Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1903-01-09
CHAPTER XIX.
PLANS FoR ESCAPE.

iI<AANo \ Wv i1oN>2Ai Il.
Mr.. Kent was the first to awake.
1T was noon when he shook off the
drowsy god and plunged into bath.
He emerged feeling better, and soon
dressed and entered the club room.
He found that none of his fellow
castaways were awake. After IL
search in the storeroom he provided
himself with rod, reel and a COM
plete fishing equipment. Armed
with a dip net he went to the brook,
and as Sidney had predicted found
no difficulty in catching pail full
of minnows A few minutes later he
was drifting over the bay on the
raft.
1t was not long before he located
a school of pike and bass, the latter
much resembling the northern weak
fish. Before the minnow had been
lowered ten feet, one of the bass
made. rush for it. He struck hard,
and for three minutes Mr.. Kent was
a busy and a happy man. The reel
sang a CHEEKY song, for the bass
was game and did not tamely sur
render AT last he was in the land
ing net and from thence he went
into the willow basket.
In less than an hour Mr.. Kent had
caught dozen bass and pike, which
averaged four pounds. 1t was fine
creel of fish, and Mr.. Kent padded
back to the stone pier in high salts
faction with his piscatorial prdwcss.
He justly regarded himself as the
colony.
1t was not so much fun cleaning
these beauties, but Mr.. Kent had
completed the task when he was
joined by Mr.. Haven. Together they
prepared the late breakfast and at
four o'clock all were seated around
the table. They pronounced the fish
excellent and gave Mr.. Kent vote
of thanks promising him a decora'
| ton on their return to civilization.
All adjourned to the veranda and
Mr.. Carmody brought up the subject
! of building boat with which to es
! cape to the mainland. Sidney Ham
mond said it was useless to continue
/ the exploration of the island. In his
! opinion it was about ten miles long
/ running north and south, and prob
I ably four or five miles wide. The
| snow-capped mountain undoubtedly
4 belonged to the range forming thu
backbone of Mexico and Contra
/ America. 1t was sufficient to know
that they We're not more than ISL
miles from the mainland. Sidne,
suggested that Il man be detailed t.
watch the ocean each day from thu
gateway to the bay, and volunteers
his services for the morrow. 1T wa
decided to erect flagstaff at thi
| point and float white flag from i
as signal of distress.
1--WE will begin the building 0
boat or raft Tomorrow" said MI
Carmody, the chairman of the com
mittee of escape. 81 have my plan
practically completed and ! will sub
nit them to you now for approval
rejection or modification. My sus
gastion is that we build raft i
tHe !ofn Oh nouSeooue. uo"o
if we have the materials with whic
to construct lifeboat, with pointe
bows and stern. Again, such n boa
is not nearly as safe as raj
J from what Hammond has learned
am OF the opinion that any humble
) Of ships pass to the east of us at
distance not exceeding a5 miles
While our objective point is the mali
, land, we must calculate on the pc:
sibility Of being blown to the eas
The Gulf of Mexico and the CARL
bean sea are thronged with ship
Of all kinds, 1t is likely that thi
island lies little Off the regulu
course Of traffic.. but we ore csrtai