Audubon County journal. (Exira, Iowa) 1884-1993, 1899-03-09
CHAPTER XII

The afternoon and night that follow
ed brought little comfort to the cabin
passengers Not till nearly dark did the
steamer find the shelter of another is
land, and all the intervening hours she
wallowed in the trough of the sea, with
the wind abeam, and by the time the
heights of Carmen island doomed be
tween them and the red glow Of the
sunset skies Turnbull had thrice wish
ed himself in hotter chimes than even
Arizona and could only feebly damn
his Junior for coming down to ask if
there We're not something he could do
for him
Yes; take this pistol and shoot me.
moaned the sufferer. 'No, of course,
don't want brandy and water nor you
nor anybody It's simply scandalous
for you to be up and WE'LL Go awayv'
And, though Loring sorely needed
counsel, he felt that Turnbull was in
no mood for talk and so climbed back
on deck again. He had made up his
mind to tell the purser the whole story
and to ask him to examine the contents
of the package All the livelong night
the Idaho plowed and careened through
the rolling seas, gaining scant relief
oft Santa Catalina and San Jose, but
when in the undimmed splendor Of the
morning sun she swept proudly into the
placid, landloclSed harbor of old LA Paz
Loring was the only man among her
passengers to appear on deck Even
after she dropped anchor and one or
two bedraggled victims We're hoisted
from below and dropped over the side
to be rowed ashore none of the women
OF the gay Guaymas party was able to
climb the stairs The wind was gone
by sundown and the Idaho once more
stee.sd coastwise for Cape San Lucas
The Eight wore on and Loring was still
alone when, Just as the tinkle OF the
ships bell told that clock had come.
with soft, warm air drifting off the
land. a fragile little form issued slowly
from the companionway. and the stew
ardess smiled invitingly on the blue
| eyed officer, as though begging him to
aid her feebl charge to seat
II have brought the senorita up for
half an hour | made her come, said
she us she dumped the pile of shawls
into a spreading chair and began pre-
pairing a nest, while Pancha, turning
away at sight of Loring, sank to the
end OF the bench the very seat she oc-
cupied as they put to sea from Quay
mas But now it was Loring who ten
dered his arm, and, calmly ignoring her
evident II unspoken protest, aided in
lifting her from the bench and seating
her III the depths OF the easy reclining
chair The stewardess, with practiced
hand. carefully tucked the rugs about
her and bidding the little damsel make
the most of the soft. salt air while she
herself ran below to prepare her chuco
late, would have gone at once but for
Pancha's trembling yet restraining
hand The child seemed to cling to her
i'll desperation Rapidly and III low
tone she poured forth IL torrent of plead
ing, and the kind hearted woman ooa
! ed about her in peprlexity and distress
What can do sir?' said she to
Loring i'll English This poor little
! thing has eaten nothing since she camo
aboard She has cried herself sick SEQ
is as weak as baby and must have
food, yet she will not let me so
Stay with her until she is camer,
said Lorin2 III get what is needed !"
Bat | cannot The other ladies call
| for me necessarily
| y lttle disk of gold was slipped
quickly INTO the disengased hand Let
them call awhile, but don't you go. =
was the double answer
1t Is odd to note how soon the trou-
oiled waves suhside along those summer
shores The Idaho was only laziy bow
ing and Courtesyiug to old Neptune
now. A long, laneuorous heave Of the
billows as though worn out with the
furious lashing of the last few days,
was the only greeting of the broaden.
ing sea as the steamer rounded the
southeast headland and slowly bore
away for Cape San Lucas. Little Pan.
cha's dusky head was resting YEARLY
yet resignedly on the pillow, her hand
still clasp:nl that of the stewardess. as