The Richmond palladium. (Richmond, Ind.) 1906-1907, 1906-07-01
He staggered bltndlU on.

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mist. Then he tremblingly endeavored
to open the neck of her dress. He was
startled to find the girls eyes wide
open and surveying him with shadowy
+ alarm. She was quite conscious.
THANK Godr he cried hoarsely
"You are alive
Her color came back with remarka.
BILE rapidly. She tried to assume a sit
ting posture, and instinctively her
hands travelled to her disarranged CO.'S
tune.
How ridiculous" she said, with a
little note of annoyance in her voice,
which sounded curiously hollow. But
her brave spirit could not yet command
her enfeebled frame. 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 l try to find some water?' he gasp
ed anSiously.
She nodded childlike acquiescence,
and her eyelids fell. 1t was only that
her eyes smarted dreadfully from the
salt water, but the sailor was sure
that this was premonition of a 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 a smile f1ickered 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 sea- He saw something
which made him blink with astonish-
ment. A heavy sea was still running
| over the barrier reef which inclosed a
small lagoon The contrast between
| the fierce commotion outside and the
comparatively smooth surface Of the
| protected pool was very marked. At
! low tide the lagoon was almost COM
pletely isolated. Indeed he imagined
that only a fierce gale blowing from
the northwest would enable the waves
to leap the reef, save where a strip of
broken water, surging far into the
small natural harbor, betrayed the po-
sition of the tiny entrance.
Yet at this very point fine cocoanut
palm reared its stately column high in
| air, and its long, tremulous fronds were
row 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 a weirdly impressive effect. II
was the only fixed object in the waste
of foam capped waves. Not vestige
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.
This discovery stirred him to action
He turned to survey the land on which
| he was stranded with his helpless com
! panion To his great relief he discov-
cred that it 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 it was in
| habited. though he thought it strange
| that none of the islanders had put in
an appearance. In any event water
and 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 Il
permit her first conscious gaze to res
| ,,ro, fboco cr,1rplad objects on thl
beach. Common humanity demanded
too, that he should hastily examine
each of the bodies in case life was no
wholly extinct.
Il So he bent over the girl, noting witt
J sudden wonder. that. weak as she was