Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-11-27
THE CAPTAIN OF THE KANSAS
BY LOUIS TRACY,
Author OF THE Wings Of the Morning" Etc.
Copyright /, - J.
By LOUIS TRACY,
her In discussing matters with such non
hor OF "The Wings Of the Morning" Etc.


her In discussing matters with such non
chafanee.
Barely a minute had elapsed since they
were In the throes Of q struggle which
promised to be the last act Of a tragedy.
| The ship was then overrun by horde OF
bowling savages, maddened by the des-
! perate resistance offered by the defend
ers. and ruthless as wolves in their lust
| for destruction. Now the Kansas was
| clear of every bedaubed Alacuiof, save
| the many who numbered the decks, either
| dead or so seriously wounded that they
| could not move. These men were SO near
| akin to animals that this condition i'm
piled ultimate collapse save in few in
stances of fractured skulls and broken
limbs. From the final stage of hopeless
| butcherys the survivors Of the ships COM
pany were suddenly transferred to posi-
| ton Of reasonable security. It was not
that the arrival of the ships boats meant
! such an accession of fighting strength
that the Alaculofs could not have made
sure of victory. Gray and his companions
were badly armed. The Indians remain
ing In the canoes could have pelted them
to shreds in few minutes. Even those
| on the ship had the power to resist any
| attempt by the newcomers to gain the
decks. But the superstitious savages had
| already screwed themselves up to an act
| of unusual daring in delivering a night
| attack. and the appearance Of boats filed
with men of whose fighting qualities they
| had already such lively experience quite
| demoralized them. They fed without at
| tempting counter assault. Just as
negroes conjure up white demons. so did
| these nude Alaculofs regard with awe
| men who wore clothes. They wer5 ready
| to kill and eat the strange beings of an
| other race who. few in numbers and ILL
| armed. wandered into their rock-pent
/ fastnesS. but 10 was quite different thing
| to face them in equal combat.
| At last the sounds Of conflict died away.
| The black waters closed over the dead:
| the last swimmer vanished into the 81
lence. The spasmodic barking of the dog.
| the grooming of men lying on the decks
| and the shouts exchanged between
Courtenay and Gray for the guidance of
| the boats were the only remaining SYM
| bols of the fiercest crisis which had yet
| befallen the Kansas.
[ Elsie. wandering through a trancelike
| maze of vivid Impressions. awoke with q.
| start to the fact that Courtenay was Civ
ing directions for the lowering of the
! ships gangway, meanwhile receiving in
| formation as to the identity of the boats
beneath.
Mr.. Malcolm is in charge of the jolly
boat" Gray was saying Miss Barring
and Mr.. and Mrs. Somerville are with
| him. Miss Baring's maid is dead. Senior
Jerrera is In my boat. No. 2. We have
been on White Horse Island all this time,
but We have seen nothing of the other
nfeboat."
That meant that two boats out of those
opportunely. Senior Jerrera was the
| Spanish mining engineer who had been
hustled into one of the craft manned by
the mutineers, And Isobel was actually
sitting down there in the darkness few
feet away. How wonderful 1t all was,
Elsie thought her heart would never
cease its labored throbbing Even yet
her breath came In little gasps. How
could the captain and Gray talk SO ceolly,
as if some Of the passengers and crew
raft hoo nd ho oh ftor
evening ashore? 1t was the bedizened
| sayages who now assumed reality; the
simple orders which dealt with the clear
ing of the falls and the lowering of .
ladder became wildly fantastic.
And Christobal was saying:
We'll. Miss Maxwell. you and can
to3k forward to a busy. night. The ship
Is Uttered with wounded men, and our
newly arrived fFtessds must be worn with
fatigue" -,-.-...r -
His smooth. even sentences helped to
dispel the stupor of amazement which
soned thought which came to her was
| that the Spanish doctor had treated her
with the kindness of an indulgent parent.
for Elsie was far too unselfish not to be
| alive to the unselfishness of others.
How good you have been to met she
murmured. Il can never repay you. /
| remember now that said dreadful things
| to you In the saloon. But you did not
know what 1t meant to- me when real
| lied that Capt. Courtenay might be fall
Ing even then beneath the blows of thes.
merciless savages- / have not had q
chance to tell you that he has asked me
| to be his wife. ana I have consented. I
love him more than all the word. And
you. DIR. ChristObal, you who knew my
father and mother. who have grown-up
daughters Of your own, you will wish me
happiness?
1t was not easy to bear when 1t came,
although he had guessed the truth al
ready. But he ehoked back the wrath
and despair which surged up In him, and
said. with his stately courtesy:
II do wish you well. Elsie. No man can
hope more earnestly than that you have
made the better choice"
Then he turned. with q certain abrupt
ness which reminded her Of the ehange
! twice during recent days. and quilted the
bridge. She sighed. and was sorry for
him. knowing that he loved her.
Courtenay. who had been far too busy
to pay heed to anything beyond the brief
hght between the boats and the canoes,
perceived now that the gangwAy was In
position: lights were shining on both the
upper and lower platforms.
He stretched out his hand and drew
Elsie to him.
Are you alone, sweetheart?" he asked
Yes"
kiss me. then, and 20 to meet your
friends. They will be aboard In less than
minute. Oh. Elsie. thought 1 had seen
| the last of YOU
Was II SO bad as that?" she muir
INJURED, a great content soothing her heart
and brain at her lovers admission that
he was thinking Of her during the worst
agony 81 the fray. He gave her reas-
surfing hug.
You will never know how bad it was"
he said. II cannot understand how we
escaped. One moment it all looks like
blind chance; the next feel like going on
my knees In thanksufness for the direct
intervention Of Providence. Those brutes
ought to have mastered us a dozen times
almost lost faith when 1 heard Tolle-
mache shout that the saloon was in
danger. but I could not leave the after
deck. where four Of us were keeping fifty
in check. The least sign Of yielding would
have caused an overwhelming rush. Well
alrs well that ends well. And not
sailor living can squeeze his best girl and
do his work at the same time. on with
you. or l Shall never bring you on a
voyage In my ship again"
With her soul singing a canticIe of 10Y
she passed from the bridge to the lower
deck. Mr.. Boyle was voting there. hold
ing a lantern.
Huh" he growled, when he saw her.
"praps you'll believe what 1 tell you be-
| fore your>hair turns gray. IL not sooner.
Luck! Did any man ever have such luck
| as the skipper? Why. II he fell of Mong
Biong he'd find circus net rugged up to