Elmore bulletin. [volume] (Rocky Bar, Idaho) 1889-1906, 1900-04-26

CHAPTER XXXIIl. Continued
This feat achieved with consider
able peril. for the birds, when reused
from their eyries, whooped. screamed,
and wheeled in hoeks and circles about
me, Tapping their huge wings; so that
once | became so bewildered, that in
stead of clambering again to the sum
nit of the cliff, | began descent to-
ward the foaming sea below.
In reascending my hat was blown
away, and with it the wretehed eggs
for which l had risked my life and
limbs.
After this event resolved to procure
food for myself alone, and instead of
returning to Antonio, who usually
loitered about the hut our men had
left, | went to the opposite side of the
island. and found banana grove,
wherein / took up my quarters.
/ had been thirty-six hours without
seeing my pleasant chum, the Cubano,
or being near him with food | knew
that his rage would be great, and feel
ing myself unusually weak, after all
the mental excitement and bodily ex-
posure had undergone, necessity COM
PEELED me now to avoid him strictly,
as l was totally incapable of contend
ing with him In any way.
Ii he found me to plead that had
When searching for berries about
sunrise. on the western side of the isle.
and while the sun, though up, was yet
below the great mountain and cast its
shadow to the extreme horizon of the
haby morning sea, encountered An
tonic at last
Hunger, apparently, had rendered
him furious: but feeling certain in a
moment that timidity would do me no
service, l started back and said in
SPANISH:
'Ha! ha! / told you what would
happen when | wanted food said he,
feeling the point of his knife.
My blood ran cold at these words
and / cast a longing eye upon my lost
| hatchet; he saw the glance and
trampled upon the weapon with a
mocking laugh.
What do you mean, Cubano?"
Simply this--that, as self-preser-
vation Is the first law of nature, am
bound to kill you"
He had the revolver in his hand, and
while he cast glance at the caps on
the breach, as II to see that they were
all right, and sheathed his knife,
made bound aside and placed q
banana tree between us. The dastarc
fred, anu the ball, as 1t whistled past
stripped off piece of bark.
In the same manner | escaped a sec
ond shot, so Antonio, finding that hi
much priced ammunition was likely t
be expended fruitlessly, rushed for
ward to use his knife.
The tendril of pumpkin caught hi
left foot he fell heavily and hurt him
self severely. Then. dartfng past,
secured my hatchet, and rendered furi
Gus by all that had occurred, and b,
the imminent danger WhiMl menaeet
me, light seemed to flash before IN.
eyes, | trembled with rage, and felt a
II imbued with supernatural strength
l was about to spring upon Antoi,
with hands, feet and teeth, to hew hin
with the hatchet as | would have hswl
tree, when new object suddenl
caught my eye.
Ii was a ship-but ship ashore.
"Cubano," | exclaimed in a. husk
voice, look there!"
Antonio looked in the direction In
dicated and, pausing In his murderou
Intention, uttered a fierce laugh of sat
lsfaction.
In the rocky channel which opene
between the inaccessible island an
ours there lay the waye-beaten hull c
dismasted vessel, which might hay
drifted in over night, as 1t was certain
ly not there yesterday. and it was no'
iammed hard and fast upon reef {
rock that connected them.
This new object changed at once th
terrible current of the Guban's idea
A grim smile passed over his oliy
rountenance, he shook back the elf-llk
masses OF coal-black hair, which,
Skye-terrier fashion, overhung his vii
dark eyes, and sheathing his knit
said:
"Mio muchacho-come; I was onl
Joking. Yonder we will find food, pc
haps, and who knows what more
Come, 1t is a bargain. and II you don
desert me, | shall not molest yo
again."
He proceeded at once toward Il
beach, and was hungry enough, ar
perhaps reckless enough now, to
] glad of a truce, and to follow him,
, the hope of finding something eatab
on board