The Durham recorder. [volume] (Durham, N.C.) 1879-19??, 1908-03-06
Forty Years
Between.
BY LLOYD osBoURNE.
------ ~ @ A &2
Copyright. 1908, by the $. $. Mcclure Co.

t<+++++%+$+++++<+<<++%<$<{
shoals to Pitcairn, from Diamond
Head to Little Rapa. she had sounded
and plotted reefs innnmerable and had
c,yered with searching perslstency
vast areas of blue water dotted on the
chart with Q. DIS and n. d.'s.s lsExist-
ence doubtful. position doubtful; ia
m,liar contractions still on any Pacific
chart.1
She had twice taken the ground. once
90 hard and fast that she had shifted
her guns and llghtered hundred tons
of stores among the gulls and news of
Il half sunken reef. She had had an
affair with the unruly natives OF the
Walker group and had blown village
to fragments and not few OF the
Walkers themselves into = md as un.
charted as their own. - had tried
beach comber for murder and had
danglcd him ut the main yard arm
giving him later on a Church Of Eng.
land service, a hammock and the use
Of cannon ball at his feet. She had
poked her nose into cannibal bays,
where women Of wild beauty and wild.
er license swan OF to the ship In hun
dreds until the marines drove them
back with muskets and fired nj their
own comrades, who. In their madness.
leaped after them into the water. She
had lain for weeks In enormous stoIls,
- a
and tie silence was unbroken save fer
the long roll OF the surf and al night
tie ghostly scurrying Of turtles over
the sand. She had been everywhere In
those labyrinthian seas. those haunts
OF romance aud mystery. with love.
danger aud death always close aboard.
II was morning when Hadsw raised
the island. a fleecy speck Of cloud
against the sky line, aud he shortened
sall AZ once and fingered out the day
80 rs TO bring him mp 10 \ by dark.
After supper every light On bourd was
dOused. and 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 80
fair and soft that one wondered to
SEQ the sails stiffen In the holt ropes.
the man-of-war stole steadily TO lee.
ward. with no sound but the occa.
sIonal c:eak Of coriaSr or the hoarse
Inurmur OF voices from Ire lower deck.
By 10 the ship was hove 10 close
ashore. aud the lights Of The little set
Iemeat glImnered through the palms.
he warm aight. laden with exotic
fragrance and strangely exciting In the
Intensity % Us silllneSs and beauty,
ID beneath It's far reaching pail the
Various actors Of m extraordinary
AFama. With pistols bucGisd TO their
A. Fps. Brady. WinterSlea. Hothafn and
Ntanbary.Jones. four efficers Of the
hip. together with Hatch, iiIn;y
heed old seaman vino could In trusted.
II slipped down The ladder into the
apialn's gig and pulled with muiiied
prs Tor the break In tie ref. Picking
ieiF way through the pass, with the
pr on either hand roaring In their
nrS. they slowly penetrated The lagoon
Id headed Tor the kings house. The
IeiriGg beach brongiA them TO stop.
ld all jumping ont 10 tighten the boat
er drew her over the Single and
pie her paiEtrr fast TO . pandanns
Re. Then. acting In accSrinnce with
preconreried plan. winicrsIea was
nt forward TO track down fheir prey.
bill" the rest hudiied together 10
at his return.
Fen minutes. twenty minutes. pass.
In painttating suspense. A girl drew
wreathed la flowers She looked
10 s"a. then up nc IN. ssars and
rank again into the shadow. From
neichboring houses Their. came tie
md Of mellow voices aud of 1augh.
A pig rooted and rustIed amaas
heap ~ eeenannt SHELLS. Half an
pr passed. and from far across ia"
Ter. ~ faint and sllyery ~ same
n signal. tile ship sent her message
be- tlInc-slx bells.
Printing AMI crouchlng. winterslea
l"d his way among them.
ense.." he saI
-. fa!'1Wed him IN silence. Tn.
ttrie holsters aud grinly ready.
mir Uf h1n1cuIs Cllnked IN Hatch
,insElfg. with keen perception. led
Hay lin a houhd. skirtiag lighted
~ aHa following devious inland
The comparative Openh.Ss ~
viiin-t segna 10 give way 20 tlIe
"s underground u tie plantations
H. The path sank into n chok.
vegetation that stood ON either
and bVuHiied tlIelr faces az tlcy
wed IN single file. A faiicu tree
them tie passage ~ \ stream.
lereg' said WlniersIea.
Z path opened out 90 q little clear.
niong the trees ana showed them,
~ high, the OUTLINES " q native
Like MA Tahltlna houses. n
pm tie model ~ bird cage. and
vHl wall % bamboo. eel side by
let through vertical streaks Of
from tlie lamp or Gre within.
e whole party drew bearer they
deep below them on fl,e other
the pleasant sound % falling wa.
nj realized that The clIff they
mounting overlooked q little rIy.
lis foot. Hero IN exquisite &c.
Jack Garrard bad chosen the
pr his moral suicide.
ping up 10 The house ana look.
trough the crncks M IN. ham.