The Mena star., 1899-07-27
CONTINUED FROM LAST WEEK.
CHAPTER XII.

counted TOT lHlS upon tue ground OI 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 a bad scare, testified to having been wakened by blood-curd- ling scream in time to see Padre Se- bastiano running before Miguel's ghost, which subsequently, embarkedi in his own boat and put to sea. This yarn was ridiculed by Bartolomeo until he investigated his fgure-cham- Der and found the gruesome company one apparition short; then he told Se- bastiano about it and partook of his uncomfortable feelings. Their com mon sense told them that a wax fig ure couldn't transport itself without 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 ab- solutely without assistance or visible mechanism, simply couldn't be ex- plained away. At first the churchmen were at loss whether to feel com plimented or alarmed by the various and peculiar manifestations with ,oI l. r., l,,. more they failed to account for them on natural or scientific grounds the more they became impressed with sense Of uisworthiness. As for Miguel, the native who had been at such ex- pense to import q suitable effigy of himself, he thought his time had come. But after refiecting upon his ghosts departure from the island, which could be interpreted in no other light than as solemn warning, he moved his entire family to Saipan, where, hay 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, 1 told Dor otea of my intention. At first the at tempt to reach Yap in an open boat seemed little short of madness to her, but after explaining that was able to find my position from the sun, as she had seen officers do aboard ship, she re- luctantly admitted that it 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.
 MiguePs ghost had sailed away on Tuesday morning, the 14th, and, ac- 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 Tap in 23 hours at the outside, and not wishing to hang about Tomil among strangers who might ask dangerous questions con corning my strange appearance, lpost- 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 I had good deal of confidence both in my ability as navigator and in the proa itself.
 His nerves being completely upset, the padre was resting in good earnest; so, with Dorotea, 1 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 gobernador of my intention to sail among the is- lands for day or two and being most hospitably provisioned for the cruise headed the proa out to sea-
 All day long the boat sailed like witch. holding beautifully to her course. and it was not until after dark that realization of my position inn pressed me. I had then made, accord ing to my log. over 250 miles, and was consequently over 200 miles from the nearest land-a mere pin-point upon the open sea. with nothing but hoi- low tree-trunk and few sticks be- tween me and eternity. It was pc culiar feeling. yet there was nothing of fear in ii: the sense of exhilaration was too great for that. My chief dan ger lay in the possibility of falling asleep. This I provided against os drinking half bottle of wine and 6 pint of cold. strong coffee: besides which. smoked necessarily; cigars were good company about that time. and. stimulated the imagination. My eyeIidk were pretty heays toward day