The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1899-03-19

# was easy 10 sc that the poor girls
health was feeble.
"Cropley and L made friends very fast.
He was an ingenious, whole-souled
youngster. From his way OF talking 10
mo as we sat together late that nigh9
by the ships rail and smoked. watching
the lights OF the harbor, it was piatu
that he was anxious 10 find some one 10
tell his troubles to. lie was not rich,
found. and the coffee planter. l guessed.
was. II he could only get Edith to say.
Yes he was quite prepared to leave the
army aad go back 10 CeylOn as a coffee
planter, In hopes OF being some day aa
rich as his rival
'"Bad move I said. The other man
has a long start Of you on that line. IL
you give up your red coat, you throw
away your strong suit, don't you seeT
II don't know whether no did see it I'm
that light, but l do know tina. Cropley
seemed wonderfully comforted by the
interest / took ia his affairs He went
to bed-or 10 his bunk-in a more
CHEEKY mood than he had seemed 10 be
in when We first struck up acquaintance.
Next morning he was apparently in tho
best OF spirits.
told me last night, he said. putting at his
pipe after tifin. before the ladies had
shown up on deck. 1t IS a rum thing,
be said this business is rather ike a.
game. isn't it?'
Il told him that both love and war
were huge CANDLES. and in both games
it was all-important 10 show good
front 10 tho enemy-or the adversary.
,ff. ..r.l.r inn
but he certainly practiced it that morn
ug. When Edith and her mother cama
on deck he Joined them, utterly I'M
abashed by either the presnce OF the
coffee planter or the severe politeness
OF Mrs. Judge. And the plan seemed Ia
work. too, Tor Edith talked 10 CrOpley,
and listened TO Cropley and asked Crop
ley questions about the harbor. and tho
funny boats, and the pearl divers, which
questions. for the most part, he had to
either refer TO me or give up.
1T was a beautiful morning, and the
goose seemed TO hang high for pool
Cropley-so much so that his rival was
beginning TO look as detected as a man
iu spOuess white duck, with a shining,
freshly shaver face, can look. l made
up my mind 10 tell Cropiey at the first
opportunity. not 10 push things too hard.
or the mother might resort 70 stringent
measures and forbid Edith 20 talk TO him
at an. That was the danger which i
loresaw at hat time
But then Cropley suddenly burst into
a blaze Of glory as a hero.
I'VE were all standing at the steru
rall-hve OF us-lOOkins at the small
craft below US dancing about on the
light swell. A native seaman-a lascar
from some piratical part Of the Malay
Penlnsula-came skipping nimbly along
the TOP Of the rail that was 10 hang IN
bights from spring hooks for some pur-
pose or other. lie apologized for dis
turbing Us and passed on. In less than
a minute after lie mad passed we heard
tho cry, Man overheard! behind US.
"Ol course 1t was the l.ascar who had
dropped from the taffrail. Everybody
ran TO the starboard side Of the deck.
and there was the poor devils head bob
bling up and down like a cork. while his
shlpmates were running every way at
once TO get out life buoys.
you see there was no danger OF his
drowning. You can't drown a Lascar.
unless you anchor him In ten fathoms
with a twO-fathom cable. The danger
was in sharks. that was why all the
dingheys and sampans that were pad
ding about within a few yards OF tho
man held off from his so. they vera
afraid OF being upset by the scramble
OF sharks that were sure to come. And
then, YOU see. the man was only Las
car anyhow. A white man or hig1
caste native would have been different.
Just Tor one moment 1t was horrible
There was not ripple near the man as
vet. but we all expected 10 sec the rlp'
pies IN another moment and then-th9
end OF IL. Edlth's mother drew her bach
from the rail- We three men seemed mo-
mentarily paralyzed.
Then, suddenly. young cropley began
getting his arms out Of his sleeves OF Ms
loose Chinese silk Jacket. I shall never
forget the way he set about IL 1nssV