Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1894-04-26
CHAPTER L.
IN MID PACIFIC.

him in dismay, wondering what had
happened.
The first intimation he received Of
the accident was that sudden sharp cry
from the bo'sun's mate. Almost be-
fore he had fully taken it in, in all its
meaning, another voice. farther aft.
took up the cry once more in an altered
form: "a lady lady. Somebody
overheard. Great heavens, is it her.
It's Miss Ellis! Miss Ellis"
Next instant Felix found himself, he
knew not how, struggling in wild
grapple with the dark, black water. A
woman was clinging to him-clinging
for dear life. But he couldn't have told
you himself chat minute how it all took
place. He was too stunned and dazed.
He looked around him on the seeth-
ing sea In a sudden awakening, as it
were, to life and consciousness. All
about, the great water stretched dark
surged over him. Far ahead the
steamers lights CLEANED red and green
in long lines upon the ocean. At first
they ran fast: then they slackened
somewhat. She was surely slowing
now: they must be reversing engines
and trying to stop her. They would
put out a boat. But what hope, what
chance of rescue by night, in such a
wild waste of waves as that? And
Muriel Ellis was clinging to him for
dear life all the while, with the des-
pairing clutch of q half-droWed wo-
man.
The people On the Austraiasian, for
their part, knew better what had oc-
CURED. There was hustle and con-
fusion enough on deck and on the cap
tain S bridge, to be sure: "Man over
b0ardn sharp rings at the en-
CINE bell-''Stop her shOrt.-reverse
engines.-lower the gig!-look sharp,
there, all of you" Passengers hurried
up breathless at the first alarm to know
what was the matter. Sailors lOOsened
and lowered the boat from the davlts
with extraordinary quickness. Officers
stood by. giving orders in mOnosyl-
tables with practiSed calm. All was
hurry and turmoil, yet with marvel
lous sense of order and prompt Obedl-
ence as we'll. But, at any rate, the
people on deck hadn't the swift swirl
of the boisterous water, the hamper
ing wet clothes, the pervading con-
sciousncss of personal danger, to make
their brains reel, like Felix Thurstan S.
They could ask one another with com
on board: they could listen without
terror to the story of the accident.
1t was the thirteenth day out from
Sydney, and the Australasian was
rapidly nearing the equator. Toward
evening the wind had freshened, and
the sea was running high against her
weather side. But it was q fine star
lit night. though the moon had not yet
risen; and as the brief tropical twilight
faded away by quick degrees in the
West, the fringe OF cOcOanut palms on
the reef that bounded tho little island
of Boupari showed out for q minute or
two in dark relief, some miles to lee
ward. against the pale pink horizon.
IN spite of the heavy sea, many pas
sengers fingered late On deck that
night to see the last of that coral-girt
shore, which was to be their final
glimpse Of land till they reached Homo
lulu. en- route to San Francisco.
Bit by bit, however, the cocoanut
palms, silhouetted with their graceful
waving arms for a few brief minutes
in black against the glowing back
ground, merged slowly into the sky or
sank below the horizon. All grew
dark One bv one. as the trees disap
pcarcd, the passengers dropped off for
whist in the saloon. or retired to the
uneasy solitude of their own state
rooms. At last only two or three men
were left smoking and chatting near
the top Of the companion ladder: while
at the stern of the ship Muriel Ellis
looked over toward the retreating
island, and talked with a certain tinid
maidenly frankness to Felix Thurstan
There's nowhere on earth for get
ting really to know people in very
short time like the deck OF 4 great At
lantic or Pacific liner. You're thrown
together SO much, and all day long,
that you see more of your fellow-pas-
Seneers' inner life and nature in q few
brief weeks than you would ever be
likely to see in a long twelve month OF
ordinary town or country acquaintance
ship. And Muriel Ellis had seen q
great deal in those thirteen days OF
Felix Thurstan; enough to make sure
in her own heart that she really liked
him-so much that she looked up with
d pretty blush OF self-C Consciousness
every time he approached and lifted
his hat to her. Mrriel was an English
rector's daughtcr from q country vii
Rage in Sonersctshiro: and she was
now on her way back from long
years visit, to recruit her health, to an
aunt in Paramatta. She was travelling
under the escort Of an amiable old
>chaperon whom the aunt in question
had picked up for her before leaving
Sydney but, as the amiable old chap
.eron, being but an Indifferent sailor,
spent most of her time in her own
berth closely attended by the obliging
stewardess, Muriel had found her
chaperonage Interfere very little with
opportunities to talk with that nice
MIR Thurstan. And now. Us the last
glow of sunset died out in the western
sky, and the last palm tree faded away
against the colder green darkness of
the tropical night, Muriel was leaning
over the bulwarls in confident mood,
and Watching the big waves advance
or recede, and talking the sort of talk
that such an hour seems to favor with
the handsome Young civil servant who
stood on guard. as it were, beside her.