The suburban citizen., 1901-02-09

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! pany had been told off for duty here
and there along the coast that availa
bic men were scarce. SO the chief en-
| gineer ordered me ashore jnere in com
pany with another youth named Sere
nus Conklin to try our prentice hands
| at spot watching.
Our orders We're strict. One or the
other was TO watch spot constantly
| and never take his eyes from It.
| Provisions for a week or more and a
Kerosene stove were landed, and a
Maltese sailor called Tony, the great
est coward l ever knew. was also put
ashore to cook for us. He knew moth
ing whatever Of cooking, be it said.
1t was a dreadfully lonesome place
nothing in sight on the land side but
sand dunes, and away off inland. four
red mountains and a few stubby
palms. The captain assured us that
we should be perfectly safe there, and
that nobody would come near lis. But
by way of defence, the third officer
gave us an old German needle gun and
eight cartridges.
We did not feel altogether secure, but
put on a brave front and just at sun
set watched the cable ship steam
away, leaving us alone there on the
| deserted coast Of Africa.
Twilight came on; and then we dis
covered that we could not get the
Maltese out of the hut, even to tend
the Kerosene stove at the door. He was
IN abiect terror. He crept into the far
corner Of tie hut, and sat there with
bis lower lip hanging down The man
had lived in towns or on shipboard all
his life and knew nothing of solitary
nature.
In default Of his services 1 made tea
and cooked our supper, while Serene
watched the galyarometer Every five
minutes, by the watch, he pressed the
key and noted detection. We agreed
to watch spot two hours each, off and
on.
The moon rose. II was a beautiful
night At eight o'clock it was my
/ turn to watch spot and Serene sat in
the door and looked out. We were so
disgustcd with Tony that we took no
notice Of bin.
After q time some creatures about
the size of dogs began running to and
fro along the beach in front of the hut
They would go flying past, and tIiem
| feet on the hard sand sounded like
drums. Tony would moan every time
one Of them glided past. They may
have been jackals. or perhaps wild
dogs. For an hour or two these crea.
lures disported themselves after this
singular fashion, and then disappeared
BY this time it was Soreness turn to
watch spot and l sat down in the door
| was not in the least sleepy. The
moon shone on the lonely sea, and the
noise of the breaking waves was now
the only sound TO be heard. Far away
there were black clouds, and now and
then dull fash of silent lightning. It
turned colder, and peculiar low sigh
ing came from the hlllocks of sand
about the hut.
| had been sitting there for an hour
or more, when saw a dark object, a
human being evidently, on the beach
off to the south Of the hut. It darted
forward, stopped, then ran forward
again. Soon another disappeared, then
half a dozen others, all stealing for
ward in the same furtive manner
Each carried something that looked
like a mallet with a handle several
feet long.
/ said nothing to Serene for the mo-
ment, but continued watching the new.
comers as they moved along the beach,
had a vague idea, at first, that they
were chimpanzees, or balloons. 1t was
not easy to make them out by moon.
light. l might even have imagined
them to be elves, dancing on the sea-
shore. They were not dancing. how
ever, but came stealthily forward; and
when they reached where the spider
sheayes had been anchored, they
stopped short By this time fifteen or
sixteen were in sight.
Serene" I said, under my breath,
come here and tell me what you make
Of these fellows"
He came and looked out by Jovew
he exclaimed, his voice rising a little
We're in for it., sure! Natives, desert
men, aren't thtyW
had no idea whatever who or what
they were. They had approached with
in a hundred yards Of the hut, hurry
ing about hither and thlther on the
beach, as II examining every track and
trace left by the men while landing
the cable. When one wished to signal
or call the others he expelled his
breath in a sort Of Kissing "Whissw
| Presently some Of them found one OF
the balloon buoys which had been left
on the beach, and instantly the air was
full Of "whlssing' sounds. They col.
lected around IT, and turned it over.
The buoy was like a huge football. be-
Ing made Of gum cloth, alright and
blown up hard. They poked 1t about
for a time; then one Of them swung
up his long mallet and struck IT, The