Corvallis gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Benton County, Or.) 1900-1909, 1906-09-14

after the wreck, but it occurred to
Enid that if it were broken up and
boiled she might procure some sort of
nourishment for the two children, who
were fast running down in condition.
What is the matter now?" inquired
Constance whose attentive eyes We're
lowering between the cooking stove
and a distilling kettle.
All the -four and biscuits, with the
exception of two tins reserved for eX-
tremities, had been used. She was
striving to concoct cakes of chocolate
out of cocoa, an article more plentiful
than any other food of it's kind in
stock, but water could not be spared,
and eating dry powder was difficult to
parched palates.
"There are two tugboats, a trawler
and a Trinity service boat not half
mile away" said Pyne, ''and the cliffs
at Lands End are peppered with
people"
Surely that is satisfactory. Dad
told me that the Falcon signaled this
morning he was to expect special et-
fort to be made at half tide on the flow
and not on the ebb, as was arranged
yesterday"
Eyes, that is all right so far as it
goes" Pyne leaned forward with the
air of one about to impart information
of great value. But the extraordinary
thing is that while every nan on board
those vessels is thinking like steam
how best to get into the lighthouse, we
are most desperately anxious to get
out of it. So you see, as I said before,
some people,
ooh. dashr' cried Enid. "I've gone
and burnt my finger, all through listen
ing to your nonsense"
care there really many people on the
cliffs?" demanded Constance.
Pyne pounded the bone viciously.
s'I go out of my way to inform you
| of number of interesting and strictly
accurate facts" he protested, "and one
of you burns her fingers and the other
doubts my word. Yet, If called your
skepticism unfeeling, Miss Enid would
be angry"
''I don't know why kettle lids are so
cantankerous," said Enid '1rhey seem
to get hot long before the water does.
"The hottest part of any boil Is on
top" said Pyne.
Enid smiled forgiveness. 81 believe
you would be cheerful # you were 60
ing to be electrocuted," she said pen
sively. "Yet. goodness knows, 1t Is
hard to keep ones spirits up this morn
ing. The sea is as bad as ever. What
will become of US If we get no relief
today?'
"11r. Pyne," interrupted Constance
suddenly. "do you think that any o1
the men can have gained access to the
storeroom during the night?"
II can't say for sure" he replied
"What has put that into your mind?'
'"The purser and 1 examined all tina
was left this morning. and we bot
agreed that some of the things had dis
appeared. It is very strange"
Pyne was not wholly prepared fo
this mine being sprung on him, so
essayed to gain time.
''It doesn't appeal to me in that l1gn
There was a miscalculation about th
water Why not about the food!'
Because my father went through a
the stores personally and portione
them out Some flour and timed mes
, have gone; am quite sure of 1t. III
question is, Who can have taken them
, The -four at least must have attracte
I attention if anybody tried to eat it."
: did you say all that to the pu
> ser?" he asked. susoenGing his labo!
: and looking at her steadily.
/, "No; he could not remember exact
, what proportion of the various article
. there ought to be left"
"Then take my advice, Miss Co
stance, and keep on forgetting"
said.
A quick flush came into her pa
;, cheeks.
= You are not saying that witho1
good cause?" she murmured.
"I have the best of reasons. If tt
I least hint of such a thing goes rouI
l. among the men there will be ructions
> Constance went to the door al
c closed it.
: Enid" she said, 81 believe faith
and Mr.. Pyne have got some dreadf
plan in their minds which they da
J. not tell us about
Il But the American was not to be &C
r, nered in such fashion. He opened t
n door again and went out, pausing I
the threshold to say:
r II wouldn't venture to guess wh
N might be troubling Mr.. Brand, but y
,r can take it from me that what he Sa
Is goes Talk about grasping nett
In firmly! l believe your father wou
grab q scorpion by the tail If he II
le that way"
o. And with this cryptic utterance
IN quilted them, intending to warn Bra
1e at the first opportunity that the til
to was at hand when he must harden
at heart and take the decisive step
cutting off communication between
IN service room and the remainder OF
re building.
"a This could he done easily. u