Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1893-06-01


were taken Off the island"
But how2" asked Capt Willis
could they have possibly with tn,
debris Of the wreck built a raft larg,
enough to put 20 sea2'
mo, captain, they didn't have enough
70 build a canoe with. I incline 10 tn,
opinion that their signal must hav,
been seen by passing vessel"
But, Zach, can't bring myself :,
think IT,"
why not, captain"
because, II a passing ship had seer
them and taken them off, the Who'll,
world would have heard OF IL, unless thai
ship itself had gone down with every
soul on board, which is hardly suppose
bic. ! therefore can't accept the theory
that the castaways Of Browse island
were rescued in any such way"
"You may be right, captain" said
Zach, sadly, but II II was impossible
for them 10 build n raft still there's nc
proof that all the ships boats persisted
| In the wreck"
Even So" replied Willis, but since
there has been no report In the past few
| years Of a ship's crew being rescued in
the latitude OF western Australia, III
my opinion that this vessel must have
foundered during It's passage from the
Australian coast TO this island"
Zach saw that he would have little
show Of overcoming this theory; but
still being unwilling 10 leave undone
anything which might aid them in
learning what had become OF the cast
aways, he added: "But captain, you
surely intend 10 visit the other parts Oh
the island2"
eyes, 10 keep my conscience quiet, "
replied Willis; but first let's 90 and
and remove that signal 80 that vessels
will not be influenced TO leave their
course TO save people who don't exist "
The captain and Zach and the Others
now made a last examination OF the
beach, then, having gained the plateau
by passing through tho gorge, they
turned their steps toward the promon.
tory
They found II necessary 20 pass
around a deep excavation, n sort OF
stony pond fed by the rains and cloud
bursts, in order to keep on their way
Suddenly Willis came to a halt and
pointed at four mounds parallel with
each other Possibly they would have
escaped his attention had they not been
marked by small wooden crosses now
partially decaycd. They were graves.
II was the cemetery Of the cnstaways
AT last" cried Willis, were in n
position To learn"
The two sailors set 10 work making
use of their knives 10 loosen the dirt.
but many years must have elapsed since
the burial, for the graves contained
nothing but bones. Willis ordered
them TO be closed again and the crosses
10 bc replaced. The truth concerning
the wreck on Browse island had again
escaped Willis and his companions. II
four human beings had been buried on
this spot what had become OF him who
had rendered them this last service?
And he, too, when death struck hill
down, where had he fallen? Would
they not find his bones on some other
part Of the island? Capt. Willis could
not bring himself to think SO.
"Why shouldn't this wreck be the
Drcadnausht?" asked one Of the sea
men.
But why should it?" replied Zach.
The fact is that there was nothing
10 show that IL was the Drcadnaught
that had gone to pieces on the reefs Of
Browse island, and the outlool; was
that this second cruise Of the Mollys
Hope was fatcd TO end MS fruitlossly rs
the frat.
Capt Willis stood with his gaze riv.
etcd upon the spot where these poor
castaways were now sleeping that last
sleep which alone had been able to put
an end 10 their misery We're they
Amcricans2 We're they his country
men? We're they of those whom the
Molly's Hope was seeking?
Forward TO the signall' he cried out
Zach and the others followed him as
he made his way up the rocky slope by
which the promontory Is joined 10 the
body Of the island.
When Willis and his men had reached
the signal they found the staff TO be Sc
curely set in IA deep split in the rock,
fact which explained its having re-
manned standing so long As they had
already discovered by means OF glass,
the staff was the broken end Of bow
spirit and had come from the wreck be-
low AS 10 the rag nailed TO IL, IL was
nothing but shred Of sail, unraveed
by the winds and without any mark to
identify it,
At an order from Capt. Willis the two
scnmcn were about 10 chop down the
staff, when lack French burst out with:
Captain, loolSl Look therer'
What is II, Zach?'
"'rhc bell yonderl"
Swung upon a frame, still solid and
strong, there was n bell, the clamps of
which were corroded by rust. The cast
Always had not been content TO set up
the staif and nail flag to it, they had
transported the ships bell to this spot,
hoping that II might be heard by some
passing vessel. But should not this bell
bear the name OF the ship TO which It
had belonged In accordance with an al
most universal custom among mer.
chantmenP
Willis had taken few steps In the
direction OF the bell when he suddenly
halted At the foot OF the wooden
frame lay the remains OF human slSel-
eton, or more correctly speaking
small heap Of bones, TO some of which
shrcds OF clothing were clinging There
must have been five Of them, five sur
vivors who had taken refuge on this