Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1900-01-05

But what! There wasn't breath Of
air stirring, get the strange sail was
slipping through the water and coming
toward US at lively rate of speed.
] rubbed my eyes and looked at Joe;
but he rubbed his eyes, and was staring
at this strange phenomenon. So again
[ kept silence.
Nearer and nearer, and the sun strik
ing the great triangular object trans
versely, as it came cutting through the
CLASSY sea, sent a strange, blush iri-
descence, such as have noticed in the
wings of flying fish in the sunshine,
over and through it.
Thatit was the Gorsa1 fin of some huge
sea monster we both conjectured,
moment or two later, as, probably
frightened by the nearness of our boat,
it suddenly sank downward, like the
sword of Escalibur.
If we had known, as afterward, that
the dorsal fin belonged to the ''sailor
fish," species of swordfish peculiar to
the Indian ocean, often attaining a
length of 20 feet and upward, given to
attacking the native boats, we should
probably have felt considerable anxiety.
AS it was, we relapsed into a sort of
dumb apathy. Yet neither broke the
silence.
All the long day and long, sultry
night, tormented by hunger, and
parched with thirst, we sat crouched in
the bottom of the boat.
I remember of thinking alternately
of mother and the little dairy house
built round the spring, bubbling up cool
and refreshing through crevices in the
ledge, while all around were ranged
new, rich cheeses.
I think that on the following fore
noon I had a touch of sunstroke. 1
know my head seemed splitting open,
and, as Joe has since told me, I kept
whispering about the light breeze
which had sprung up, and how funny
Joe himself looked, standing in place of
a mast, holding his jacket stripped up
over his head as a substitute for sail,
Yet he says that all through this half
delirium I did not speak word directly
to him.
Then there was a blank; and when /
opened my eyes, my head was lying in
Joe's lap, he was crying as though his
heart would break-and what else do
you think he was doing?
He had found a few drops of fresh
water left in the heel of the sea boot
that he had used to bail with in the
shower of the night before, and though
half choked with thirst, the brave fell
low was letting the precious fluid
trickle between my parched lips.
I honestly think this saved my life.
ST take it all back, Joe," / whispered.
"You never tried to curry favor with
the mate, and was fool to say so.''
When I came to myself again, 1 was
lying on pile of mats under woven
grass awning, stretched over the stern
of native boat that was speeding to-
ward Macassar like bird.
A monkey peered down at me from
one of the awning poles; parrots and
cockatoos, tied by the leg to a rail on
either side, chartered and screeched,
while two young jaguars, not much
larger than kittens, were rolling each
other over in play near the boats
bows.
A p1easant-faced native islander was
steering, and through the medium of
signs and some pigeon English" we
learned later that, with his pretty,
dark-skinned wife and brood of small
children, who were slowed here and
there among the cargo of cocoa nuts
and pearl oyster shells, they had sailed
from an island to leeward about thou
sand miles, before the steady south
west monsoon, to exchange their wares
in Macassar for cotton cloth, cutlery
and colored thread for weaving.
Joe sat by my mat couch, tanning
me, and the native woman gave me CO.
coanut milk to drink, so before long
began to feel quite myself again.
And when, about nightfall, we ar
rived at Macassar, we found the long
boat and crew all safe.
Who of them it was had cast off the
painter of our boat in the darkness and
storm, no one could tell. They all de
MED it, as a matter of course, and as
the men virtually took charge after
that, Capt. Pratt WAS obliged to leave
US to our fate-at least, SO he explain ed
afterward.
Two weeks later, Joe and shipped as
ordinary seamen in the Glenmorgan-
shire, bound for London. But before we
went aboard, we shook hands on il that
if we had another quarrel neither
should wait for the other to speak first.
Golden Days.
Talking over the Roof.