Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-03-10
CHAPTER XXXVIII.
The Chain Gang.

| rectly IN front the due ana purple Hlouu-
tain ranges of a continent or great island
| rose out of the ocean. To east and west the
shore line extended, edged with an endless
| line of surf save only where some cavern
bit a hole in the white sea roller, and sent
| forth in token of victory noise like the
lowest notes of a trumpet.
The sun shone on a pallid company as he
| set his fiery forehead above the ocean.
| Only my mother was at all like herself.
| She awoke later than the rest Of us, hav-
| ing slept soundly through the night. She
| sat up, blushing like girl to find herself
| in the presence Of SO many, and as by in
| stinct her hands went upward to her hair.
| 1 think she conceived that its braids might
| have been disordered by the hood Of the
cloak in which it had been nestled.
Il crave your pardons," she said gently;
| ARE we nearly homer"
| 1 know not whether she had vision of
| Great NARROW and the pleasant woods Of
CIiveden over against it, or whether she
| thought of our little whitewashed house at
| the quay corner of Abercorn Most likely,
| however, she was only dazed with sleep
| and uncertain what She said, speaking at
| random with being so suddenly awakened.
Will Bowman helped her up to a seat be-
| side him, where she could feel the soft
| tanning breath Of tho trade wind.
I'VE are near land" he answered; "the
| peril Of the night is quite passed away"
What peril?" she asked with surprise.
For indeed, she knew none.
THE devil fish is gone" he said quietly;
you are quite safe"
/ II am hungry she answered, speaking
| more than ever like child.
And l think her words reminded all Of
us that it was many hours since we had
touched sustenance of any kind.
Then it was that Eborra became the ser
vitor ne had been aforetime-quick. silent
and serviceable He was here and there
with dried meat (Which he shaved thin
with his knife), rye bread, and the milk of
the cocoanut served in half of it's own
shell. Eborra had waited on every one
before he would consent to bite a crust
himself.
AS for the witch-wife, she lay in SEEM
| ing trance in the bows of the boat. her head
on small coil Of rope, and the end of the
chain, all chafed and polished, still clasped
| in her hand.
Suddenly my mother paused, with a bit
of bread halfway to her lips.
I'VE have not said a blessing! she cried.
land after what we have gone through!
Shame on you, Philip. Say grace at
oncer'
But being taken at short and with
great chunk of bucan Cor dried West India
meat between my jaws, l could think on
| nothing except the beginning of the Lords
Prayer. and that l knew well would not
serve me. So only choked and was silent.
At the same time viii Bowman had great
trouble with his steering oar, turning him
about and looking over the stern of the
boat.
cried, shaking one slender forefinger at us;
you are not thankful to a merciful Provi-
dence. 1 will cen say the blessing my
selfi'
And with that she bowed her head and
did so.
Eborra, with a curious look on his face.
uncovered him of his broad-brimmed pal
metto hat, and we chat is, Will and u awk-
wardly enough followed his example.
Then, with reproving stare round at US
all, my mother went on with her breakfast.
only complaining little Of the taste of
the water. which, as have said, had been
put fresh from the spring upon the Isle Of
| the Winds into the two foreign liquor casks
we had stolen from the beach.
Then after this we fell to our oars, and
made good progress toward the land The
| water still heaved after the storm Of the
| night. but the milky and curded appear
ance was clean gone Only a slight cloudi
the periis we had passed.
The coast lay before us very plain to
see. 1t seemed as If we must reach 1t in
an hour. Yet 1t was late afternoon before
we passed the islands. which guarded the
entrance to the yet unseen harbor. Two
great cliffs stood up on either hand, bare
and steep to the top. save for the strange
growths. tufted and prickiy. which chung
crag.
Each one Of US expected to see a settle
ment within as we glided through the open
ing, but when we rounded the last point
none appeared. The bay was s1rt by the
unbroken wall of tho tropic forest We
had left behind US the rollers laundering
carelessly on the outer cliffs. Within the
narrows Of the strait these still moved for
ward with an oily motion, spreading gen.
thy into fan-shape as the harbor opened
out.
free wind-blown Carib sea shut behind us,
a greater fear fell upon our company than
had possessed US when VIC were being
lowed we knew not whittier by the devil
fish.
A strange silence brooded all about u.s.
The drumming of the breakers upon the
reefs without dulled itself into a far-away
sough. There was not breath OF air. 1t
was a relief when a huge humble bee. six
times the size Of those about New Malns
Numbered into the boat and then clumsily
blundered out again, booming away, undis-
mayed and fusty, toward the green forest
wall.
We looked about for some landing place,
but for a while saw none Everywhere a
tangle Of roots and leaves. creepers and
edge Of the water. The waves Kissed and
sucked among the Shiny mangrove stills,
upon which in hideous array sat thousands
Of horrid vultures. motlonless. as If they.
too. were part Of inanimate nature.
Such was my mothers horror OF these
foul birds. which sat with dropping wing
in strained attitudes upon the green-slimed
nothing would do but we must pull out
again and follow the curves of the shore,
seeking for another landing place.
AT last Eborra, who had gone to the
stem Of the jolly boat, pointed with his
hook.
Enter there" he said: "a boat has
passed that way not long ago."
Tho place. to our unaccustomed eyes, Ger
tainly did not look promising. It was mere
ly a low. broad ditch choked with green
vegetation. Gray mudbanks sloped down
to the waters edge. and there was a smell
Of rotting leaves everywhere about
THAT Is fresh EvaterP' said Eborra
And soon we were pushing our way
VIII Bowman and I, through the rustling
leaves Of the water lilies, which, all twitch-
ing with life. pulled as eagerly away from
US. Several times the boat was brought
completely to q standstill, but Eborra
leaned over and pulled us loose with his
hook. In q quarter Of an hour we were
free. emerging into . clear. amber-colored
creek bordered by solemn alsles Of cypress
trees,
Suddenly Anna Marx gripped my arm