The Pascagoula democrat-star. (Pascagoula, Miss.) 1878-1920, 1897-06-11

dress, cloak and Il pair or shoes. All
these things were old and ragged and
ready to fall TO pieces, but they proved
beyond "A doubt that the woman was a
white woman. We argued that they
further proved that she had reached
the island from some wreck. IL the
loneliness OF her situation and the
hardships to which she had been ex-
posed had not affected her mind she
would have appeared before us as soon
as we had landed. We began our
search for her by calling aloud, telling
who we were and asking her TO come
forward, but there was no response.
We then separated distance Of a few
feet and then swept across the island.
We found many places where she had
broken off branches and gathered wild
fruit, and on the other beach we found
her tracks in the sand, but nothing
could be seen OF the woman herself.
AS our stay at the island would be
for three or four days, the captain or.
dered that bedding and provisions be
placed in the abandoned hut for use
OF the woman, and that we should
make no further hunt for her A let
ter was written and placed with the
things, giving her the name Of the
ship and saying we were friends, and
then we went about our work. At
night we all went on board ship, and
next morning it was ascertained that
the woman had spent the night in her
hut. She had made bed Of the
blankets and eaten OF the provisions,
but she had torn the letter into FIVE
pieces, and that probably without
reading it. We were satisfied, how
ever as she must reason that we
meant her no harm, and we hoped to
get sight OF her by the time we were
ready to depart. We heard nothing
Of her on the second day, nor the next,
but she occupied her hut again and
ate heartily Of the provisions. We
left other letters for her. but she tore
each up. On the fourth day, as we
had quite finished, it was determined
to run the woman down and discover
who she was. To make a speedy and
thorough job Of this everybody but
the cook was landcd-somc forty-fve
men in all. We stretched out across
the head of the island in skirmish
line and then swept down its length
and back again, and it was on the re-
turn that we started her out Of Il
thick bush. We could not get fair
sight of her under the trees, but we
made out that she had on a sort OF
jacket of sail.clOth and was bare
headed and barc.fOoted. Upon being
driven out OF her cover she ran like
deer and was soon out OF sight We
had spent about an hour in looking
for her trail when the lone man LETT
aboard the ship fired muSkets and
rang the bell and caused US to hasten
down to the beach. Once clear Of the
trees we easily discovered what had
happened. The wild woman had flank
ed us and reached the beach and put
of in one OF our whale boats. She
was already half a mile away, using
an oar for a paddle, and as soon as she
saw us in pursuit she redOublcd her
exertons. A boat was manned and
sent of in pursuit, and a curious
chase it was. We easily overhaued
the woman, but as We did so she
sprang overheard and swan away,
and by diving and dodging she eyaded
us for a quarter OF an hour. What
may be set down as a singular circum-
stance was that the waters about the
island simply swarmed with sharks,
and at times there were dozen about
her, and yet none OF the monsters
seemed inclined to do her harm.
Nobody could make out just what
sort OF a woman it was until one OF
the men finally caught her by the hair
and pulled her into the boat. She
fought him with savage fcr0city, bit
ing one of his fingers to the bone, and
we had to tie her hand and foot to
keep her. She appeared to be a wo-
man OF about forty, and though her
face was roughened and Drowned by
exposure we felt sure that she was
English or American. She had made
her ea-jacket from piece OF Sail
cloth, using a thorn for a needle and
grass for thread, but had been with
out shoes until her feet were in bad
condition. During the chase she had
not uttered a word. but when hauled
into the boat she cried out in good
English. 81 will fight for my life-l
will never go away We took her
aboard the ship aud the captain talk
ed to her in a gentle way and tried to
satisfy her that we were friends.
When she grew quiet he cast of heI
bonds but as soon as she was free she
attacked him so fercely that he had
to call for help. She was then locked
in "a statcrooni, her things in the hut
sent for, and we sailed away on oui
cruise. There was not an hour during
the next two weeks in which the cap.
tam did not wish lie had left the wO'
man on her island. For three days
she refused food and water. When
compelled by hunger and thirst she
partook sparingly and was sulkyand
obstinate. Now and then her moods
were savage, and sometimes at night
she would scream out like wild
I L.