Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1901-02-07

1dSt asleep. The mOOnDeamS played on
his face and cleaned on his strong,
white teeth until he looked uglier and
fercer than ever.
There he lay at my mercy. and I fin
cered the revolver, that 7 had con-
trived to keep dry, and crept nearer
trlyed to keep dry, and crept nearer
and nearer TO him. but the peaceful
surroundings and the remembrance OF
the terrible danger from which we had
Just escaped. held me back. and let
him sleep on.
7 ate some Of the provisions, and,
fearing lest my companion raiafC fin
ish the rest at one sitting, ! filled my
pockets. and il was we'll that I did 50,
for. before the next evening the cask
was empty, and Sweeney hurled it in
to the sea with a curse.
a. we're here long. me boy" said ne,
gIaring at me, cts aitfu' one another
Wen be. and fafx. I don't intind to let
you make mincemate nv me, and may
he 'twouldn't much matter II I finished
him up, and brought him back that
way to Maurice"
The latter part OF this trucuIeHt
speech was made soto voce, but If he
had known that I had heard and I'M
derstood we should have speedily Crap
pied.
I should have been no match for him
with Natures weapons. but my re-
volver gave me a very decided ad-
vantage. and his remarks but strength
ned my resolve to use it freely as
o as the right moment arrived. I
got no chance that night, for his sleep
was restless, and he lay as far away
from me as he could, and whenever l
moved he sat up and glared at me. The
next day, when the sun beat down up
on us. he drak the rest Of the water,
and thirst came upon us apace, and all
traces Of humanity seemed to be leav-
ing us rapidly, and, but that he knew
+ had the weapon and was watching
him keenly, he would have attacked
me. He sat aloof from me on the
erarty water key, at the far end Of the
raft, and had 7 been sure Of my aim I
should have picked him off as he squat
ted there, and. taking out the revolver,
I showed It to him.
ut viii be dark tonight" I said, I'M
til the moon rises. II you stir I shall
shoot"
"Ah! what the deuce is the matther
wild yer" he growied. "Shure, twas
meself stood up for we beyant, whin
they didn't want We to come on the
raft. an you never putin a hand to
make IL. Arrah! throw away that pis-
til. It might go of an kill met"
That's just what I mean it to do,
Mr.. Sweeney" and when / called him
49, ~. 1T Nn,,-1
Sweeney! And where did We set
that name?"
Twas reckless now. and somehow I
felt that I could kill him easier If my
blood were stirring more briskly, and
so I went on:
Where did I get II? Why, from your
foster-brother, Maurice. Where else?
Ali you're a poor tool. Jim Sweeney.
You couldn't manage matters with the
gentleman down there on the East
Coast, and now that you've found youi
man out here in Fiji, you're left alone
on a raft with that mans son, and he
means TO kill To perdition with
you and you Ragged Thirteen!" I
cried. 'I know all about you. j heard
every word ct your meeting at Court
ney's. You found my father for me,
and I've sent him warning that you're
coming. but he won't want it, for. bv
the God above US. you'll never see him
again!"
With, a wild yell he sprapg up and
rushed straight at me. / waited TIL he
was close upon me before I pulled the
trigger. No shot followed! He was so
near that I could see the look of flend-
ish joy upon his face. and he made so
sure OF clutching me that, when I sud-
denly ducked, his impetus carried him
over me. and he fell into the sea. He
came to the surface In a second and
struck Out for the raft and laid hold
upon It; but STOPPING down. I beat at
his fingers with the heavy end Of the
revolver, and when he let go for a
second. I smote him with all my force
and the blow, landing on his temple,
stunned him, and his blood crimsoned
the water around. And I beat and
beat tin / had smitten him past reeog-
milton, and at last / held him by one
hand and so finished the business that
when ] let go he sank out Of sight.
Thus by my hand persisted the man
who was really the most merciless
member of that merciless fraternity.
For a while I was SO mad with the
triumph that ! forgot everything else
forgot that / had slain a man, consti,
tuting myself judge and jury: forgot
that 7 was alone on the desolate ocean,
and that as soon as the scanty store !
had secreted was exhausted I must, I'M
less help came, go through the agonies
of thirst and hunger, and that the end
l had melted out TO a fellow creature
would be merciful In comparison TO
that to which i must come, Then, the
look of agony on the mans pale face as |
the blows rained upon him, came 10
haunt me, and. a breeze springing up
as the u set. i made shift to spread
out my o and so moved slowly
away.
Throughout that night and the next
day. m the night that followed, I was
upon the deep, and then IN the morn
ing, rising up before me and right In
the path In which the set of the tide
was taking me. I could see the outlines
OF an island. and while the day was vet
young i had drifted within a mile OF n
AS / drew nearer. my unweieldy craft
more way and r oau, 49,