Marshall County independent. (Plymouth, Marshall County, Ind.) 1897-1902, 1899-07-14
DICK RODNEY:
Or. The Adventures of
An Eton Boy.
BY JAMES GRANT.

by JAMES GRANT.

This feat | acnleNed WITH cOHSlueI-
able peril. for the birds, when reused
from their eyries. whOOped, screamed,
and wheeled in fiOcks and circles about
me. Tapping their huge wings; so that
once | became so bewildered, that in
stead of clambering again to the sum-
nit of the cliff, l began descent to-
ward the fOaming sea below.
In reascending my hat was blown
away. and with it the wretched eggs
for which l had risked my life and
limbs.
After this event I resolved to procure
food for myself alone, and instead of
returning to Antonio. who usually
loitered about the hut our men had
left. | went to the opposite side of the
island and found banana grove.
wherein | took up my quarters
had been thirty-six hours without
seeing my pleasant chum. the Cubano.
or being near him with food. | knew
that his rage would he great. and feel
ing myself unusually weak. after all
the mental excitement and bodily ex-
posure | had undergone. necessity COM
PEELED me now 70 avoid him strictly,
as | was totally Incapable OF contend
ing with him in any way.
If he found me to plead that | had
When searching for berries about
sunrise. on the western side OF the isle,
and while the sun though UP. was yet
below the great mountain and cast its
shadow to the extreme horizon of the
baby morning sea, l encountered An
tonic at last
Hunger. apparently. had rendered
him furious: but feeling certain in
moment that timidity would do me no
service. l started back and said in
Spanish:
"Ha, ha, l told you what would
happen when l wanted food" said he,
feeling the point of his knife.
Ny blood ran cold at these words.
and 1 cast a longing eye upon my lost
Ratchet; he saw the glance and
trampled upon the weapon with a
hooking laugh.
What do you mean. Cubano" l
asked, in an almost breathless voice.
Simply tais-that, as self-preser-
walton is the first law of nature, l am
bound to kill you
He had the revolver in his hand, and
while he cast a glance at the caps on
the breach. as if to see that they were
all right. and sheathed his knife,
made a bound aside and placed a
banana tree between US. The bastard
fired, and the ball, as it whistled past,
stripped off a piece of bark.
In the same manner | escaped a sec
ond shot. so Antonio, finding THAI his
much-prized ammunition was likely to
be expended fruitlessly, rushed for
ward to use his knife.
The tendril of : pumpkin caught his
left foot, he fell heavily and hurt him
self severely. Then, darting past, l
secured my Ratchet and rendered furi-
GUS by all that had occurred, ard by
the imminent danger which menaced
me, a light seemed 70 flash before my
eyes, l trembled with rage. and felt as
if imbued with supernatural strength.
l was about to spring upon Antoio
with hands, feet and teeth, to hew him
with the Ratchet as | would have hewn
a tree. when a new object suddenly
caught my eye
1t was ship-but a ship ashore.
"Cubano." l exclaimed in a husky
voice, look there"
Antonio looked in the direction In
dictated and, pausing in his murderous
intention. uttered a fierce laugh of sat
isfactiCn
In the rocky channel which opened
between the inaccessible island and
ours there lay tie wave-beaten hull of
a dismasted vessel, which might have
drifted in over night, as it was certain
ly net there yesterday, and it was now
jammed hard and fast upon a reef of
rock that connected them.
This new object changed at once the
terrible current OF the Cuban's ideas
A grim smile passed over his olive
countenance, he shook back the elf-like
masses of coal-black hair. which, in
Skye-terrier fashion. overhung his wild
dark eyes, and sheathing his knife,
said:
Mic muchachO-cOme; I was only
joking. Yonder We will find food, per-
haps, and who knows what more?
Come, it is bargain, and if you don't
desert me, shall not modest you
again."
He proceeded at once toward the
beach. and vas hungry enough, and
perhaps reckless enough now, to be
glad Of a truce, and to follow him. in
the hope of findins something eatable
on board.