Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1897-11-16
HEART OF THE WORLD.
by II. RIDER HAGGARD.
Strange Story, Manuscript Bequeathed BY an Old
and Comrade,
Engishman Named
Copyrighted, 1894, b. a Rider Haggard

ou ocSs StSpCus ltb iuS DuU
come at you and I'll cut your lying
tongue out"
You will do nothing of the sort,
Don Jose Moreno" answered, fixing
my eyes upon his face; what have
said about your father is true; more,
there is. man on board this ship,
whom, not three months since, he
robbed with violence. If the gentle
men, your companions, would like to
hear the story can tell it to them. l
am well able to defend myself. More
over, this vessel is manned by Indians
who know me, and should any harm
come to me or to my friend, Senior
Strickland, l warn you that you will
not reach your home alive. Gentlemen,
/ salute you," and bowed and left the
cabin.
Friend, thank you," said to the
senior when he came upon deck after
dinner was ended. "Knowing who
am and seeing how l, in common with
my race, am accustomed to be treated
by such dogs as that, can you wonder
that am not fond of Mexicans?"
NO, Ignatio," he answered, ..but all
the same advise you to be careful of
this Don Jose. He is not man to kiss
the stick that beats him, and will make
an end of you, and me, too, for the
matter of that, if he can"
"Do not be afraid, senior, / answered,
laughing; besides the steward and
Molas there are twenty Indians on
board, and they will watch that man
day and night, SO that he can never
come near us without finding them
ready for him. Only we shall do we'll
to sleep on deck and not below"
That night we spent, wrapped in our
serapes, upon two coils of rope on the
forecastle of the Santa Maria, with
Molas sleeping close behind us. 1t was
n lovely night, and we whiled away the
hours in telling tales to each other of
our adventures in past years, and in
wondering as to those that lay before
US, till at length we fell asleep, fearing
nothing, for we knew that our safety
was watched over, to be awakened by
the sudden stoppage of the vessel.
Fearing that something was wrong,
asked him why they had stopped.
Because the engines won't go any
more and there is no wind to sail
with" he answered, politely.
Presently the engine began to work
again, though uncertainty. Toward
three o'clock in the afternoon Molas,
pointing to n low coast line and a SPOT
on the sea where the ocean swell was
tipped with white, told us that Wonder
was the bar of the Grijalva river, and
that beyond 1t lay the village of From
terra, our destination.
Good" said the senior, "then think
that will get my things on deck, F" and
going to his cabin he broughtup sack
containing some wraps and food.
why do you bring your baggage?'
asked the captain, presently. "You
may want it tonight"
''That is why brought it up" he
answered. II do not wish to land at
Frontera with nothing"
Land at Frontera, senorp No one
will land at Frontera from this ship 70,
another six or seven days. We pass
Frontera and run straight on to Cam
peche, which by the blessing of the
ing"
''But have taken tickets for From
terra" said the senior. "The agent gave
them to me, and insist upon being
put on shore there"
ing well we shall call at Froptera this
day week, and then you can go ashore
without any extra charge, but before
this my orders are to put into no port
except Campeche, that is unless 9
porther forces me to do So"
That evening we dined together upon
deck, for neither of us was in any mood
to descend to the cabin and meet Dor
Jose Moreno, of whom we had seer
nothing since the previous night. Az
we were finishing our meal the light
faded and the sky grew curiously dark
while suddenly to the north there an
peared rim of cloud. 1t was an angry
red and glowed like the smoke from 8
smelling furnace at night.
Another two hours had passed with
out much change, except that the night
grew darker and darker, and stillel
and stiller.
Then vivid flash of lightning
! pierced the heavens above us, followed
by deafening peal of thunder BY it.
! fierce and sudden light we could see the
| coast some three or four miles away
and almost ahead of us the holder out
| line of Point Nicalango. The sea about
| our ship was dead calm. A mile or SC
| to windward, however, was differen,
| sight, for there came the norther, rush
ing upon us like a thing alive, in from
| Of it a line of white pillows torn from
| the quiet surface of the sea, and behint
| it, fretted by little lightnings, q dens.
| wall OF black cloud stretched from the
| face OF ocean to the arc of heaven.
a few more seconds and something
white and enormous could be seer
| looming up above our bows, and the
| sight of it caused the captain, whose
| face looked pale as death in the glar,
| Of the lightning, to shrek anothe,
| order to his crew.
"Lie down and hold on tight to tn.
rope" said to Senior Strickland anc
Nolas. who were beside me. "Her,
comes ell Norte. and he brings death FOL
many of us on board this ship"
CHAPTER VI.
EEL NoRrE."
Another moment and Ell Norte lat
come in strength. First sudden gusl
OF wind struck the vessel, causing hel
to shiver, and with sharp report rend
ing from its fastenings the lib, which
had never been furled. This gust wen
bowling by, and after it came tn,
storm.
Before and since that day, l hav,
made many voyages across the Gulf O
Mexico in all weathers, but never hay,
met with such an experience as tina
which followed. The ship plunged AM
strained and rocked, lifting now he
bow and now her stern high above tn,
waters, till it seemed as though sh,
must fall to pieces, while water in ton
rushed aboard of her at every dip
which, as she righted herself, streame,
through the broken bulwarks.
Now, from time to time the moel
shone out between riffs in the clouds
revealing dreadful scene. Fragment