Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-02-09
"A TOOTH FOR A TOOTH"
Continued from Third Page
he whispered. 'Cricky. 1 might have
known it,

| The earl was morally certain for whom
| this resting place was being fashioned,
| especially so in view of the episode OF
the kentuckian's big blue gun: STILL not
| being the type of man to seek for safety
by ignominious flight. he held his ground
and watched the work with absorbing in
| terest. True. his teeth were chattering
somewhat. but the breeze from the sea
| was chilly and the hour was late. Then
Milford received a second paralytic jolt.
Mr.. Rupert, having finished the grave to
his evident satisfaction, rolled into 1t and
| began to heap the soft, warm sand upon
| his legs and body.
For himself"' gasped the British lord;
then his look of horror changed into
I smile. the smile into a grin and the grin
| into a cackling laugh. 1t dawned upon
| him that this practical American, in the
simplest and most practical manner pos
sible, had merely gone to bed &c. chuck
| ling to himself. Lord Cranton dug an
other hole and scooped the sand upon his
patrician person, in a sort or childish
| pleasure at the novelty.
jolly he murmured, as the warm
! sand chased away the chill OF night ana
| the icy oOze of his sOdden clothes. by
Jove that mad vulgarian is rather clever
| after all.
In the morning Lord Cranton was awak-
ened early by a bright sun shining In ms
| face, by the roar of breakers and the
sound of shrill, discordant cries. he rup-
bed his eyes and cursed his valet, tnen
| remembered suddenly. and laughed. He
! souff1ed from his temporary grave ana
| found himself upon a tiny island. BEFORE
| him lay curving beach which ended ab-
ruptly at the south. while northward II
rose in a rocky cliff where countless sea
fowl screamed and wheeled above their
nests. To the east was the sea. with
huge green rollers beating upon the shore.
| and half a mile away on spine OF rock
lay the battered Afric deserted. half-sub-
merged, and heeling over upon her wound
ed side. And yet there was life on board.
One man. half-naked, was lowering a
hamper into a boat, and soon he clam
bered down a rope himself and began 10
pull for shore. His lordship glanced at
the open grave beside his own and drew
conclusions. The AmeSican had swum to
the wreck. collected cooks supplies and
now was returning rapidly.
"Breakfast!' breathed the nobleman.
with bland, anticpatory smile. "Deuced
decent of him. pom my word"
*
With a sort of gnawing eagerness he
watched the boat come bobbing across
the waves. and at every stroke OF the
glistening oars his appetite increased. His
judgment Of the American had been mis-
placed. and. like the man and gentleman
Lord Cranton was. he was now prepared
| to make amends. Then, too, this chap
had saved his life. favor not to be meas
ured lightly, since it Is not given unto
every man to perform a deed so clearly
meritorious
Good morning. he hailed. in a CHEEKY
shout. when the boat lay just beyond the
line of breakers. "A dashed fine day, l
call it, My grave was simply ripping. and
now, by George, I'm rather keen on bit
OF breakfast. How dye find yourself?"
To his vast surprise. however, he re-
ceived no answer. The boatman swung
his craft around with one vigorous stroke,
Cranton with look of profound con-
tempt; then he pulled away for a distance
of fifty yards and landed through the surf.
In silence the astonished Briton watched
him-watched him while he gathered drift
wood and built fire. Clearly this selfish
beast intended breakfasting alone, a fact
which was not in the least to the watch
ers liking, Lord Cranton was in no po-
sition to beg a favor of his enemy. yet he
set his fine white teeth and crossed to the
man who squatted on the sand before the
fire.
Sir said the noble one, in a level.
courteous tone. may I ask If you will
sell me portion of your fOod?"
Taint for SALE" grOwled Joe, as he
filled a coffee pot from a big fat water
bottle and set the utensil carefully on his
fire.
The Englishman bit HIS lip. and for
slender. nervous foot. AT length he spoke
again:
"Um-I dare say, then, may use your
boat in order to procure some breakfast
for mySelf?'
Joe shot a glance from the angry face to
the triple line of rollers which We're
swinging in. smiled to himself and nodded.
THANK YOU" returned Lord Cranton
icily and proceeded to launch the craft.
He waited for a big receding wave, pushed
ward with rush: yet the journey was
all too brief. On the crest of a mighty
comber the boats Prov shot into the air,
| while he of the crystal eye performed a
similar maneuver, thus sparing himself
the effort of morning bath. On the
| beach he tipped the frolicsome boat, freed
| it of water and tried his luck once more
The result was the same as previously.
with the one exception OF the landing.
| This time the boat was on top of him, and
when Milford arose he was forced to free
| his mouth of a pabulum of weed and
gritty shells before he could even curse in
any comfort. Joes broad, athletic Shout
ders were seen to heave as they bent
above the coffee pot, but inasmuch as
| he made no verbal comment the English
| man was without excuse to push him into
| his fire and stamp upon him.
Sir" said Lord Cranton, swallowing
| his wrath together with lingering shell
| or two. and striding up the beach, "once
| more | ask you, as a man and fellow
SuIieItI, WEI you sell me Il bite or break
| fast?''
| No said Joe: II won't"
Lord Cranton squeezed salt water from
| his Van Dkye beard and regarded the
cook with d glare of uninterpretable
malediction. then turned on his heel and
| stalked majestically away. On the oceans
| edge lie paused. regarding the distant
Afrc thoushtfully. She was only a half
| mile from shore. but she might have been
a hundred for all the good it did a man
| who could not swim. The birds on the
rocky cliff were screaming in derision of
| his plight. yet they gave the Englishman
IA practical inspiration.
Eggs by Jove:" he muttered joyously.
and began to scale the cliff A good.
stiff climb it was and one which added
greatly to his appetite, but Milford was
hopeful and would breakfast without the
aid of the sWinish barbarian who slipped
hot coffee on the sands below. He filled
| his hideOus plaid cap with gulrs eggs.
went scrambling down the lumpy. break
nec< path. and began to gather driftwood
Ia llI M bot l.. IN, it,