Waterbury Democrat., 1903-01-06
The Mermaid's
 Captive

of moisture from the clothes he had spread upon the thwarts as the pitiless sun rose once again above the l drop. He began to whimper like a 1 scolded child.
 1 He glanced astern at two long dark objects lying motionless in the water; they would not have long to wait. He shook his fist at them in impotent anger as he thought, then he crawled under the canvas awning, which he had erected in the stern of the boat, and lay down. 1 Hotter and hotter it grew. Not a l breath of air stirred the tattered 1 jacket raised aloft on the oar that 1 did duty for a mast. He seemed to be the boss upon a shield of polished | steel.
 :. What was that7
 Something was rocking the boat? him already? He sat up and stared about him. His tired, bloodshot eyes seemed to start from their sockets as he saw that a hand, small, white hand, was clinging to the gunwale at the bows.
 Slowly and without apparent ef- fort a beautiful girl drew herself from the water into the boat. She seated herself and regarded him with eyes that were the color of sap phires. at&
 Her deep red hair clung to her body and trailed over the side of the boat into the water; her, scar | let lips were parted in a smile; her tiny white teeth gleamed from be- tween them like pearls. Her single ornament was a string of square semi-transparent green stones about her forehead.
 He clenched his hands together and tried in vain to speak. His tongue re- fused to do his bidding, his lips moved, forming no words.
 "Water!" He had said it at last.
 The girl smiled and nodded to him; she was busy shaking out her long hair to dry it in the sun.
 Water, for Gods sake!" he cried, and this time his voice was louder. The girl pointed to the sea. "Is there not plenty?" she asked.
 If I drink that I shall die," he answered.
 ''Die?" said the girl. "What is die? Do you mean melt?'
 I'm doing that now," he said. Then he laughed laugh that rattled in his parched throat; the joke seemed so good that he forgot to stop.
 The girl regarded him grave1y. CT suppose you drink land-water?" she said
 ''Ha, ha! land-water! Yes, yes. Ha, ha, ha! Bring it me!'' He sank back exhausted by the effort he had made, and the daylight turned to inky dark ness. 2 ><~
 He gazed about him with uncorn- pretending eyes. He was lying on a hard, smooth surface, cold to the touch, and he was no longer at sea. Surrounding him on every hand were tall pillars of dark rock; they formed the natural supports to huge caverns in whose black velvet depths the em- erald water choked and gurgled. His gaze roamed round and. round the pool in search of its outlet to the sea. The water rose and fell, and eddied in response to the swell of the ocean, yet no opening was vis- ible, and no sound of surf reached his ears. A large shell, full of fres:, water, lay by his side. With an in- articulate cry he seized it and drained it's contents to the last drop.
 The life-giving fluid seemed to course through his veins, quenching the fire that was in them. He lay back with smile upon his shrunken lips. ... ......
 Slowly his strength and under standing began to return to him.
 He seemed, so far as he could make out, to be lying in the hollow cen ter of some lonely sea-girt rock. Above the caves and clinging to the smooth slate gray walls that tow cred skyward there clambeEed vine like creeper bearing long ropes of scarlet fruit. Before one of the caves there dangled glorious orchid; it's flowers, like monstrous butterflies tied to a fine thread, turned and twisted in the still air, as though they struggled to be free. Far above his head, against the blue sky, countless sea birds were wheel ing. ... ..
 He staggered to his feet, and, pass ing his hand over his brow, stared about him in amazement. What did it meanf Why was he here? His boat was nowhere to be seen, and Q glance convinced him that escape from the place by climbing was inn possible.
 He entered the cavern nearest to him. He was weak. He had to grip the walls with his fingers to prevent himself from falling.
 Darkness, impenetrable darkness everywhere. As he emerged again into daylight, his foot struck againSt some light object, which gave forth curious hollow sound. He bent down and took it in his hand; it was white bone. Examining the ground about him carefully, he discovered some tattered remnants of cloth and