The Cairo bulletin., 1904-03-29

face Of Magdaena bay. ON shore noun
iBg moved.
"Quiet thefe forward" called Moran
to the shriltvoiced coolies.
The succeeding stiffness was pro
found. NJ on board listened intent|y.
The wafr dripped like the ticking Of
clock rom the Bertha Millncrs stern,
which with the rising Of the bow had
sunk Almost to the rail. There was no
othsr sound
"strangew muttered Moran, her brows
Extracting
Charlie broke the silence with wall
no likec, 10 likeer' he cried at top
voice.
The man had gone suddenly green.
Wilbur could see the shine of his eyes,
distended like those Of a harassed eat.
AS he, Moran and Wilbur stood in the
scbooncr's waist staring at each other,
the smell Of punk came to their nos
trils Forward the coolies We're already
burning Joss sticks on the fo'c'stle
head, kotoNing their foreheads to the
deck
|. Moran went forward and kicked
them to their feet aud hurled their joss
sticks into the sea.
"Feng Shut Feng shui!" they e2-
claimed with bated breaths. THE
Feng shut no likee We"
Low in the east the horizon began
to blaeken against the sky. 1t was
early morning. A watch was set, the
Cinnamon sent below, and until day
break, when Charlie began to make Il
Gathering of tins in the galley MS he
set about preparing breakfast Wilbur
paced the rounds Of the schooner, look
ing. listening and waiting again for
that slow, horrifying lift. But The rest
of the night was without incident.
After breakfast the strangely assert
ed trio Charlie, Moran aud Wilbur
held another conference in the cabin.
1t was decided to move the schooner
to the other side of the bay.
'Feng shut in disa place. No llkcc
we" announced Charlie.
'Fcng shui-who are they"
Charlie promptly became incohcrcut
on this subject, and Moran and vii
but could only guess that the Fcns
shut were the tutelary dieties That pre-
sided over that portion Of Masdalona
bay. At any rate, there Were evidently
II, rlr fN In Nm u
fishing ground. So sail was made. and
by noon the Bertha Millner tied up TO
the kelp on the opposite side Of the
inlet. about half a mile from the shore,
The shark were plentiful here, and
the fishing went forward again as be-
fore. Certain Of these shark werc haul
ed aboard, stunned by blow on the
nose and their fms cut off The China
men packed these fins away in sepa-
rate kegs Eventually they would be
sent to China.
Two or three days passed. The
hands kept steadily at their work.
Nothing more occurred 70 disturb the
mon0tony Of the scorchlng days and
soundleSs nights. The schooner sat as
easily on the unbroken water rs though
built 20 the bottom. Soon the night
watch was discontinued. During these
days the three officers lived high. Tur-
tie were plentiful, and what with their
steaks and soups. the fried abalones,
the sen fish, the really delicious shark
fins and the Quail that charlie and
Wilbur trapped along the shore, the
trio had nothing 10 wish for in the
way of table luxuries.
The shore was absolutely deserted
az well as the back country an IN
broken wilderness of sand and sage.
Half a dozen times Wilbur, wearying
of his inaction aboard the schooner
made the entire circuit of the bay
from point 10 point Standing on one
Of the latter projections and looking
out TO the west, the Pacific appeared
as empty Of life rs the land Never q
keel cut those waters, never n sail
broke the edge of the horizon. never n
feather of smoke spotted the sky where
1t whtened to meet the sen Every
thing was empty vast unspeakably
desoate- palpitatng with heat
Another week passed. Charlie be
gan to complain that tho sharks were
growing scarce again
II think himeby him 90 way. once
q mo-"
That same night Wilbur. lying in
bis hammock, was awakened by a
touch on his arm. lie woke to see
Moran beside him on tho deck
did you hear anything" she said in
a low voice, looking at him under her
scowl,
no, no" i've exclaimed, getting mp,
reaching for his wicker sandals. "Did
you?r
Il thought something. Did you
feel anythng?"
Eve been asleep; ! haven't noticed
anything. Is it beginning again."
"The schooner lifted again Just now.
very gently happened to be awake
or I wouldn't have noticed it They
were talking in low voices. as is the
custom of people speaking in the dark,
There. what's tbatf" exclaimed VII
bur under his breath. 4 gentle
vibration, barely pereeptible thrilled
through the schooner Under his hand
that was clasped upon the rail Wilbur
could feel q faint trembling in her
frame II stopped. began again and
died slowly away.