Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-02-24


split surface roughly planned. The uprights
We're of the same timber and seven feet
nigh, the walls of sawn planking, and the
roof of plantain leaves bound with the
strong island withe which grows on the
margin of the swamps.
One of these was assigned to VIII Bow
man and myself. and in the other Capt
Stansfeld swung his hammock
All the dwellings We're on the sickle
sweep of the beach, which. almost like a
lagoon In shape, curved around in couple
of horns, leaving only one narrow and diff
cult entrance. Inside 1t was always as still
as lake. though the roaring of the trade
surf on the outer reefs was never out Of
our ears.
Looking from our door this is what Win
and l looked at. First, green strip of
heritage, which in the distance looked al
most like high grass, few scattered guava
bushes. then the glttering crescent of sand
the lagoon, with the herons moping in the
sun. Then. if We went little up the bank
behind or clambered on the roof, we could
see the white crests and blue-black hollows
of the restless Garth sea.
Behind were gardens or yam patches,
then loose scrub beyond were the high
woods, as the privateers called the virgin
forest, and the blue mountains browning
all. For, like most of the pirate shelters
our refuge was not a mere sand bank
swelterfng under a shadeless sun, nor yet
fever-stricken mangrove swamp-though,
as ] found out afterward. the Isle of the
Winds was far from being immune from
either plague.
One morning the ship was gone and the
bay in front empty of all save the dreamy,
watehful heroas in the livery of black and
white, and the diving sea birds that flashed
and fell out of the zenith.
Anna brought word that the entire crew
had gone on board at midnight, with the
exception of those whose turn it was to
take a holiday on shore. Anchor had been
weighed at daybreak and the Corramantee
with her cargo of white slaves sailed north
ward for the Caroline plantations.
Then 1t was that still more fictitious
peace settled over the Isle of the Winds.
have always thought it curious, but after
all natural, that in our native Scotland and
In the countries which men count civilized
we had undergone many and desperate adj
ventures; but here, in this wild, pirate is
land, and among men whose profession was
one of spoliation and robbery these first
months passed as peacefully as an infants
cradle time.
And to the very last, whatever we might
pass through, my mother was never dis
turbed. Going out but little, occupying her
self Silly and quietly on her shaded veran-
da or In her cool and quiet room with nee
die work and knitting, living In a dream
land Of her own. she was shut off from the
comings and goings of the island. The cry
ings and turbulence Of the beach reached
her ears as empty of meaning as the roar
of the trade surf in the ofing or the yell
ing of the sea birds which darted down
into our poultry yard and carried off the
food which had been scattered for the
with US.
But Anna and 1 were not content to live
in any such seclusion. The instinct of ex-
ploratton, common to all healthy children
Of the mixed Saxon races, was specially
strong in us, and whatever of the gypsy
was in Anna aided and abetted this in
stinct of rowing
VIII Bowman had begun to train squad
OF young half-breeds, mostly boys about
fifteen, in the rudiments of drill and the
use of arms, according to the German man
ual and platoon exercise, which Umphray
Spurway had taught his weavers. And
those of the privateer's men who We're on
shore off duty would condescend to come
down to the exercise ground and smoke a
pipe, watching with appreciation the evolu-
tions Of the smart lads, who took to soldier
avidity of Prusstans, and who would stand
and bake or march and sweat all day on
the parade ground as II each had been
paid the salary of a general.
So Of Will for time we saw not much
but he was ever ready to help US in every
thing. and in time of need proved himself
very stanch and trusty friend. AS shall
afterward appear.
1t was a blessed relief to find my father
gone and Saul Marks cottage empty as
well. For we could not help feeling that
the small beady eyes of Annals father
were ever upon US, and even now he had
probably arranged with some satellite to
keep track Of our movements.
Anna, who was always scraping roman
tic acquaintance with every waif and stray
attached to herself haf-caste lad with
one hand only, who answered to the name
of Yellow Jack.
Yellow Jack was a lad extraordinarily
active, both in mind and body. But from
his behavior in the village no one would
have suspected him of either. 1t was only
in the bush, Or when face to face with an
emergency, that his true character ap-
neared.
Yellow Jacks right hand had been cut off
at the wrist, he never revealed how, but
l think by privateers or some former pl-
rates of the isle from the exceeding hatred
he bore them all. So the lad had been al
lowed to grow up among the women and
liberty men, doing very much as he pleased.
He carried water and scrubbed our pots
and pannikins. He watched the fires at the
sugar boiling, and when he was hidden he
went swiftly on errands, which he faith
fully discharged. But to deceive tia mas
tiers he preserved at all times counte-
nance which denoted only stupid and va
cant mirth. for that is the best passport
to the goodwin of sailormen of every kind.
His mouth was ever on the grin. In the
village Jeremys laugh rolled out mellow as
the maple sirup of the north, and Yellow
Jack was the willing butt Of half the Jokes
on the island.
But among the colored folk 1t was differ
ent: l never saw any of these come near
Yellow Jack without kind Of involuntary
shrinking into smaller space-the gesture,
In fact, which every one makes on walking
into a thicket Of nettles
Anna attached Yellow Jack to herself by
piece Of kindness to an old bent negro
woman who was painfully bringing in a
bundle Of herbs and roots from the high
woods. She found her sitting exhausted and
half blind upon the roots of a tree on the
edge of the forest. The old woman was
wlzened and sInokedried toll she seemed
about to shed Ter mortal tegument like a
husk that falls of itself to the ground But
Anna talked brightly to her at the same
time shou1dering her burden and helping
her along the path
Loud and long laughed the liberty men,
who smoked and lounged about the creeper-
grown porches and under the graybread
streamers of the live oaks. But every ne
gro woman, looking from a balcony or bob
oing headdresses about the we'll ran for
her dearest gossip to tell her the news-how
old Nam Duppy, the Obeah woman, was
walking past the white mems houses with
the tan young buckra girl who lived in the
captains house"
And l think when Yellow Jack Joined the
pair near his mothers hut, and the whole
three entered it together, none in the VII
lage expected to see Anna trip forth again
from the threshold looking as fresh as a
Moreham daisy with the morning dew on n
But when ii was seen that Anna did NOT
die from such companionship, but, on the
contrary, that she had always the best
fruits. the finest flowers, the brightest skin.
the clearest eye, it was recognized that a
for