Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1896-11-10
THE VANISHED ISLAND.

Let her 90 OF little, Neuf you II
come out better in the end II you don't
lam your boat too close to the wind.
Keep your sail full, even II you don't
point quite so high. and you'll go faster
through the water. and get quicker to
the place you're bound to-"
SO spoke Captain Rodney one summer
afternoon 10 his grandson, as the Old
mariners boat Beatrice was being tackled
across the bay, after a day spent in
picnicking on one of a number Of little
islands that were to be found within a
few miles of the Captains home.
Grandpa" said Ned after letting the
boat run up I'm the wind 20 ease her OF
a strong and sudden puff while we were
fishing to-day you made the remark that
the last time you had hshed off an unln-
habited island, a good many thousands
Of miles from this part of the world. Is
there good story connected with it?'
The old mariner nodded his head In the
affirmative.
Eyes. my lad; as usual; I have an ex-
citing yarn to spin you, even If the sub
ject is nothing more than that of an I'M
inhabited island; and tonight, after din
ner has been tucked away. you may
expect to hear II. But here's the dock,
40 mind your eye, and let me see you
bring the Beatrice to 1t in shlp-shape
style"
Ned steered so as TO get Ieeward of
the pier. calculating the distance his boat
would reach after she had been thrown
up in the wind. and a moment later he
put the tiller down and gathered in HIS
sheet. The Beatrice shot ahead with
considerable speed for a moment, then
her way became slower and slower, and
nh. l..ts H.. 81,
there was not enough force I'm the con-
tact to send a tremor through the boat.
That's capital, my boy" said Captain
Rodney, regarding his grandson proudly.
That evening Neds grandfather related
10 the lad a story, which he named 'Th'
Yarn OF the Vanished Island"
1T IS so many years since that ! dislike
TO tell you the number. for fear tina
you VIII think that am growing old s.
| will simply say that when / was
hearty young seaman / found myself on
In an eastern port 'on the beach, a,
sailors put it when they have neither
money nor employment. / could have
had both by remaining on the Nep
tune the vessel in which l had saileC
around the Cape OF Good Hope but tn
treatment received on board had been 81
bad that all hands deserted as soon as sh'
reached port. | made myself scarce unit
the ship sailed, then found a berth on ;
topsai schooner called the Regina, tina
traded in the South Seas. bartering al
kinds of trinkets with the natives FOL
sandal-wood and the plumage Of beauti
full birds, which in the days L refer e
were common on all the islands. The san
dal-wood and feathers were carried &
China and traded for tea, and this wa
brought home and sold.
1--WE We're a happy family on board thu
Regina, for we all lived in a big cabir
aft, and Captain Tobias jenkins, the
master Of the schooner, who was very
eccentric and pious old fellow. and whC
had made a considerable fortune in the
trade. kept strict order among us, anC
seemed TO consider himself responsible
for our spiritual as well as earthly wei
fare, for he held church service regular
" every Sunday morning on deck, anC
obliged all hands TO be present. II,
quoted Scripture I'm all occasions. an,
always had an appropriate verse handy
for anything and everything, whether Il
was a call 10 meals or an order TO tai
down the rigging In spite of his pc
GUITAR ways, we all respected him Sc
much that during the time 1 served OF
the schooner ] never heard a profane
word used-in fact. it would have beer
unhealthy to do so, for Captain Jenkin;
was over six feet in height, and wal
what Is called muscular Christian.
"On the voyage I sailed with him the
master Of the Regina was to try a new
plan. The supply of feathers had beer
falling off for the last two OF three voy-
ages. so he determined TO so hunt
Ing on his own account He explain
ed TO US that there were a number
of small Islands to the northward and
westward of Tahiti that were unin-
habited and that he proposed to visit
several OF them. leaving a man on each
supplied with provisions. a shotgun. and
plenty Of ammunition, and that during
the short time we were to play Robinson
Crusoe he expected us to shoot as many
birds as possible. and to carefully save
their feathers until he should come back
and pick US up. This plan suited us first
rate for we looked upon it as promising
A great lark. and were anxious for the
Regina to cover the two thousand miles
or so of water that separated us from
the little islands. with their delightful
climate, on which we were to picnic
after a long passage. for the schoone
was a slow saler we sighted the first o
the group, and one OF the men was sc
on SuOre. WAS lclt on une SeconO ono
and found IL a paradise, with its snow
white beach, It's beautiful, luxuriant vege
tation and woods. and its balmy air ladei
with the odor of flowers. The captain toll,
me to look out for his return about
fortnight later.
"As there was rivalry among tn
sportsnen on account OF money priz'
offered for the one who secured tn
largest amount of gay-colored feathers,
soon got my little camp in shape. an'
settled down to business. SO numerOu
were the birds. and so proficient did
become In the use OF my fowling piece
that by the time the two weeks ha'
passed my store OF treasure almost fille'
the large sack that l had brought from
the schooner.
ut was the night Of the fifteenth da,
that had been on the island Ever sine
early morning the atmosphere had beef
so sitting that had lain under the tree
almost suffocated. The earth itself seem
ed to burn. II was not only the fearful
heat and the absence OF anything like
breeze. hut there was sulphur0us snel
I'm the air. and the water from the sprinl
had tasted so hot and bitter when trie'
TO drink It that / was not able to swal
low II.
At length I fell asleep. but only to b
awakened by fearful rumbling, followet
a moment later by a crash that threatenet
| -. ..J In tn fhs. "A