Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1905-02-15
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CHAP. line SlfQaf, having among
her passengers Iris Deane, daughter Of
the owner Of the ship, and Robert jerks,
who is working as waiter. Is wrecked.
u-All are lost save Miss Deane and
jerks, who are cast ashore on an islet
In the Pacific.
AID food of some sort We're assured.
But before setting out upon his quest
two. things demanded attention. The
girl must be removed from her present
position. 1t would be too horrible to
permit her first conscious gaze to rest
upon those crumpled objects on the
beach. Common humanity demanded.
too, that he should hastily examine
each Of the bodies in case life was not
wholly extinct.
So he bent over the girl, noting with
sudden wonder that, weak rs she was,
she had managed to refasten part of
her bodice.
"You must permit me to carry you u
little farther inland" he explained
gently.
Without another word he lifted her
in his arms, marveling somewhat at
the strength which came of necessity,
and bore her some little distance until
sturdy rock jutting out of the. sand
offered shelter from the wind and pro-
lection from the sen and its revela-
tons.
II am so cold and tired" murmurcd
Iris. SIS there any water? My throat
hurts me-"
He pressed back the tangled hair
from her forehead us he might soothe
a child.
"Try to lie still for very few min
utes," he said. you have not long to
suffer. I will return Immediately"
His own throat and palate were on
fire owing to the brine, but he first
hurried back to the edge of the lagoon.
There were fourteen bodies in nll, three
women and eleven men, four of the
latter being Lascars. The women were
saloon passengers whom he did not
know. One of the men was the sur
geon, another the first officer, third
Sir John Tozer. The rest were passen-
gers and members of the crew. They
were all dead; some had been peaceful
ly drowned, others were fearfully
mangled by the rocks. Two of the Las
ears, bearing signs of dreadful injuries.
were lying on cluster of low rocks
overhanging the water. The remainder
rested on the sand.
The sailor exhibited no visible emo
ton while he conducted his sad scru-
tiny. When he was assured that this
silent company was beyond mortal help
he Mt once strobe away toward the
nearest belt Of trees. He could not tell
how long the search for water might
be protracted, and there was pressing
need for 1t.
When he reached the first clump of
brushwood he uttered a delighted ex-
clamation. There, growing in prodigal
luxuriancc, was the beneficent pitcher
x, whose large curled up leaf, shnp-
ed -1farsa teacup, not only holds last
ing quantity of rain water, but mixes
Herewith its own palatable and nat
ural juices.
With his knife he severed two OF
the leaves and fastened to Iris with
the precious beverage She heard him
and managed to raise herself on an el-
bow. The poor girls eyes glistened at
the prospect of relief. Without word
Of question or surprise she swallowed
the contents of both leaves.
Then she found utterance. "How
odd it tastes. What is it," she in.
quired.
But the eagerness with which she
quenched her thirst renewed his ow1
momentarily forgotten torture. His
tongue seemed to swell. He was alb
solutely unable to reply.
The water revived Iris like magic
draft. Her quick intuition told he1
what had happened.
"You have had none yourself" She
cried. go at once and get some! And
please bring me some more"
He required no second bidding. Aft
er hastily gulping down the contents
of several leaves he returned with .
further supply. Iris was now sitting
up. The sun had burst royalty through
the clouds, and her chilled limbs were
gaining some degree of warmth anC
elasticity.
what is it," she repeated after IN
other delicious draft.
"The leaf of the pitcher plant. Ma
ture is not always cruel. In an un
usually generous mood she devised this
method of storing water"
Miss Deane reached out her hant
for more. Her troubled brain refused
to wonder at such reply from an ordi
nary seaman. The sailor deliberately
spilled the contents of u remaining leai
on the sand.
mo, madam" he said, with an ODD
mixture of Difference and firmness M
more at present. l must first procur,
you some food"
She looked up at him in momentary
silence.
1.-THE ship is lost?' she said after ,
pause.
Eyes, madam"
care we the only people saved?'-
1T fear So
SIS this desert island?"
II think not, madam, 1t may b!
chance be temporarily uninhabited, bu
fishermen from China come to all thes,
places. have seen no other living be
ings except ourselves. Nevertheless
the islanders may live on the soutl
side"
at surely cannot be possible that The
sirdar has gone to pieces-a magnifi
cent vessel of her size and strengthY
He answered quietly: at is too true
madam. suppose you hardly knew
she struck, 1t happened so suddenly
Afterward, fortunately for you, yor
were unconscious"
"How do you know?" she inquired
quickly. A flood of vivid recollection
was pouring in upon her.
"I-er-well, l happened to be neal
you, madam, when the ship broke up
and we-er-drifted ashore together"
She rose and faced him. a reinem
Der now" she cried hysteri1 ". "Yol
caught me as l was thrown into til,
eorr;1or VIZ foil into tIn en-, who,