The Evening statesman. [volume] (Walla Walla, Wash.) 1903-1910, 1905-08-19
Jlmuleboy In Tyustland
ByJOHN KENDRICK BANGS
On Oils of Gold.

recent perilous adventure. Jimmieboy
lay prone upon tine shining sands of
the Oils of Gold, barely able to move
physically, but his eye lost none of
it's activity and roamed freely about
whittier he had not the bodily strength
to 60 Far out beyond the oily wa
rers he could see the terrible seas
raging. and laboring heavily upon
them more than one ship battling with
many of them, even as did the Sea
Gull, fell to pieces and disappeared
into the depths, leaving no sign any
where upon the surface to tell the
story Of their fate, or eve nto leave
behind them a mint of their ever
having existed. In so far as Jimmie
boy could see this, indeed, was the
fate of all that drifted within the line
Of the oil, and the fact began to in
terest MIN hugely as, with returning
strength, he was able to sit up and
observe more closely what was go
ing on. 1t was when one of the larg-
est of these unfortunate craft met
with the common fate that his at
tention was diverted to a party Of
wreckers who suddenly emerged from
further along the shore.
They were so mild a body Of ap-
pearing gentlemen that the, lad felt
not the slightest fear of them, and,
curiosity lending vigor to his limbs, he
rose up and walked down to where
they were busily engaged in launch
ing strange sort of vessel, that
looked more like a huge cigar made
of steel than anything else. the party
never paused an instant in their work.
and yet all the time they sang loudly
the beautiful hymn Onward Christian
Soldiers, Marching as to War; This
happened to be one Of JimmiebOy's
favOrite hymns and the moment he
recognized it whatever caution ne
might have felt inclined to show in
mis- approach to the strangers van
ished, and he walked up to them bold
as you please.
Good morning, my yiung Christian
friend" said the leader, kindly faced,
blue eyed old gentleman with grizzly
gray moustacne; "have you said your
prayers this morning."
Not yet" said Jimmieboy, "but I'm
going to-"
Right" said the leader, whistling
bar from Rock of Ages" and to-
gether with his assistants giving the
cigar shaped vessel a final push, which
got it successfully launched on the
sea. Hurry up and say them and Wen
take you sailing with u.s."
mo, thank you," said Jimmieboy,
with a shake of mis- head, 1--WE just
managed to get ashore, sir, and rye
had all the sailing 1 can stand for a
little while anyhow"
The kindly blue eye turned red and
shot fire. The grizzly gray moustache
bristled like quidds on the fretful por-
cupine, and the lips that seemed ever
ready to smile pressed into rigid blue
line running straight athwart the now
thunderous countenance.
You will hurry and say your pray
ers, boy, and then accompany us on
our trip" he observed, icily. Il am not
accustomed to opposition" ..
But began.
Down on your knees and pray!"
commanded the other tnreateningly.
And Jimmieboy, completely ratified
and seeing that further resistance
was useless, pumped down on his
knees and murmured his Nov 1 lay
me down to Sleep" as meekly as a
two-year-old infant.
"Now hustle aboard" cried the old
gentleman sharply. Shove off, mates
he added, as Jimmiebow jumped aboard
the strange craft.
Strange craft it was indeed-a sub
marine with a great NAV at the front
and operated by suction pipes which
drew it into every object that came
within the range of their resistlesS at
traction. It's mission was soon all too
evident, for as the strange craft picked
about in the abysmal depths of the
ocean Jimmieboy could see through the
huge observation window, where he
stood beside the commander, great
piles of wreckage-gOld, silver, jewels,
precious things of many sOrts-drag-
ged into the NAV Of this dreadful boat.
Here and there the terrified lad could
also see the water bleached bones of
the passengers and crews of the
mighty ships that after their hopeless
struggle in the seas of adversely had
come into the realm of oil, collapsed
and gone down into oblivion, little
dreaming that far down beneath these
aqueous scenes of disaster lay the CT
gar-shaped salvage craft of the wreck
ers, waiting like 4 bird of prey, ready
to pounce upon it's victims.
Looks like a pretty poor haul to-
day" growled the commander. Most
of the ships that have gone down late
ly have been pretty poor stuff.
There wasn't any news of the Equita-
BILE when we left, was there, james,"
he added, turning to his first assist
ant.
Nope" replied James. "The last
we heard was that they were keeping
her af1oat, but not much doing"
"She'd be a prize" said the COM
mander. Shes got four hundred mil
lions of treasure in her hold
And then he began humming Hold
the Fort for I Am Coming" under his
breath.
I'm for blowin' her up with mines,
but the king won't hear of it," he ad-
ded in a minute. "He thinks some of
us would be hurt by flynn splinters,
but I'm hanged if 1 can see how. After
what the Tom Toms been dom to us
,iol