Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1906-09-12

"f~ homie people are never salts
fed" said Pyne, while he
helped the cooks by smash
ing ham bone with ham
mer The bone had been picked clean
of meat and marrow on the first day
after the wreck, but it occurred to
Enid that If 1t were broken up and
boiled she might procure some sort Of
nourishment for the two children, who
We're 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 flour and biscuits, With the
exception or two tins reserved for cX-
tremities, had been used. She was
striving to concoct cakes of chocolate
out of cocoa, an article more plentiful
than any other food of its kind in
stock, but water could not be spared,
and eating dry powder was difficult to
parched palates.
"There are two tugboats, trawlcr
and Trinity service boat not half a
mile away" said Pyne, land the cliffs
at. Lands End are peppercd with
people,"
Surely that is satisfactory. Dad
told me that the Falcon signaled this
morning he was to expect special eff
fort to be made at half tide on the flow
and not on the ebb as was arranged
yesterday"
Yes. 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 man 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, rs said before,
some people
"Oh. dash!" cried Enid "l've gone
and burnt my finger. all through listen
ing to your nonsense"
7 Are there really many people on the
clifis?" demanded Constance.
pyne pounded the bone viciously.
II go out of my way to inform you
of n number Of interesting and strictly
accurate facts" he protested. land one
of you burns her fingers and the other
doubts my word. Yet, If called your
skepticism unfeeling, Miss Enid would
be angry
Il don't know why kettle lids are SO
cantankerous," said Enid. "rhcy 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 If you were go.
ing to he electrocuted." she said pen
sively "Yet, goodness knows, 1t Is
hard to keep ones spirits up this morn
ing. The sea is us bad as ever. What
will become of us IL we get no relief
today?'
"Alr. Pyne," interrupted Constance
suddenly, do you think that any of
the men can have gained access to the
storcroom during the night?"
II can't SLY fer sure" he replied.
"What has put that into your mindY'
"T'lle purser and ! examined all that
was left this morning, and we both
agreed that some of the things had dis
appeared. 1t is very strange"
Pyne was not wholly prepared for
this mine being sprung on him. so he
essayed to gain time.
1T doesn't appeal to me in that light.
There was n miscalculation. about the
water. Why not about the food?'
because my father went through all
the stores personally and portioned
them out. Some flour and timed meat
have gone; am quite sure of it. The
question Is. Who can have taken them?
Tile -four at least must have attracted
attention If anybody tried to cat it."