The Savannah morning news., 1902-07-13


watching people do the same thing the
same way every day. shall hold your
memory as a precious jewel"
The Captain laughed. why, it seems
simple enough to me, lieutenant" he
said. We've won the fight, we've got
the gold, and as far as 1 can see, we re
ahead all along the line. Well, we
don't feel the expense of Loving a lit
tie good feeling behind us-what are
we on earth for, anyhow"
When we passed the stone figure of
the pointing Indian, Pete cried, Look
up, boya! There, on the extreme point,
stood che of our Indian friends, wav-
ing blanket to US. He had run many
mile for that good-by. We fired a
gun half dozen times in quick sue
cesslon, to show him that we saw him.
AS !org as we could make him cut
through our glasses the patient fellow
stoUn there gazing after us. Then The
last of the Patagonian coast sank into
the sca--9nd we were really bound
for home. AS 1 stood by the rail,
drinking the sea wind, Sam came up
to me.
jack" he said, how long ago is it
since three fellows took a sloop yacht
called the Judith out of New York
harSn,?"
Great Scott, Sammy" 1 replied.
THAT must have been when our
grandfathers were little boys-don't
seem possible it's less than a year
does il?
1T dots not And now we're goins
back, with money-about $4,000 apiece
the captain says. But it was awful
there for the last few days.
Il was, Sam. But now. honest
would you like to have them wiped
out?v
No" said Sam promptly 81
wouldn't. I'm so glad to know that
though I was scared to death, I didn't
run away, that l wouldn't part with
those days for all the money we
made
The captain stood at the wheel with
Rain-in the Face, the kitten, now a
cat on his shoulder. He stopped the
mysterious tune he was roaring, to
call to US. What you lads doing? Re-
GREETING 1 picked you up off the
sloop?'
Not much!" we answered together
Il thought likely not-well we come
off mighty lucky--mighty lucky-still,
we earned some, of that luck, too. Now,
here we go for home, whoop!" and he
resumed the song about Matilda Jane
of Huckleberry town.
The home trip was quick passage
We made it with only two stops. One
to have a surgeon fix Knut'S shoulder
which took bad turn for time, and
another for tobacco, the smokers hav-
ing been recklessly generous in their
gifts to the Indians.
I'll never tell you how I felt when
saw The Statue of Liberty shining in
the evening sun; / thought I'd never
want to get out of range of her again
Well our Journey was over. There :
only one thing more 1 want to tell
That always will seem queer to me.
We lsEded in the whaleboat at pier.
AS we walked up one of the little
narrow streets, / saw three men COM
ing toward me. Suddenly 1t flashed
into my mind that l had seen Santi-
ago in company with two men, on that
very street, some days before we
started, / remembered the fixed grin
of his face, as he talked to the men,
who were half-drunk. Now, II l was
not mistaken it was one of the men
1 saw that day approaching. At least,
l felt so sure of it l caught hold OF
him and asked, Did you ever know
man called Santiago?"
Sure 1 did" he answered with a
swagger. Let go of me coat, or I'll
whale YER
MY friends all stopped to watch the
outcome OF this adventure.
You needn't whale me-" I answered.
But I'll make it worth your while, if
you'll tell me what you know about
him"
How much vii you give" said he
with a cunning grin, then he added
"Aggh! l amt goin' to blow on the lad
nohow."
Hes dead" I said, "And I'll give
you ten dollars"
Hes dead, is he?" said the man.
well I'll do it,
And there we learned another part
of that story. The captain excused him
self and walked on; he did not care to
hear it, but the rest of us listened
breathlessly, while the man told us of
how Santiago had coaxed himself and
a friend to make one of the captains
crew How they refused thinking the
whole story moonshine. How Santiago
entreated them, telling that he had
turned all the money he could scrape
up to his friends in Chile, to enable
them to get to Bahia del Orc, and
wait. and wait and wait. had always
wondered about that part of it-how
Sntiago's friends came to be there,
moan. The half-breed had used no
more wonderful magic to achieve that.
than good plain everyday mail sys-
tenn. He wrote them a letter. The rest
was patience, and what patiencel The
little gold we gave them seemed a
poor reward for it. One point the man
knew nothing Of how the captain came
to get entangled with Santiago. 1t
never will be cleared up. for no man
will ever hear word of it from Capt
Perkins, and Senior Caloran is as igno-
rant Of II as the rest OF U.s.
a
terry. We were lucky to learn what we
did. I still think. and shall always
think, that ii was a wonderful piece
of tragedy for so ignorant a man.
.4The End.