Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-03-10

cultural language rallied upon and cursed
our pursuers. For by her fierce gestures
this is clearly what she was doing, though
not word could l understand.
We were now far enough out to include
in our view the three ships which had come
to attack the Isle Of the Winds, and also
the tall masts of the solitary Corramantee
guarding the reef passages. The boats had
apparently given up the attack for that
morning, after their fruitless chase of us,
and were now beginning to make their way
back to the ships Signals futtered from
the topmasts of the flagship, and we saw
the white smoke spout from her side as a
gun was fired by Capt Key in token of re-
call.
In half an hour we were safe from all
pursuit SO far as the pirate boats were con-
cerned. The Isle Of the Winds itself was
sinking slowly into the sea as. we receded.
In two hours we saw only the high woods
stand up darkly against the sky. By mid
afternoon even these had grown gray and
indefinite in the heat haze. But still the
great fish which had clasped our anchor
chain dashed and threshed IT'S way turbu-
lently onward through the water. cleaning
beneath the boat in flashes Of fitful phos-
phorescence IS the light began to fade. This
'devilfsh" Cor monstrous ray. as 1 now
know the fish to have been) must have
measured at least forty or fifty feet across
Far out on either hand we could catch anon
a flash Of chilly white, as the under side
turned half over. now glimpse of huge.
fat head. In front. over the bows of the
OOdt, SldlheQ eyes SldTeu at US through
the creamy green of the Notwithstanding
water. with the devilish suspicion Of a
sheer. Looking behind, between my mother
and Will. Anna and could discern a SER
pentine tail twining and thrusting Its way
through the still water.
My mother, to whom it was not more
strange that the boat should move of itself
than that 1t should move at all, was not
greatly frightened. Indeed, not nearly so
much as she would have been had she dis
covered a mouse in her bed room VIII
Bowman arranged some cloaks for her in
the bottom of the boat. On these she lay
down. willing enough to be carried away
from the Isle Of the Winds. and yet some
what regretting the quiet of the parlor,
the fmpracticability Of her afternoon siesta
and, most of all, the fact that in her haste
she had forgotten her knitting needles.
The night fell upon US sharply-a tropic
night brilliant with stars overhead the
water quiet all about, save where 1t bub-
bled and heaved with the tumultuous pas
sage Of the sea beasts The air was mild
and sofas We say in Scotland, Town
warm" By this time I had overcome the
first great terror which had taken possess
sion of me when 1 saw the terrible devil
fish threshing and wallowing beneath us,
carrying the boat none of us knew whittier
Anna showed no terror at all, save so
much as might have been evinced by a
tighter clasp upon my arm As for VIII
Bowman. he said nothing, but steered as
best he might with an oar, though it was
little he could do to change or modify the
direction Of the strange charger on whose
back Tor at least above it, we were riding
when will 1t let go?" asked Eborra,
as / saw the one-armed lad come gliding
back from the boats stem. where his
mother lay crouched, prone like a load
with only her head over the boats edge,
watching the devil fish waving like q fiery
banner beneath. She was mumbling some
thing in her barbarous jargon. Indeed, the
only sounds which broke the stiffness were
the backward rush of our wake and the
monotonous insistent mutter Of the wttch's
lamentations.
Jack" whispered again moro anx-