Blackfoot news. (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1891-1902, 1895-04-13
A TAIL OF THE SOUTH

each other in their wordleSS misery as
the wind died away and the tattered
remnants of the sail hung motionleSs
after alaSt faint tlutter. The thing thar
sat aft-for surely SO groteSquely hor-
rible 4 vision could not be a man
pointed with hands like the talouS of
y bird Of prey TO the purple outline
OF the island in the west, and his
black blOod-haked lips moved. opened
and cSsayed TO speak. The other being
that, with bare ard skinny arms
clnsped around its bony knees, sat
crOuched in the bottom OF the boat,
leaned forward to listen.
"Ducic Island, Enderby." said the
first in a hoarsc, rattling whisper; no
one is on it; but water is there
and plenty OF birds and turtle. and a
few cocoanuts.'
At the word water" the listener
gave a curious, gibberiSh chuckle, I'M
claSped his hands from his knees and
crept further toward the speaker.
And the current is setting us down
to it. wind or no wind | believe Wen
see this pleasure trip through after an
and the black lips parted in hid
eous grimace.
sank his head again upon his knees.
and his dulled and bloodshot eyes rest
cd ON something that lay at The cap
tain's feet-the figure of a woman en-
veloped from her shoulders down in
ragged, native mat.
The black whiSkered man who steer
ed looked down for second upon the
face beneath him with the unconcern
for Others born of agony Of thirst and
despair. and again his gaunt face turn
ed to the land. And yet she was his
wife, and not six weeks back he had
experienced a cold sort of satisfaction
in the possession of so much beauty.
He remembered that day now En-
derby. the passenger from Sydney. and
he We're walking the poop; his wife
was asleep in deck chair. on the
other side. An open book lay in her
hap As the two men passed and re-
passed her, the one noted that the 9TH
err would glance in undiSguiSed and
honest admiration at the figure in the
chair. And Enderby who was as open
as the day had said to him. Langton,
that the sleeping Mrs. Langton made
beautiful picture.
The sail stirred. filled out and then
dropped again, and the two Specters.
with the sleeping woman between, still
sat with their hungry eyes gazing over
toward the land As the sun sank.
the outlines of the yendure clad sum
mitS and beatling cliffs became en-
ShrOuded in tenebrous night
Another hour. and faint sigh came
from the ragged mat. Enderby. for
ever on the watch had first seen a
white hand silhouetted against the
blackneSs of the covering, and knew
that she was still alive. And he was
about to call I4angton. who lay in the
stern sheets. muttering in hideous
dreams he heard the woman's voice
calling MIN.
Thank God. you are alive. Mrs
Langton. Shall wake Captain Lang
ton? We must be nearing the land
NO, don't. Let him sleep. But I
called you Mr.. Enderby TO lift me up
I want to see where the rain is COIN
ing from"
Enderhy grOaned in anguish OF
spirit Rain? God has forgotten u.s.
L." and then he stopped in shame
at betraying his weakness before a
woman With hot tears of mingled
checks he raised her up.
Why. there it is, Mr. Enderby and
the land as well! And it's a heavy
ing inky mass that half concealed the
black shadow Of the island. Quick.
take my mat; one end of il will hold
water
Enderby pressed the woman's hand
1t. 4 4
again. Then with eager hands he took
the mat from her. and, staggering for
ward to the bows. stretched the sound
end across and bellied it down. And
then, the moving mass that was once
black. was now white swept down
upon them and brought them life and
joy.
Langton, with an empty beef tin In
his Hand. stumbled over his wife's fig
ure, plunged the vessel into the water,
and drank, and drank again.
Curse you, you brute" shouted En-
derby through the wild noise of the
kissing rain. Where is your wife?
Are you going to let her die there Ayith-
out a drink
Langton answered not. but drank
once more. Then Enderby. with an
oath. tore the tin from his hand. filled
it and took 1t TO her. holding her up
while she drank And as her eyes
looked gratefully into his while he
placed her tenderly back in the stern
sheets, the madness Of a moment over
him. and he kissed her on the
lips.
Concerned only with the nectar in
the mat. IAngton took no regard of
as he opened the little locker,
pulled out a coarse dungaree jumper,
and wrapped it around the thinly-clad
and drenched figure Of the woman.
She was weeping now. partly from
the joy Of knowing that she was not
to die Of the agonies of thirst in an
open boat in mid Pacific and partly
because the water had given her
10 remember that LangtOn
had cursed her when he had stumbled
over her to get at the water in the mat
She had married him because Of his
handsome face and dashing manner.
Her ideal Of a happy life was to have
her husband leave the sea and buy ad
estate either in Tuhiti or Chilli. She
knew both countries well the first was
her birthplace, and between there and
and Sydney her money
old father had traded for
years.
Mrs. LangtOn cared for her husband