The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-12-02


y All at once, turning his head, he caug
e sight Of something white rising and fal
ing between himself and the red rou1
sun, just dipping its lower limb in the W;
ter. Something white, crowned by blat
d spot. that the next minute stood a,righ
D straddling in forked human shape, wit
r arms outspread and wildly waving, Will
: a loud "Halloa!" came down the win
Then the figure, evidently losing its ba
ance. abruptly vanished in a splash
white water. But IL soon reappeared. an
squatting on top of what Brown made O,
to be hencoop, desperately padded wit
a long fiat bar until near enough to dis
closed to the others astounded view De
tective Barnes, hatless. half-naked an
salt-incrusted, but otherwise APPARENT
safe and sound.
Better come on to my craft" pante
Barnes, as he padded alongside. "Bu
what night it's been, Ell? Good Lord,
never expected to see you again. This /
bit of luck, II you like! We amt out {
the wood yet, though, Look how the sea
boilin' over yonder."
Well, you're sticker, and no mis-
take. replied Brown, the grim humor O
the thing appealing to him, as with fey
strokes he gained the big double coop an
drew himself on to it. There no escap
ing you! l suppose may consider my
self in custody, again, eh?'
Why yes, of course" replied the other
as the pair shook hands heartily. Blu
you bet your boots l didn't come afte
you OF my own free will. Well, of all tn,
rummy things 1 can think this one take.
the cake! Nobody livin' yonder, l sup
pose?"
I'm afraid not" said Brown, as HI
wrenched off bar and began to paddle
Il expect we'd better make round to thu
OIL er side and see f,there's any entrance
There generally is"
Sure enough, as they dropped to lee.
| ward they saw fairly wide gap in the
reef. and steering for it were presently
padding between six-foot walls of roar
Ing surf where the next minute an in
rushing sea, hitting their craft broadside
on, sent them head over heels into calm
water, whence they easily swan to the
shelving beach.
| The first thing to catch their eyes as
| they dragged themselves up the shelving
bank of white coral was neat hut stand
ing in clump of palms.
Thank the Lordi' exclaimed Barnes,
devoutly, there's somebody here I'm
fairly starving" And breaking into a trot
he made for the hut and threw open the
| door. only to spring back the next minute
with look of horror on his still rudy
face. "a dead mani" he whispered, as
Brown came up. White, tool"
Looking in, his companion saw the
body of a man stretched full length
across the threshold. 1t was clothed in
moleskin trousers and blue shirt, and lay
staring upward with the hands clasped
across the breast The features were
those OF an elderly man; the long brown
hair and beard plcntifully flecked with
grey: and the pale face composed and
calm. Near by stood d small blue phial,
which Barnes professionally pounched
upon and put to his nose. "Chloroform!"
he muttered. Overdose. perhaps. Or got
tired and pegged out purposely. Not so
very long gone either. He gave me a
start, though, at first Lots o. tucker"
continued the detective, pointing to
strings of dried fish,. an open cask of
biscuits, and some tins of preserved meat.
Poor chap! Well, it must ha' been
lonely. Wonder what his game was
hermetizing, eh?"
"Copra gatherers 1 should say" replied
the ether. And a lucky thing for US: as.
sooner or later aS ship Is bound to call
here E-ssf
They buried the dead man before break
ing their fast, soon digging grave in the
crumbly coral with Rspade they found
outside the house: Then. presently ex-
plorins, they found, farther toward the
heart Of the grove, aflong. low building,
rooted with iron and containing q few
tons of cocoanut cut into pieces and dried
in the sun-copra, in fact.
Buoyed up by the certain hope of I'LL
innate rescue the castaways bore their
lot patiently. OF food they had abund-
ance, for there were pigs and fowls on
the island: and in the sea turtle and |
fish. There was no fresh spring water; |
but an underground tank at one end of |
copra-house contained enough to last |
last them for years-replenished from the |
iron roofing as it was by every thunder
storm.
From papers in an old pocketbook they
found that the man they had buried was
a sailor who had figured in many ships
now by one name. now by an
other. There was also memorandum
of agreement between himself and per-
son in Honolulu In which for a certain
wage the former agreed to stay on the
island as caretaker, and to make copra,
also look after the plantation OF young
coco trees. Thus, without doubt, the
place was private property: and the pair.
the fact, and that they were
bound TO make some return for their keep
took upon themselves the dead mans
duties as best they might. hoeing and
!
ing the fences in pig-proof order. They.
TOO, became experts at copra making.
process that Brown had often seen before
An he even taught Barnes how to climb
he trees and select the fittest nuts for
he purpose. Thus the latter to his i'm
nense delight. what with constant exer- ;
Use and absence of "nips.' found him
sell losing fat and gaining muscle. In I
lined to corpulence. his greatest bug
pear had long been what he called his
'bingie." and to see not only this sub |
siding, but to find that he could do ]
nile run after pig without getting
yinded. made the detective feel as il the
lays OF his youth had been renewed.
Two months passed. and one morning at c
unrise Brown sighted the first sail that !
lad approached in all that time. 1t was &
topsail schooner evidently arrived dur t
ng the night, and now lying nearly be- /
aimed not more than half mile away.
The two men made a fire on the beach c
nd running round to the nearest point =
nd waving the remnants OF their shirts. k
Don had the satisfaction of seeing the h
essel lower boat. which at once pulled t
through the entrance In the reef.
We'll" asked man in the stern a
heets. as she lay off some core of yards. d
What do you want? And where's
uggy JIM p
What do We want7" exclaimed II
arnes. Indignantly. why. to be taken fl
way from this place. o. course. What e
we think? Haven't we been Robinson &
rusoeing long enough to please you? And o
for 'Ruggs. why. / expect that's the d
emit we buried some time ago. Come 81
long ana let's get on board" Ii
The five Kanakas who composed the II
oats crew showed all their teeth at CT
lis. whilst the white man laughed and h
hook his head. saying: mo. thanks, W
eve got M use for hea comhars | IF