The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1901-02-05

orrible din o. the thunder Luckily we
escaped the rainfall, but we could ear Il
hissin on tho sea mile away like forty
thousand locomotives blossin OF steam.
As IL was too dark to ba ne aad 100
dangerous 10 go into the tent where the
arms were. Jannaway fell US In two deep
In rear or IL. Before long. 'owever. the
eastern edge o. the pail began TO lift. and
q streak OF crimson sky appes' cd beneath
H. Then the streak widened; orange
showed oteve red, primrose above the
orange. Till presently we could sec the
bright blue O. the zenith. The velvet pail
had rolled away ss quickly as IL 'ad
| spread"
Mr.. Pagett removed the pipe from his
mouth and laid IL upon the table.
You've been I'm the tropics yourself,
sir?' he observed; looking into the fire.
nodded.
Did you ever see one O. them iightnin'
| photographer"
I've heard of Them" I admitted eau
tiously. ut IN said that they cannot yet
he accounted for by science, though they
| are undoubtedly electrical"
II saw one that mornin on the isiand.'
| he mused; the fash over the Tor just
| now minded me OF IT,
| The first thing we noticed after Janna-
way dismissed US and we'd moved away
from the tent was the double line of our
| shadows stiii fixed upon the curtain
where ii 'ad been thrown by the light
| MIN"
Yes" admitted. that was quite pos
| sible."
"ouite possible. But 'ow about this?
| The drummer. who was starin' at the
| phenomenon from the front o. the group,
| suddenly turns round
| ~ thought, he squealted. that. count
| In MIR. Jannaway. we We're thirty-three
| oil told
Then, for once In your sinful young
life.' says the corpril, you thought right
! my SON
| Well says the boy, edgin' into the
| middle o the crowd ''ow do you account
| for there bein thirty-four shadows on the
1loomin' tent?'
'"Nebcdy attempted IN account for ~:
nobody even wanted TO account for H.
| What everybody did want 'owever was
| 10 get of that cursed island without an
| other minutes delay. Like one man the
| detachment turned and bolted for the pin
nance In which we 'ad landed, and which
was moorcd a few yards from the beach.
it was the stampede OF the previous af-
ternoon over again, with the difference
\ that this time me an the color-sergeant,
an Jannaway were in IL as well.
I'VE splashed through wls water,
Skinned over the gunnei q the big boat.
J got out the oars and gave way like
l crew possessed. hut we'd barely put
hundred yards between us and the Blank
began To bubble about the pinnace like
water round an egg in a saucepan.
"'For the Lords sake cries one o. the
men. layin' on his oar look at the bloom
| in island"
Then We saw a most curious thing The
island was gradually CROWN smsiler-in
other words, IL was sinkin before our
eyesl Presently only the tops o the tents
| and the jackstaff were visible above the
| water, and then cfriy-the Union Jack it,
self. When that 'omely bit a. buntfn' 'ad
gone too. the drummer burst out a-cryin'.
"'Any'ow,' says the corpril. cheeriiy.
that exarsperatin Blank Files gone with
| IT.
AYE chimes In the Dismal Jimmy
| OF the detachment, but we shall be under
stoppages o. pay until them,arm and ac-
| coutrements are made good. said at the
time. he continued. that IL was no earth
| ly bell a'tollin -
Take that mans name for disobedi-
ence OF orders roars out Jannaway. 'Ow
dare you make my flesh creep he says,
when l 'ayer't got stitch o. clothin'
on?
THERE'S the Dutch nagship IN the off,
ing iust of the port beam, SIR, sings out
another.
Then 'ope 10 goodness says Janna-
way, casting an anxious eye over the
naked forms before him. that the admiral
asnt brought no ladies with him to see
the moo island"
"An hour later we clambered one by
one up the steep sides o. the Dutchman,
and were served out with pair o. baggy
| trousers apiece II there were any ladies'
on board they must ave been sent below
before we got alongside. and the orfcers
and men didn't matter. Mr.. Jannaway
| told the admiral that we were pore cast
aways from a wrecked emigrant ship,
| and the admiral, with one eye cooked on
49, L..l 49,
| one at least OF the pore emigrants before.
| Then. with chronic twinkle in the Same
| eye, he carried us back to Batavia, and
! put rs on board our own ship.
Before reportin' ourselves. 'owever.
! Mr.. Jannaway addressed us In few kind
| words.
"If you mention that there Blank
! File he says you will get the credit OF
| bein' bigger liars than what you really
| are. Therefore, no says. Il shouldn't
! "And you may lay TO II that we didn't"
From battered Service ditty-box on
| the mantelpiece Mr. Psgett produced a
| crumpled half sheet OF note paper.
THAT inscription" said he. "was sent
| me by Lootenant Jannaway year after
! We were paid OF. He copied Il Off an old
brass In the tower OF a church at Sand
| wich."
/ 7 refrained from commenting on the
| remarkable resemblance Of the writing TO
\
| read II aloud
| SACRED to the Memory" II ran, "of
| Beltishaxzar Farwig. Private In the Ma
/ rines and sometime n Bellringer of this
| Church. Wno died on the 10Th Dec. ITO.
| on board His Majesty's ship Endeavor
| commanded by the famous Navigator,
Captain James Cook). and was buried at
| sea In Lat. 3 degrees IL minutes =. and
1 Long. lOf degrees Il.
| Wasn't II n most extr'ordin'ry thing"
| asked Mr.. Pagett. regarding me out OF
! the tail Of his eve, that the pore feller
| should ave come In the surface again on
/ the middle OF volcanic island?"
Most extraordinary I murmured.
| "And that, after all them years. he
| should ave drilled once more with his
| old regiment and been photographed with
| them by lightnin'?'
'I never heard anything like IL before"
| said I.
And that hs should ave tolled that