Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-12-05

CHAPTER XIX.
Wherein the Kansas Resumes Hel
Voyage.
The events OF the next hour were
shadowy as the dawn to Elsie. She
knew that her lover placed men in each
Of the canoes. that the lifeboat itself
| was crowded, and that it began the sea-
ward journey after the others had started
She followed his explanation that if one
Of the lighter craft got into difficulties at
| the Indian barrier, the big, heavy boat
would be able to extricate it. But she
feared neither Indians nor sea. Had
Courtenay proposed to sail away into the
Pacific she would have listened with
placid approval. She was by his side
that suff1ced. For the rest, they lived in
| the midst of adventures. What did it
matter If they were called on to run the
ganclet of one more ambuscade-or a
| dozen. II 1t came to that?
| But they sped out of the twilight into
| the morning glory of the open bay. and
| never a savage boot disturbed the echoes.
Some Of the Alaculofs had dragged a
couple of canoes from beneath the trees
| and raced Off toward the village; others
| had followed coast path known only to
| them, while, if there were watchers by
| the side of that mysterious river which
flowed both ways with the tide, they kept
a silent vigil, awed by the force arrayed
against them.
| AS the lifeboat emerged into the estu-
airy under the vigorous sweep of six ash
blades. Elsie's wondering glance rested
| on the brown plumpness Of three-quar
| ters-naked girl. who was gazing at
as Joey was regarding his master In the
intense, penetrating light of sunrise, tn
bedaubed and skin-clothed Argentine was
the most unlovely object that ever capti-
! waited woman. Yet he satisfied the soul
Of this Fuegian maid. so what more was
| there to be said?
| Courtenay caught the happy little sigh.
| half laugh. half sob, with which Elsie an
nounced her discovery Of the idyl in the
| canoe.
| I'VE owe lot to that young person.
he said. None of US could make out a
word she uttered when first we saw her.
She loses what small amount of Spanish
she can speak when she becomes excited,
and 1t was sheer good fortune that some
of the crew were with her when sha
swung herself down the side OF the cliff
to warn us of our danger; otherwise she
might have been shot. l suppose Suarez
| told you what to expect?'
| You might as we'll be talking Alaculof
yourself for all l can follow what You
! are saying, murmured Elsie, happily.
Then how did you know where to tie
up? We went too far. We lost the boat
that way, and my gun as we'll. We had
stout timbers which enabled her to live
| through that boiling pot in the volcano.
| The native girl said that no Indian-built
| craft ever came back
| Excellent said Elsie. when we
reach the ship 1 shall write down every
thing you tell me. After time shall
| begin to understand
| Whereupon. Courtenay took thought,
| and explained that the channel which
flowed through that amazing cut in the
| cliff led to the crater of an extinct vol
cano. into which the sea poured twenty
| feet of water each tide. An almost ever
| lasting maelstrom ragged within. as the
water entered by side-long channel, and
sent whirlpool spinning with the hands
of the clock until the enormous cist ern
was full and against them until it was
empty. The sailors had taken refuge on
a wide, supplemented ledge high abovf
| the vortex. and the presence of several
| skeletons showed that many an UNI Ell
nate had sought a la shelter q
against pursuit. Every Alaculof kr i, VI
this retreat. but few dared approach it
as the roar Of the wat'r far blow ap.
palled them There was only one path
was safe. The alternative to captur> wa.
d ath by starvation. The Chileans. ant
he himself during the past fourteen
hours. had subsisted on a bag of dried
berries StolSc. by the girl when she frs
led the sailors thither
Didn't you see how eager we all wer
to search the lockers?" he ask d. Blu
the rascals had cleared every scrap wher
the boat fell into their hands again will
the falling tide
She nestled close to him.
, II saw nothing" she whispered. m.
mind held but one thought-that you wer
, alive, though, indeed, I was MOURNING
you as dad. But now I am res;ored t.
my senses / think ! can grasp wha
Yes You can guess my bewildarmen
when he sprang on top of me. l was iy
ing down: I heard our sentries shouting
/ but paid no heed AS a matter of fact
Elsie. I. too, had abandoned hope. l coult
see no chance of escape. Great heaven
To think of your coming to my rescue
What made you do it?''
please go on. TIL me all You shall
hear my story afterward.'
well, jumped up, and Joey nearly fel
into the crater with delight. 1 was jus
in time to save Suarez from being shot
Luckily he was a long way behind tn
dog. and recognized his makeup. Thf
guard, who belonged to the original lot
| naturally thought he was an Indian. Ant
you ought to have seen that blessed cir
| skipping around when she set eyes OF
HIM We must give her money enough Il
fix her up as his wife If the Kansas get!
off" : ;.
There was a world of belief in that one
word. Could any one doubt the ultimat
hap of that thrice fortunate ship? Hac
not Mr.. Boyle said her captain was
lucky man? Elsie laughed aloud in he
JOY, for the queer notion occurred to he
that her grumpy friend would surely hav,
some remarkable story of the one-legget
skipper Of the Flower Of the OCEAN brig
wherewith to point the moral and adorl
the tale Of the Kansas and her com
| mander.
Though Courtenay did not allow ter
seconds to pass without glance at ths
charming face by his side, he. nevsrthe.
less. had a sharp eye for events else.
| where. He saw smoke rising from the
funnel of the ship; line of flags dancing
from the foremost told him that Boyle
had discovered them as soon as they were
clear of the deep shadow of Guanaco hill
But there were anxious moments yet ir
store A fleet of canoes put off from
Otter creek. There was every prospect O.
fight before they reached their fortress
They had long two miles to travel, anC
the Indians could attack them ere the!
covered half the distance.
Gray and Tollemache were sitting to
) gether in the fore part of the boat Whe1
l they had met in the canyon they had mere
: ly exchanged hearty grip, and Gray,
: | inouiry il his friend was q x haf