The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1903-07-31
IN A NAME2'' A West Indian
WHIT y In h lIHlvlLT Romance.
BY PHILIP LlTTLE-copyr,ght by Author.
CHAPTER II


Jennings started to his feet. but Rivers
pushed him back as he yelled:
Sit still for your lifel"
What Is it7 gasped the younger man.
Il can only guess" was the strained
reply; but the sailor sat as immovable as
a craven image.
''What?"
we arc on top of tidal wave!'
Then 1t means DEATH"
We are not dead yeti Waltz
And so they waited in silence, gazing
at each other with set faces.
On, on the brig swept, amid the roar
Of the gale and the crash of the waves
against the side, as they tore by with
howl Of disappointment at the loss OF
their prey.
1t seemed ages to Jennings, though.
as the cabin clock afterward showed 1t
was not more than ten minutes.
Suddenly terrific jar shook tho "es-
sci from stem to stern. followed by
scraping sound. The little craft SHOOK
like leaf.
"She has struck yelled Rivers, not
in fear, but simply to make himself heard.
He held out his hand If we smash.
here's boodbye to you
Ralph grasped the preferred hand with
vise-like grip. but neither OF them
moved.
After long silence. as 1t seemed to
them. broken solely by the roar OF tho
wind, the captain opened his mouth, but
for moment he did not speak. Finally
he said:
1t seems like miracle, ana yet be-
lleve that 1t is a fact"
What? For Gods sake, man. speak!"
eve are on land!"
''On land! How?
I'VE have been thrown bodily upon the
land by the tidal wave. Such things
have happened. DO you not notice that
the'vessel shakes. but does not swing or
roll?''
"Heavens" cried Jennings. IT believe
you are right, and yet 1t does not seem
possibe!'
II am right, and II another wave does
not follow the first and swallow us up,
we are SAFE
He rose and grope&his way to the COM
panion ladder. The cabin and pinnacle
lights had gone out with the shock, but
SO tremendous had been the strain that
the two had not noticed 1t, and the con-
tinuous play of lightning had made 1t
seem like horrible kind of daylight to
them.
''Iave you match. Jennings?" asked
the captain.
yes replied the other. fumbling in
his pockets.
Light that lamp, will you? Now that
the lightning has stopped We will need
it to see our way about. I Will try and
get one Of the dock lanterns"
Ralph lighted the lamp after some dit-
fculty, as the shock had destroyed all
= &c nd ba aS cOmp1ata1v lost hia
bearings. In the meantime Captain Riv-
ers had succeeded in finding the briggs
lanterns, and crawled to the cabin with
one of them, to get light.
I'VE are ashore sure enough" he said,
as he scratched match. II am going
to lower this lantern over the side II
possible, and see II can find out what
she is lying on. She may be on the rocks.
though I doubt it, possibly on a beach
which hope. do not even know If the
spars are on her, It is so dark"
at makes but little difference. mag
Inc"
Very little at present we shall not
know what has actually happened until
the morning. 1t Is now midnight" he
added, peering at the clock which hung
against, the ma!nmast.
"Ioo you hear anything Of the crew."
Not q sound! But then, what should
hear? They could come here II they
wished to. The man ut the wheel prob
ably jumped clean overheard when the
tidal wave struck her. suppose that
he was scared stiff"
'Ill admit that I was" said Jennings.
"Not to be surprised at in the least
Til have to allow that felt bit queer
myself There was a sort OF lost feeling
as though we We're suspended like what's
h!s-name's coffin"
"Mahomet."
That's It, Mahomet. Like Mahomet's
cof1in-between heaven and he'll"
Earth and heaven suggested Ralph
"Was It? Well the temperature Is re-
sponslble for my thinking Of the other
place. Here goes, however, to see What
soundlngs I can make"
II Will Join YOU If you do not mind"
COZ course not. Come along
They managed to make thelr way 70
the starboard side of the deck. where
the taffrail was lowest. and Rivers pro-
ceeded to lower the lantern carefully
over the side. 1t had not gone far when
1t ceased to fall.
Tho skipper leaned over the side as
much as he dared. for the wind was still
very high. and it buffeted the two men
as they crouched beside the rail. Then
he looked cautiously down.
At first he could not believe his eyes
and stared steadily at the lantern as 1t
hung below him. Finally, being satlsfed
that what he saw was real, ana not inc
fancy OF a disordered imagination, he
hauled UP the light. motioned to Jennings
to follow him, and crawled to the hatch
way and thence down into tho cabin,
"Ths boats ALL" he exclaimed, as he
threw himself down into seat at the
side of the cabin. ibid you look down
at the lantern?"
mo, and IT would have done no good
If I had am no sailor, and should
have bean WiSarp
ut does not take sailor to tell grass
when he sees It, does IT,
"Grassl What on earth
Yes, plain, common garden grass. and
on earth. too, We must have been car
ried some distance inland by that blessed
tidal wave"
THAT is extraordinary"
but not unheard Of. Ihere are many
instances to nv knowledge of Its hav-
Ing occurred to small vessels. and yet
they have only been carried above the
beaches OFF which they lay, We do nri
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