it as it
, covered her back right down almost to her
knees.
} '5uch a dewy piece Of freshness never
before had clapt my eyes upon, and the
} sight of it made my heart stand still and
grow faint like
From what they were saying to each
} other, although their language was bit
! strange in some words, yet | knew that /
could make myself understood; 50 watoa>