Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1898-04-09

dDout the hon, they SAID lion or no ION
they was a-goin' to stay where they was
an If the lion was bigger than they, why,
he could have the islam. Cap'n Cyrus
wanted somebody 10 clim' up on the rocks
seemed anxious to go. Finally we CON-
promised by all of US goin'. We took every
thin out of the boat first an hauled it up
on the beach. an takin' some biscuits along
to eat we started off, John Drake carryin
the gun, which was loaded with buckshot.
We climbed up to the top of the rocks, an
each one Of us took turn at lookin' all
aroun' with the glass, but we couldn't see
speck. Then we climbed down on the
other side an foun' little spring. There
was tracks in the san aroun' the spring,
and we knew the lion had foun' water an
was not sufferin' from thirst, which was a
consolin' thought to its proprietor. There
wasn't a sign of vegetation on the whole
islam, an most discouragin' aspect it
had.
along In the afternoon we climbed back
to the boat an sat down on the san to
think The result of all the thinkin' was
that We was hungry. we built a fire
with some drift wreckage which was lynn
all aroun' an fixed up some dinner. Night
was comin' on by that time, an Cap'n
Cyrus thought we ought to get in the boat
an pull out Always an sleep so as to tie
quit of the lion. but John Drake said shat
II would take a bigger lion than Romeo,
which was the beasts name, to make him
sleep in a boat again. The other Two
agreed with John Drake, MIR. Lighter re
tHdl he 1ntenQeO stay right
where he was till the Portlan' steamer
came by. Finally we agreed to keep a fire
up all night for Romeo's benefit an to
chance 1t. We piled on a lot of driftwood
an sat aroun' for awhile discussin of what
we ought to do. We were all mighty tired,
however, an gradually one by one dropp I'd
off to sleep. I watched the fire for awhile
an 1t was worth wetchin'. There was
mere colors than you could imagine in the
blaze from those old sea-soaked timbers
ne last thing l saw was a blue fame
with pink figure of Sarah Cutler in it,
dancin on q green tight rope.
when woke up 1t was day. the fire was
out, an Romeo vas standin' over John
Drake. apparently choosin a portion of his
anatomy for his breakfast. 1 gave a big
yell. an Romeo looked ct me reproachful
like, an then sneaked off. We foun' he
had messed up all of our provisions an
not findin' anythin to his likin' had de-
cided to take meal Off of John Drake
John Drake expressed his opinion of Romeo
In language which was free an easy. He
said that Romeo was an ungrateful brute
after the care. an attention, an advertiser
he mad lavished on him. to choose him out
of five men for his breakfast. John Drake
was j. st gettin' in his best work on his
r. Tarks when Cap'n Cyrus Interrupted
the performance by calm our attention 10
The boat, which was floatin' out by the
reefs good hundred yards from the shore
7'he high tide had carried it off the beach,
an 1t was in a fair way to get clear out TO
sea.
we ILL uillteu IN lelIln Cam CyruS
what we thought Of his not pullin' the boat
higher on the beach. an he said 1t was
no matter. he'd get the boat So he took
his clothes of an started to swim toward
aroun' and started back twice as fast as
he had been goin'. There was somethin'
after him, too. We ran down into the
water an hauled him in Just in time to
hear the snap of teeth an see the ugly
snoot of big shark which had just miss
ed Eippin' him. Cap'n Cyrus said he would
rather go to bed with Romeo than swim
for that boat after that, so we watched
the little affair go out to sea, bobbin'
aroun' on the waves like a cork, an all
by itself.
I'VE sat down on the SAN an looked
at each other when the boat was out Of
sight. We were not cheerful iookin'
crowd, as Mr.. Lighter remarked, when he
stood up an made a little speech His
remarks were somethin' about as follows:
Gentlemen amor rather. plain gentle
men. You wear sad faces today. an not
without cause This is a momentous period
in tas history Of this islam. its people, sur
other by a shark, an its means of escane
lost, through the carelessness of a man
whom will rot name, but who should be
prosecuted to the utmost limit of the law:
its people. say. are called on to take ac-
ton for the common safety. an as the
hrst step. / propose to you, as the presf-
dent of this republic, the name of Mr..
John Drake. who Is well known to you
ALL
John Drake was unanimously elected.
an in acceptin' he made a feelin' speech.
sayin' that he ecoepted Office not from anv
personal ambition, but only for the pub
lie good. Personally he preferred the quiet
an seclusion of private life, but when
duty called he was ready to obey an to
do his best for the mixed population of the
islam, connssting of five men an a lion,
the last mentioned bein' q person of III
regulated min. into whose carcass he in
tended to fire a load OF buckshot at the
first chance.
That day we moved all OF our things
up on the rocks an rugged up q little pole
on the highest point, on which we fixed a
couple OF shirts as q singal of Distress At
to keep Romeo in his proper place. Romeo
had Travelled with show too much to care
very much eb2ut fire. an along some time
after midnighE when Cap'n Cyrus was on
watch, that Hon. with one howl, lit square
In the middle OF the camp. The fire both
cred him some, an ne didn't light on any
body direct though he ciawed the whole
his buckshot at Romeo. as he had prom
ised. an the animal gave another leap,
an was out In the darkness again. leAyin'
Consideration an q scattered fire behind
him. Mr. Lighter had his hair all singcd
on by fallin' in THE blaze. Somehow or
other nobody seemed to care much about
sleepin' after that, an We sat ND the rest
istence of Romeo Nr. Lighter strsack
popular chord when he offered to puah .
joint suit against John D1ake n ooon as
We reached Porf1an' for a1lOWfns n ami
NAL, his property. To become mgnace
to the security en- peace Of c1fiseu ID the
repnblie.
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