The Kinsley graphic. [volume] (Kinsley, Kan.) 1890-1940, 1899-09-08
CHAPTER XII.

6ebastiano looked like a wreck when
he appeared that morning. He &C
counted for. this upon the ground of
Illness to which he was occasionally
subject. and said that he would be
obliged to rest for several days-that
he had been working too hard upon
his book. But in some mysterious
way the story Of his night experience
leaked out. The disappearance of
Miguers proa started the inquiries;
then another islander. who had him
self received bad scare. testified to
having been wakened by blood-curd-
ling scream in time to see Padre Sc
bastiano running before Miguel's
ghost, which subsequently embarked in
his own boat and put to sea. This
yarn was ridiculed by Bartolomeo
until he Investigated his figure-cham-
Der and found the gruesome company
one apparition short; then he told Sc
bastiano about it and partook of his
uncomfortable feelings. Their COM
mon sense told them that a wax fig
help; malicious human help; but their
conviction that every door had been
locked, and Sebastiano's positive as
sertion that the thing had certainly
chased him of its own accord and abb
solutely without assistance or visible
mechanis simply couldn't be ex-
planned away. At first the churchmer
were at a loss whether to feel COM
plimentea or alarmed by the various
and peculiar manifestations with
which they had been favored; but the
more they failed to account for them
on natural or scientific grounds the
more they became impressed with a
sense Of unworthiness. AS for Miguel.
pense to import . suitable effigy Of
himself. he thought his time had come.
But after rejecting upon his ghosts
departure from the island. which
could be interpreted In no other light
than AZ a solemn warning. he moved
his entire ia mily to Saipan. where, hav-
ing no barangay to live upon. they
were occasionally forced to work.
Judging that it would now be safe to
leave Guajan for few days, told Dor
otea of my intention. At first the at
tempt to reach zap in an open boat
seemed little short of madness to her,
but after explaining that l was able to
find my position from the sun. as she
had seen officers do aboard ship, she re-
luctantly admitted that II might be
done. We were beginning to under
stand each other pretty we'll by this
time. Making me look straight into
her beautiful eyes. she let me see why
the thought of my possible danger tor
mented her.
Miguel's ghost had sailed sway on
Tuesday morning, the 14th, and, &C.
cording to our previous calculations,
Halstead would arrive in Tomil bay
about daybreak of the following Sun
day. Figuring that, before the wind,
my proa would cover the 452 miles
between Guajan and zap in % hours
at the outside. and not wishing to hang
about Tomil among strangers who
might ask dangerous questions con-
corning my strange appearance, post
poned the start until Saturday morn
ing. There was. Of course. an element
of risk in this-a possibility that
might fail to reach the island on time:
but | had a good deal of confidence
both in my ability as a navigator and
in the proa itself.
His nerves being completely upset,
the padre was resting in good earnest;
10. with Dorotea, l made two more
trips to the wreck. bringing back heavy
loads Of silver ingots, which we slowed
In the assure. Then. early Saturday
morning. after telling the gobernado1
of my intention to sail among the il
lands for a day or two and being most
Hospitality provisioned for the cruise
l headed the proa out to sea.
All day long the boat sailed like Z
witch. holding beautifully to hel
course. and it was not until after darl
that q realization of my position i'm
PRAISED me. had then made. accord