The times., 1898-02-06

as she gves!" Good -heavens,) the
audaer all the time being jammed
hfHiy between two immense blocks Of
coral, about fifty tons each.
/ Even boy could see what was going
TO happen directly. We had a good
tempered crowd, but / doubt whether
n-f war crew would have long
submitted TO be worried inconseuuent-
~ os hlauoiin fool when they knew
nov sooil ali their energies would
be required in a life and DEAN st,,,g-
gie. SO, when their patience was ey-
nausted. they quietly gathered aft in
lt iIoilt oI the skipper where he saI on a
Poopiadder, and through a spokesman
toid nm they We're going to have. a rest
TIL ne got fit to command AT this
he Mept mournfully,- a sight to make
you SICK at heart. .7All hands bundled
Loi"dru, ana began to pack up. ready
lof q shitt. in case of a chance to save
d lev clothes. But the pipes were
l-aTalE- Ia ailght before it was, Lay aft.
an hands. Out they went promptly
and mustered. as before. at the hraa,.
Oh the poop. Then the skipper whin-
peringiy demanded what they propos-
ed doing, and why they treated him 60
men answers were brief. pointed, and
eihphatic: thougkfrm afraid their
cholce OF terms was not happy. eco
forward. men," said the mate. and tbe
crowd dispersed directly All of them
had not entered the forecastle door
when the cry of Fay aft, all hands"
c,iiiie again. ThiS time. there was a
Shout: If we do come aft again. ven
heave you overheard" There was
peace after that
by this time 1t was about four bells
q a. m) but perfectly dark except for
the feeble Starlight You know how
dark mocnless night is in the tropjcs
When there isn't d cloud above. When
All the dome overhead is blue-blacl
ana the stars don't shine, but show like
points OF polished steel Had there
peen competent man in charge. mucl,
could have been done even then but
under the circumstances, we coIlld only
wait Tor daylight and the SOLDERING of
the skipper. Meanwhile the carpenter
lhouSh crippled in both legs by fester-
ing insect bites, crawled painfully 10
Where our only useful boat was secured
oottom up on the Skids. He knew that
naSlng been exposed like that for sew
erdi flohths TO the direct rays of the
sun, she would float about as buoyant-
ly as colander Therefore. he work
eel hard TO calk her against the coming
Ilsht- since. without boat, except the
httie ramshaokle gig, our plight was
hopeless. Nobody thought of sleep. bur
hung anNiously about wishing for day.
Little by httfe came that marvellous
chanse over the face. of the sea and
Shs thdt We witness daily and think so
niue OF, While dwellers in crowded
cities often pass their whole lives with
out knowing anything of its glories.
FIRST tiny streak of tenderest green
aIonS the edge OF the horizon: then
suddenly overhead a blush of lovely
rose, Nal ming the stern blue black of
the Infinite depths with definite prom
lse of living light 20 come. and even
now here. Then rays and streanaers
ana cloudlets of color. impossible to
piehd or reproduce by mortal hand, ap-
pear IN quick succession, heralds ma
jestic of the monarch to follow. 4
great glow of crimson centered with
gold and the bridegroom leaves his
cha mber, dle giant commences his
daily race and battle against darkness,
disease and death.
Within 1l2 miles of the ship was a
small island. mostly sand. but on the
further side thickly covered with rocks.
AT about 5eh yards from the shore an
ugly. jaggedlo looking reef of boulders
encircled the whole island apparently
Myriads of birds coming and going
about the beach made a deafening
clamor There was not a tree or bush
Nisible-al altogether "a truly desert is
land. But beneath us-weH. I've seen
some sights among coral reefs since.
but never have 1 seen anything like
that. The water was like mirror ev-
cry least thing showing boldly on the
bottom. so the thousand beauties of
that submarine forest were as definite
as any picture. Infinitely more so than
many j have seen. There We're trees
columns, palaces, bridges. churches
gardens; everything that the imagina-
tion could compass
And the coloTs of all these marvel
Gus forms were hardly rivaled by
those of the sunrise. Nothing crude,
nothing Slaring. but all melIlowed into
tenderness by the limped blue of the
water. About, around. or through the |
Windings of that |
maze wandered ceaseiessIy the thous- |
and varied forms of fish that consti- |
tuted its population. Most of these. |
too We're gorgeous beyond belief, but |
occasionally. as if to heighten their |
beauty by contrast some gnome-Iike |
shape of duh leaden or livid hue moved |
among the loyeliness like
he shadow of death. Especially was |
ms true OF great gray shark that
1ung motionless beneath us, his cold
lead green eye steadfastly fixed upon
he ship.
As soon as the mate had summoned
he hands To turn to- all hands went
IT and asked for the captain. When
he appeared, sober, they respectfully
them that in their opinion the
lrst thing necessary was the landing
i Sufhclent stores on the islet to sup
'ort life in the event of a norther
bringing up suddenly and destroying
he ship. They would do, they said.
III that they could for the safety of
-h I'm I,s,t -, 81
uH of danger, il was only reasonable
hat some thought should be taken for
heir lives
= the skipper said he considered their
equest, only natural and at once gave
fdefs for stores to be got up and the
oat TO be put.over the side For it
as evident that, before landing stores
ould be attempted. some channel
through the fringing reef must be
ound; also a suitable landing-place.
20 boats crew were told off to ex-
lore the vicinity, while the rest of the
ands busted themselves in getting up
torres. The boat was in the water and
manned long before the skipper was
eady for his tour, and when he
merged from the cabin we needed no
econd look to see that he'd been "at |
again But he made a great show |
energy. gave the mate a multitude |
instructions to be carried out dur
1g his absence, then turning to my
significance standing behind him.
,ld me TO put rope over for him to 4
ct into the boat by. I did so, secur-
lg it well to an iron beiaying-pin. and
ctualiy putting the blight in his hand,
turned for moment to answer some
ali, but before / could turn again
here was a mighty splash. Such was
lie nuddle of his poor brain that he,
ad dropped the secure rope 1 gave
i'm. picked up a loose end. and cling