Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-03-03
CHAPTER NNXU.
The Jolly Boat.

Yellow Jack had indeed more than kept
his promise. He had shown US the thin
crust of kindly treatment on which We were
depending. Why Captain Stansfield had not
gone with his ship l could not then under
stand. 1 understood afterward that as the
wretched white slaves were disposed of in
his uajectys plantations, and the trans
action must be one of considerable publicf-
ty. it was not prudent for Captain STAINS
field to appear. For, since his escape. de-
scriptions of him had been sent across to
the colonial governments. and all Scottish
ships were closely ScrutiniZed for the con-
demned murderer. Also in Virginia and the
Carolinas there was no Provost Gregory
Partan to blind the eyes of the authorities
But at that time l put down my fathers
being secretly on the island to some fell
design upon my mother l resolved, there
fore. Immediately to devise means of escape
from the Isle of the Winds. and to take my
chance upon the mainland whenever We
could reach il. / thought that the distance
could not be very great, at least to some
OF the civilized and larger islands. But
had no more exact idea of the geography
than vague remembrance of map in the
Molls atlas which had belonged to my
grandfather.
guide, and so, after resting few days, L
asked him again TO accompany Anna and
myself into the woods, pretext of gath
ering the ripe plums Of tall and beautiful
tree which grew there.
Eborra, l said, as soon We were
without the village. and safe from the pry
ing ears Of the liberty men. must We al
ways stay here? Is there no way to escape
among Christian people?''
He smiled his wiStful smile.
Already you are tired of poor Obeah
man? Christian you like better. Are not
these Christian He pointed with bitter
irony to the buccaneer village beneath US.
Nay. Eborra," 1 said; we not tired
CT you"
And Anna chImed In, Nay. truly! You
are the only friend We have on this ac-
cursed islandI'
And our quick speech pleased him no lit
tie.
on this occasion we kept to the right.
skirting the high woods. and walking first
along the shore and then among the easier
heritage on the margin Of the bay. l had
noticed that the sailors of the CorraInantae
rection. but always took their walks south
ward along the opposite curve Of the cres-
cent. We were now heading toward its
northern horn.
1 asked Yellow Jack the reason why the
sailors avoided this place.
He pointed to a low bush, like the alders
which grew along the Kirkconnel water at
home. which overhung the path
That is the reason" he said, sententious-
ly.
And he indicated huge snake which lay
along a branch, with Its head swaying a
little over and toward u.s. "Fer-de-lance
strike at faces of those who pass beneath
strike like a whiplash-so-and then come
back to his place.
Let US go further out" I said. thinning
Of Anna, where there is clean, yellow sand
TO walk on Why run the risk of dying in
swamp by serpent's poison?"
He Will never touch Eborra, nor YET
Eborra's friends, said the lad. And though
It thrilled me with fear to him. he Went
up close and passed his hand caressingly
up and down the snakes back. humming a.
the same time his low. continuous song
Anna and shuddered to look at him. bu
EbOrra was perfectly calm, and the hug,
fer-de-lance arched his rudy back like
petted cat by the freside, moving his heai
quickly to and fro before our guides face.
He Obeah, / Obeah,' said Yellow Jack
and, with a farewell caress, he came OF
with once more through the scrubb,
underground. We were soon forcing ou
way with cutiass and knife through Tn,
tangle toward the northern horn. Here. a
some former time. the whole face of thu
cliff had fallen down in a vast tumbled con
fusion. thousands of huge blocks beln;
piled Unfortunately over each other ant
these seen from the sea, were full of blacl
holes overgrown with tasseled creeper
and prtckly pear-the haunt so the sailor
men said, of wild animals and deadly
snakes.
Into this tangle Yellow Jack led US by
path which had obviously been troddei
more than once before. as confidently as ;
man will walk up to his own front door
DO not fear, he said; i will show yo'
how to escape from these Christians"
So. greatly heartened by his promise w
followed. Anna as usual, leading the way
and the guide putting the creepers astd
from before the girls face by holding ther
in the hook at the end of his right arm til
she had passed. / had to attend to myself.
The huge down-throw of rock, heape