Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1905-04-21

CHAPTER II Continued
H"r color came back with rnmarka.
tl, rariiity She tried u assume a sit
ting posture. ana instlnctively her
hands Travelled To her dioarrnnx.d cos
tune
How ridiculpus"' She said. with Il
little note of annoyance in her voice.
which sounded curiously hollow. But
her brave spirit could not yet command
her rIf'rbed framc She was perforce
compelled to sink back to the support
of his knee and arm
do you think you could lie quiet I'M
til try to find some waterT" he gasp
ed anxiously.
She nodded n childlike acqu!escence.
and her eyelids fell. 1t was only that
her eyes smarted dreadfuly from the
salt water. but the sailor was sure
that this was premonition OF lapse
to Inconsistencies.
please try not to faint again." he
said. Don't you think l had better
loosen these things? You can breathe
more easily"
A ghost Of smile flickered on her
lips. "No-no." she murmured. my
eyes hurt me-that Is all. Is there
any-water"
He laid her tenderly OH the sand and
rose to his feet. His first glance was
toward the SEQ. He saw something
which made him blink with astonish-
ment. A heavy sea was still running
over the barrier reef which inclosed q
small lagoon. The contrast between
the fierce commotion outside and the
comparatively smooth surface Of the
protected pool was very marked. At
pletely isolated Indeed he imagined
that only u fierce gale blowing from
the northwest would enable the waves
to leap the reef. save where strip Of
broken water. surging far into the
small natural harbOr, betrayed the pO-
sition Of the tiny entrance.
Yet ut this very point fine cocoanut
palm reared its stately column high in
air, and its long, tremulous fronds were
now swinging wildly before the gale
From where he stood it appeared to
be growing in the midst of the sea, for
huge breakers completely hid the coral
embankment. This sentinel Of the land
had weirdly impressive effect 1t
was the only fixed object in the waste
Of foam capped waves. Not vestigs
Of the Sirdar remained seward, but
the sand was Uttered with wreckage,
and-mournful spectacle-a considera-
BILE number Of inanimate human forms
lay huddled up amid the relics Of the
steamer.
He turned to survey the land on which
he was stranded with his helpless com.
panion. To his great relief he discov-
cred that 1t was lofty and tree clad.
He knew that the ship could not have
drifted to Borneo. which still lay far to
the south. This must be one Of the
hundreds of islands which stud the
China sea and provide resorts for Hal
nan fishermen. Probably 1t was In
habited. though he thought 1t strange
that none of the islanders had put In
an appearance. In any event water
&AU AVO0 Va cOiuC bOIt WCXc uSSUICNxs
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
oh ~ TIM In, po
wholly extinct.
So he bent over the girl, noting with
sudden wonder that, weak as she was,
she had managed to refasten part of
her bodice.
you must permit me to carry you q
little farther inland" he explained
gently.
Without another word he lifted her
In his arms, marveling somewhat al
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 sea and its revela'
tons.
Il am SO cold and tired" murmured
Iris. IFS there any water? Ny throat
hurts me-"
He pressed back the tangled hail
from her forehead as he might soothe
a child.
TRY to lie still for q very few min
utes," he said. You have not long t.
suffer. I will return Immediately"
His own throat and palate were or
70 hA h,tn h,~k 10
hurried back to the edge Of the lagoon
There were fourteen bodies in all, three
women and eleven men, four Of the
latter being Lascars. The women WERE
saloon passengers whom he did moi
know. One Of the men was the sur
geon. another the first officer, third
Sir John Tozer. The rest were passen
were all dead; some had been peaceful
ly drowned, others were fearfully
mangled by the rocks. Two Of the Las
cars, bearing signs Of dreadful injuries
were lying on a cluster Of low rocks
overhanging the water. The remainder
rested on the sand.
The sailor exhibited no visible emo
tiOu Wulic uc CUuuuCtcu Ills bdu bCTu
tiny. When he was assured that this
silent company was beyond mortal helI
he at once strobe away toward the
nearest belt Of trees. He could not tel
how long the search for water nigh,
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 prodiga
luxuriance, was the benefcent pitcher
plant whose large curled up leaf. shap
ed like 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 Ell
bow. The poor girls eyes glistened al
the prospect of relief. Without a word
Of question or surprise she swallowed
the contents Of both leaves.
Then she found utterance. "How
odd 1t tastes. What Is itT' she in
Quired.
But the eagerness with which she
hr1 TO- ~