The morning news., 1892-03-27

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dialect, which had picked up during my
wanderingS Her face Frightened as she
replied in the same tongue. II appeared
that she had never seen a white man before,
and took us for gods. / made her sit beside
me and offered her some OF the food We had
brought with us. The meat she rejected,
animal food being unknown among these
islanders. War, murder and theft appear
to be equally unknown. The island,
learned. was called Lagslia, by the natives,
and my new friends name was Ola.
Suddenly as we talked. the dull boom Of
gun came rolling across the water.
Afrghted. Ola sprang 70 her feet and fled
like a deer into the neighboring thicket;
while /, hardly less alarmed, hastened to
the boat where l bad left the two men.
Hurriedly showing of we rowed to the en-
trance of the bay. The ship was no longer
where we had left her, but was lying close
in shore, about two miles distant. The
mutiny had broken out in my absence, and
the crew had seized the shipl
Undecided what to do In this extremity
i We rowed slowly toward the vessel to learn,
If possible, the situation OF affairs. Sud
denly Bates called my attention to a dark
object in the water some distance ahead Of
US. 1t appeared 60 be In motion, and we
changed our course to examine it. It
proved to be a man swimming, and in few
minutes we recognized the boatswain. We
drew him into the boat. nearly exhausted
by his exertions.
While we were administering restoratives
to the rescued man, there was a faint hail
from the water, and presently we picked up
Stark and the captain, who had supported
themselves upon a fragment Of plank.
As soon as he could speak, the captain
told us that hardly had my boat disappeared
from sight when the crew revolted in a
body, and after desperate defense on the
part Of Stark. the boatswain and himself.
had seized the ship. The three men had
only saved their lives by Jumping into the
water.
AS it was manifestly impossible to re-
capture the vessel by an open atteck. we re-
turned to our former landing place in the
bay. IL was pretty certain that the first
proceeding on the part of the men would be
to break open the spirit room and get
drunk. We did not anticipate any inn
mediate trouble from them therefore. Our
hope was that after few days OF unre-
strained license, the mutlneers would
quarrel among themselves and become
demoralized, when we could either seize the
ship by stratagem, or induce tho better
affected to Join us in mastering the Others
We divided ourselves into watches, tax
ing turns in keeping guard during the
night, while the others slept in the boat
, drawn up against the shore. l undertook
!, the first watch myself, and after we had
made q comfortable meal upon the pro-
visions we had brought with us, my COM
panions disposed themselves in the boat,
while took my position upon the shore at
little distance.
For while paced to and fro, meditating
upon the events of the day; then seated
myself upon a log and lit my pipe. had
, fallen into a dreamy mood, soothed by the
influence Of the tobacco, when a slight
sound near at hand brought me to my feet.
Drawing my revolver l peered anxiously
| ia, - sk.11 80 o. a. 4.
figure stole out of the gloom and approached
me.
"Who goes there9" demanded In a low
tone.
lola. Olal" murmured low, sweet voice.
"You will not hurt Olasn
, put the revolver back into my belt, and
called her to come to me. Seating herself
upon the fallen tree beside me, she took my
hand between her own soft little palms and
remained a long whfe III silence. l had
never cared for the society of my country
women, but there was something 80 inno-
cent, so truthful In this child of a savage
people that felt an unwonted tenderness
! growing up In my heart. spoke to her OF
J my own land, of my long journey from
beyond the sea, and Of the revolt Of my
men in the ship. AS told her that even
} now those men might be planning TO take
my life, felt shudder pass through her
frame and her hand clasp mine tighter.
We sat talking until long after midnight,
whom a movement on the part OF one of the
men startled her. She sprang to her feet
) and murmuring Tomorrow" melted into
the gloom Of the forest. Merely saying that
all was quiet, turned over the watch TO
speedily fell asleep.
We were not molested on the following
day. The captain, who had examined the
\ ship from the cover Of tho shrubbery, re-
: ported that the men were still aboard, and
apparently indulging in a protracted de-
bauch.
Strange to say. my thoughts were not
wholly bent upon the dangers Of our posi-
} tion, imminent as they were. My last
nights meeting with Ola remained in my
mind like the memory of a dream, and
waited for the night TO come again with an
, impatience my colder reason could not re-
press.
took the first watch as before, and be-
gan pacing up and down the beach at some
distance from the boat. half hour passed
: away, and l was beginning to fear that the
girl would not come, when turning at the
end of my walk, she stood beside me, with
out sound having betrayed her approach.
For some moments she walked beside me in
silence; then she told me she had seen the
ship that day, and / gathered from her
words that the men were making prepara-
Impelled by a feeling which l could
hardly have explained / said:
"Supposing these men were TO kill me,
} Ola?"
} She put her hand softly upon my shoulder
and in low. half-stifled voice replied:
, "Ola would de."
"And why?" persisted, why should Ola
: die if were killedp
because she loves you," was the answer
without hesitation. st would break Ola's
heart"
In the silence Of the warm star-lit night,
with the perfume of the tropical forest fill
J ing the air, and that soft hand In mine. the
confession Of love from this beautiful young
creature, untutored as she was. thrilled me
. to the soul. Hardly aware OF what l was
doing, drew her TO me and bending my
head kissed her unresisting lips.
"O" she murmured, in voice tremulous
} with delight, land you love Olai The great
white stranger loves the'poor island girl"
Utterly carried away, know not what
should have answered, but one OF the men
in the boat disturbed by our voices called
| out to know who was there. MurmuriDg
Tomorrow !" as before, Ola slipped into
the water of the bay, and swan away into
the darkness toward the opposite shore as
silently as a shadow.
On the following day, knowing that We
might now expect an attack from the
mutineers at any time. we established our
| salves tlnOn a small rocky island which Wa