The morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1899-1930, 1907-11-05

hack Win muskctS anu firpd AZ their
own comrades, who, In their madness,
leancd after them into the water, She
had lain for weeks IN enormous atolls.
whore the only life was that OF birds
and the silence was unbroken save for
the long roll OF the SURF and al night
the ghostly scurrylng OF turtles over
the sand. She had hecn everywhere IN
those lahyrlnthlan seas, those haun,s
Of romance and mystery, with love,
danger and death always close aboard,
1t was morning when Hndow raised
the Island, u tlcecy speck % cloud
against the sky line. and he shortened
sail at once and fingered out tho day
so as 70 bring him up 10 II BY dark.
After supper every Hight on board was
dowed, aud the great hull, gliding
through the glass smooth water, merg.
Cd her steep sides and towering yards
and canvas Into the universal shadow.
With whispering keel and a wind 10
fair and soft that one wondered 10
see the sails stltfen In the bolt ropes,
the man.of'war stole steadily to leo.
ward, with no sound but the occa.
sional creak OF cordage or the hoarse
murmur OF voices from tho lower deck.
BY 10 the ship was hove 70 close
ashore. and the lights OF the little set.
tiement gllmmered through the palms,
The warm night, laden with exotic
fragrance and strangely exciting IN the
Intensity OF It's Stiffness and beauty,
hid beneath Its far reaching pail the
various actors OF an extraordinary
drama. With pistols buckied to their
hips. Brady, winterslca. Hotham and
Stanbury-Jcnes four officers Of the
ship together with Hatch. a flnty
faced old seaman who could bc trusted.
all slipped down the ladder into the
captaln's gig and pulled with mufliei
oars for tho break In tho rect. Picking
their way through the pass, with the
surf on either hand roaring In their
esirA they slowly penetrated tho lagoon
and headed for the kings house. The
sheiving beach brought tham to a stop.
and all jumping out to tighten the boat
they drew her over the shlngle and
made her painter fast TO a pandanus
tree, Then. acting In accordance with
q preconcerted plan. winterslea was
sent forward to track down their prey,
while the rest huddled together to
await his return.
Ten minutes, twenty minutes. pass.
cd In palpitating suspense. A girl drew
by wreathed In flowers. She looked
out to sea, then up at the stars and
shrank again into the shadow. From
the neighboring houses there came the
sound OF mellow voices and OF laugh.
ter. A pig rooted and rustled among
a heap Of cocoanut shells. Half an
hour passed. and from far across the
water. rs faint and silvery as some
elfn signal, the ship sent her message
OF the time--slx bells.
Painting and crouchlng. winterslea
CROPPED his way among them.
Come" he said.
They followed him In silence, I'm.
loosing their holsters and grimly ready.
A pair of handouts clluked In Hatch's
Jumper
Winterslea, with keen perception. led
the way like hound, sklrting lighted
houses and following devious inland
paths. The comparative openness OF
the village began 10 give way to the
ranker underground OF the plantations
behind It The path sank into chok-
Ing vegetation that stood on either
side and brushed their faces ~ they |
followed In single tlle A fallen tree
gave them the passage OF stream.
"There!" said Winterslea.
The path opened out on little clear.
Ing among the trees and showed them.
set on high. the outlines OF a native
house. Like all Tahltian houses, II |
was on the model OF bird cage, and |
the oval wall Of bamboo, set side BY |
side, let through vertical streaks OF |
light from the lamp or fire within.
AS the whole party drew nearer they |
heard, deep below them on the other
side, the pleasant sound OF falling wa.
ter and realized that the cliff they |
were mounting overlooked n little rlv.
er at Its foot Here In exquisite 10.
clusion Jack Garrard had chosen the
spot for his moral suicide.
Creeping up to the house and look
Ing through the cracks OF the BAN.
boos, his comrades saw him sitting
within, dressed like a native In tapa
cloth, with bare chest and flowers in
bis tawny hair. He was sitting In a
and with her head against |
his knee a beautiful girl was looking |
up into his face, one hand locked In
bis.
In that land Of pretty women she
was the one that outshone them all |
Tehea, the sister Of the king. for whose
sweet favor every man on board had
sought In vain, And here she was,
with her long hair loosened and her
eyes swimming with love, looking up
at the lad who had given name and
honor to win her heart The pair were
hardly more than children, and Brady,
a sentimentalist Of forty, with red hair,
sighed as lie peeped throuwa the caves
and thought OF his own dear girl at /
home. sb gsaH 4t sa4
Garrard laid down the pipe he had
haan smnkinp and In hnnnv 1Incon. |