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

sentry was perfectly satisfied / was car
rying my mother in my arms, whereat,
doubt not, the connoisseur in courtship
chuckled.
| hurried my mother into the bush. where
VIII and Anna already were waiting. We
| found Yellow Jack and his mother outside
| the settlement And so, still more than half
| carrying my mother in our arms. and with
Anna carrying a bundle and assisting as
| best she could, We set off in the direction
| of the jolly boat.
| 1t was lucky that the shore road was not
I a difficult one; at least in comparison with
! that through the high woods. But in pass
ing through the last great debacle of bowl
ders and fallen cliff the half-caste lit a
CANDLE which he carried in natural kind
of dark lantern called pot lid plant, from
having top which exactly stimulates that
grimy protective.
1t was with a sense of relief that we
found ourselves at last in the little shell
tered bay. The jolly boat rocked gently
beside its natural pier in a dim kind 81
phosphorescence, like moonlight seen
through frosty glass. The mast was in its
place. the sail ready for setting, but not a
breath of wind blew.
l could have held the candle in my hand
unprotected by any lantern. still and
GREATNESS was the night. There was not a
sound to be heard, except that bird with
clear. short song like that of a Scottish
robin trilled at intervals in the woods, and
from the short grass a shrill cicada an
swered.
We placed my mother carefully in the
stern. with Will Bowman beside her to
steer. while in the bow Yellow Jack stood
up to con the boat through the difficult pas
sage. Anna and l were to row as we were
hidden We made for the entrance of the
little harbor, and as soon as We escaped out
of the loom of the land 1t grew a little
brighter around that we could see the
reefs black on either side. We were puz-
zled by a muffied hum, which was not the
surf on the beach, but which carried a sus-
picion of something mysterious and human
In 1t. People seemed to be whispering all
about us.
But gradually we made our way into
opener water. Eborra dipping his softly
and alternately like paddle on either side
of the bow. Anna and 1 rowed as he signed
to US. and We drifted rather than moved to-
ward the outer sea. So far all had been
favorable. and we kept to the left, that
as soon as we rounded the point we should
be out of sight even of the lookout on the
topmaStS of the Corraman.ee.
When once we had made sure of that we
breathed more easily. For the dawn was
beginning to break, and a lucid eye of the
morning began to form on the horizon
where the sun was to rise.
Surely the reefs extend long distance
out in this direction?" whispered Will to
Yellow Jack.
The half-caste did not reply. He was
gazing with fixed and mortified attention
to Stewards
The light now rapidly increased The ap-
parent reefs resolved themselves into nearly
a score of heavily manned boats, which lay
waiting. like ourselves, for the morning.
They were not more than half a mile from
us. There was not particle of wind to
help us to escape them. They Were little
longer in seeing us, for We're within the
dark shadow of the land; but we had not
time to turn back before the sun rose. We
were instantly spied, and. with a unani-
nous yell, the oars dipped into the water
and the nearest boats dashed at US.
Capt Keys piratesl We lost"
think the cry came with one accord from
all within the jolly boat. In escaping from
one trap We had fallen into another far
more terrible. For, they said, these men
gave no quarter. and even our Corraman-
tees shuddered as they spoke of their cruel
ties
The oars dropped from our hands We
were paralyZed by the very impossibility
of doing anything. The wind was dead and
there was no time to set the sail, if ii had
blown like the roaring forties. For me, /
could not even pray.
Yet l ceased gazing at the approaching
enemy, who were making their boats surge
through the water, in order to watch the
weird figure of the witch woman standing
with her hands outstretched over the PROV
invoking some demon of her own out of
the deeps.
And even as 1 did so, at first slowly and
mysteriously, and then faster and faster
the jolly boat began to move through the
water. We sat dumb and silent, under
standing nothing of what was happening
while the woman gesticulated and laughed
in triumph in the bow, now looking down
into the sea, and anon Strengthening herself
up to shake her fist at the approaching en-
envy.
And thus began a chase as strange and
terrible as any / have found written of in
any book since the rebellious prophet was
cast into the sea, and the whale sped to-
ward Nineveh with Jonah in its belly.
CHAPTER XXxVu.