Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1899-04-05
on CANCER CAY.


such casual wanderers as stray SO far
presents not single feature of in.
terest. Like scores of others In those
ATTITUDES. it has not yet attained to
the dignity of n single cocoanut tree,
although many derelict nuts have
found Judgment upon existence ut
the next springtide. Viewed from a
balloon it would look like a silly sea.
son mushroom, but with fringe of
snowy foam around it marking the
protecting barrier to which it owes its
existence, to say nothing of its growth.
Yet of all places in the world which I
have been privileged to visit, this bar.
rem little mound of sand clings most
tenaciously to my memory, for reasons
which will presently appear.
One of these devastating cyclones
that at long intervals sweep across the
Pacific, leaving long swath of de-
struction in their wake, had overtaken
the pearling schooner of which | was
mate. For twenty-four hours we fed
before 1t, we knew not whittier, not
daring to heave to. The only compass
we possessed had been destroyed by
the first sea that broke on bonrd.
Whether 1t was night or day we had
no notion, except by watch, and even
then we were doubtful. SO appalling
IVES the darkness. Hope was begin.
, a,.ss=ss revive that, as the Papalangi
had proven herself so stanch, she
might yet run 1t out" unless she hit
something. But the tiny rag rugged
forward to keep her before it suddenly
flew into threads; the curl of the sen
caught her under the counter and
spun her into the wind like teeto-
tum. The next vast combcr took her
broadside on, rolled her over and
swallowed her up. We went down
quick into the pit"
Always reckoned powerful swim.
mer, even among such amphibia us the
Kanaskas, l don't remember making
stroke. But after horrible, chok-
ing struggle In the black uproar got
my breath again, finding myself cling
Ing, as a drowning man will, to some.
thing big and seaworthy. 1t was an
ordinary ships hencoop that the skip.
per had bought cheap from passen.
ger vessel in Auckland. AS good a
raft as one could wish, it bore me on
over the mad sea, half-dead as l was,
until felt it rise high as IL climbing
cataract and descending amidst a
furious boiling of surf into calm,
smooth water. A few minutes later 1
touched a sandy beach. Utterly done
up, 1 slept where lay, at the waters
edge, though the shrieking hurricane
ragged overhead as If it would tear the
land up by the roots.
When awoke it was fine weather,
though to leeward the internal reek Of
the departing meteor still disfigured
huge segment Of the sky. looked
around and my jaw dropped. Often
1 had wondered what poor devil
would do who happened to be cast
away on such spot as this. Appar-
emily was about to learn. A painful
pinch at my bare foot startled me, and
! saw an ugly beast of a crab going
for me. He was nearly a foot across,
his blue back covered with long spikes,
and his wicked little eyes seemed to
have an expression Of diabolical malig-
nifty. snatched at a handful of his
legs and swung him round my head,
dashing him against the side of my
coop with such vigor that his armor
flew to flinders around me. never
have liked crab, even when dressed,
but found the raw flesh of that one
tasty enough. 1t quite smartened me
up. Having eaten heartily, took a
saunter up the smooth knoll of sand,
aimlessly, suppose, for it was as bare
as a plate, without n stone or shell.
From Its highest point, about ten feet
above high water mark, looked
around, but my horizon was complete.
ly bounded by the ring of breakers
aforesaid. felt like the scorpion
within the fiery circle, and almost as
disposed to sting myself to death had
l possessed the proper weapons.
AS l stood gazing vacantly mt the
fOaming barrier and solemn enclosing
dome Of fleckless blue l was again
surprised by q vicious nip at my foot.
There was another huge crab boldly
aAttANhih5 iAS-AnC, Il NlSOlOuS IL, uuu
not a sodden corpse, rs yet. felt a
grue Of horror run all down my back,
but l grabbed at the vile thing and
hurled 1t from me half across the is
land. Then became aware of others
arriving, converging upon me from all
around, and was panic-stricken. For
one mad moment thought of plung-
ing into the sea again, but reason re-
asserted itself in time, reminding me
that, while l had certain advantages
on my side where was, in the water
should fall a helpless victim at once,
If, as might naturally be expected,
these ghouls were swarming there.
Not a weapon Of any kind could 1 see,
neither stick nor stone. My feelings
of disgust deepened into despair. But
l got little time for thought. Such
a multitude of the eerie things were
about me that was kept most act.