Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-06-30

by inch we crept forward; foot by foot we
made leeway. The intensest of the lava
glow worked It's way from directly abeam
70 the quarter. By this we knew we must
be nearly opposite the cove. At once a
new doubt sprang up in CIR minds
A moment ago all the energy of our de-
sires had gone up in the ambition to avoid
being cast on the beach, Now we saw that
that was not enough. 1t was necessary to
squeeze around the point where lay the
Golden Horn. in order to avoid the fate that
had overtaken her. Handy Solomon yelled
something at u.s. We could not hear but
our own knowledge told us what it must
be. and with one accord we turned to on
the foresail. With the peak OF 1t hoisted
we moved q tribe faster. though the
schooner lay over at q perilous angie. A
the cliffs looming startlingly near. There
were the donkey engine and the works we
had constructed for wrecking-and there
beside them, watching US redectively, stood
Percy Darrow.
For ten minutes we stared at him fasci-
mated. during which time the ship labored
against the staggering winds. gained and
lost In Its buffeting with the great surges.
The breakers hurting themselves in wild
abandon against the rocks sent their back
wash Of tumbling peaks to our very bilges.
The few remains of the Golden Horn, alter
nately drenched and draining. seemed to
picture to US our inevitable end.
1 think we had all selected the same two
points for our bearings" rock and a drop
of the cliff holder than the ordinary. If the
rock opened from the cliff to eastward, we
were lost; II it remained stationary, we
were at least holding our own; If 1t opened
out to westward, we were saved. We
watched with a strained eagerness impos-
sible to describe. At each momentary gain
or rebuff we uttered calculations. The Mig
ger mumbled charms. Every once in a
while one Of us would snatch glance to
leeward at the cruel white waters. the
whirl of eddies where the sea was beaten,
only to hurry back to the rock and the
point Of the cliff whence our message Of
safety or destruction was to be flung. Once
I looked up. Percy barrow was leaning
gracefully against stanchion, watching.
His soft hat was pulled over his eyes; he
stroked softly his little mustache; caught
the white puff of his cigarette. During the
moment of my inattention something hap
pened. A wild shout burst from the men.
whirled, and saw to my great JOY strip of
sky westward between the cliff and the
rock. And at that very instant billow
larger than the ordinary rolled beneath u.s.
and in the back suction Of Its passage
could dimly make out cruel. dangerous
rocks lying almost under our keel.
Slowly we crept away. Our progress
seemed infiniteslmal. and yet 1t was real.
In while we had gained sea room; in
while more we were fairly under sailing
way, and the cliffs had begun to drop from
back. Percy barrow waved his hand in an
indescribably graceful and ironic gesture;
then turned square on his heel and saun-
tered away to the north valley, out Of the
course Of the lava. That was the last
ever saw of him.
AS we made our way from beneath the
island the weight of the wind seemed to
lessen. We got the foresail on her, then
standing lib: finally little by little all her
ordinary working canvas Before we knew
it. we were bowling along under sim
breeze. and the island was dropping astern
From a distance 1t presented a truly i'm
posing sight The center shot intermittent
blasts of rudy light; explosions, deadened
by distance, still reverberated strongly; the
broad canopy Of brown-red, split with light
nings. spread out like huge umbrella. The
lurid gloom that had enveloped us in the at
mosphere apparently of a neither world had
given place to a twilight. Abruptly we
passed from 1t to sun-kissed. sparkling
sea- The breeze blew sweet and strong;
the waves ran untortured In their natural
long courses.
At once the men seemed to throw off the
superstitious terror that had cowed them
Pull and Thrackles went to bail the extra
dory, alongside. which by miracle had
escaped swapping. The Niger disappeared
in the galley. Efperdosa relieved Handy Sol
ONION at the wheel; and Handy Solomon
came directly over to me.
Go be Continued Tomorrow