Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1901-01-18


We must for q time return to Philip
and follow his strange destiny A few
hours after he had thrown the pilot into
the sea they gained the shore SO long looked
at with anxiety and suspense. Tho spars
of the raft, jerked by the running swell,
undulatcd and rubbed against each other
as they rose and fell to the waves breaking
on the beach. The breeze was fresh, but
the surf was trifling, and the landing was
without difficulty. The beach was shelly
ing, of firm white sand, interspersed and
strewcd with various brilliant colored
shells, and here and there the bleached
fragments and bones of some animal
which had been forced out Of Its element
to die. The island was, like all the others,
covered with thick wood of coacoanut
trees, whose tops waved to the breeze, OF
bowed to the blast, producing shade and
q freshness which would have been duly
appreciated by any other party than the
present, with the exception only of Krantz;
for Philip thought Of nothing but his lost
wife, and the seamen thought of nothing
but of their sudden wealth. Krantz sup
ported Philip to the beach, and led him to
the shade: but after n minute he rose, and
running down to the nearest point, looked
anxiously for the portion Of the raft which
held Anime, which was now far, far away.
Krantz had followed, aware that, now tho
first paroxysms were past, there was no
fear of Philips throwing away his life.
Gone, gone foreyerr' exclaimed Philip,
pressing his hands to the balls Of his eyes.
"Not SO, Philip, the same Providence
which has preserved us will certainly as
sist her. 1t is impossible that she can per-
ish among SO many islands, many of which
are inhabited: and woman will be Ger.
tain of kind treatment.
"If I could only think so," replied
Philip.
" A little reflection may induce you to
think that 1t is rather an advantage than
otherwise, that she Is separated-not from
you, but from 80 many lawless compan-
ions whose united force we could not re-
sist. Do you think that, after any length
ened sojourn on this island, these people
with US would permit you to remain in
quiet possession of your wife9 No!-they
would respect no laws; and Anime has,
IN my opinion, been miraculously pre-
served from shame and Ill treatment, If
not from DEATH"
"They burst not, SURELY Well, but
Krantz we must make raft and follow
her; we must not remain here-I will
seek her through the wide world"
Be it so if you wish, Philip, and will
follow your fortunes" replied Krantz,
glad to find that there was something,
however wild the idea, for his mind to
feed on. "But now let us return to the
raft, seek tho rafreshmont vve 90 much ro.
quire, and after that we will consider
what may be the best plan to pursue"
To this Philip, who was much exhaust.
ed, tacitly consented, and he followed
Krantz to where the raft had been beach.
ed. The men had left 1t, and were each
Of them sitting apart from one another
under the shade Of his own chosen cocoa
nut tree. The articles which had been
saved on the raft had not been landed, and
Rrahtz called upon them to come and
oaFgy. the thipss on shore-but no one
would answss or obey. They each sat
Watching their money, and afraid to leave
10, le.t they should be dispossessed Of 1t by
the others. Now that their lives were,
comparatively speaking, safe, tho demon OF
avarics had taken full possession Of thsir
souls; there they sat- exhauited, pinins
for wSter, and longing foY sleep, and yet
they dared not move; they were fixed As II
by the wand Of the enchanter.
Ii is the Cursed dollars which have
turned their brsins," observed Krahtz to
Philip; "let us try If we cannot manage
to remove what We most stand in need of,
and then we will search for water"
Philip and Krantz collected the carpsn-
ter's tools, the best arms, and all the am
munition, as the possession Of the latter
would give them an advantage in case of
necessity; they then dragged on shore the
sail and some small spdfs, oil Of which
they carried up to a clump Of coooanut
trees, about 100 yards from the beach.
In half an hour they had erected an
humble tent, and put into 1t what they
had brought with them, with the excep-
ton OF the major part Of the ammunition,
which, as soon as he was screened BY the
tent, Rrantz buried An heap Of dry sand
behind 1t; he then, for their immediate
wants, out down with an az a small cocoa
nut tree IN full hsarine. 1t must be for
those who have suffered tho agony of pro-
longed thirst to know the extreme pleasure
with which the milk OF the nuts was one
after the other poured down the parohed
throats Of R.tantE and Philip. The men
witnessed their enjoyment IN silence and
with gloating eyes, Every time that a
fresh coooanut was seized and it, contents
quaffed BY their officers, more 0hafp and
agonizing was their own devouFing thirst
Still CLOSER did their dry lips glue them
selves together-yet they mdved not, al
though they felt the tortures of the con-
demned.
Evening closed in: Philip had thrown
himself down on the spare ssils, and had
fallen asleep, when Krantz set off to OK
plore the island upon which they had been
thrown. 1t was small, not exceeding three
miles In length, and at no one part more
than 800 yards across. Water there was
none, unless 1t were to be obtained by
digging; fortunately, the young cocoanuts
prevented the absolute necessity for it. On
MS return, krantz passed the men in their
respective stationti Each was awake. and
raised himself on his elbow to ASCERTAIN If
J, u were an assailant; bat, perca3ing
hrantz, they again dropped down Krantz
passed the raftht the water was now quite
smooth, for theH.ind had SHIFTED offshore,
and the spars which composed the raft
hardly jostled each other. He stepped
upon 1t, and, AZ, the moon was bright in
Inc heavens, he took the pretaution of col
eCttng all the arms M hich had l,aa,,- Lac .