Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1908-05-28

IN the canoes could have peIted them to
shreds in few minutes. Even those
on the ship had the power to resist any
attempt by the newcomers to gain the
decks. But the superstitious savages
had already screwed themselves up to
an act Of unusual daring in delivering
a night attack, and the appearance of
boats filed with men Of whose fight
ing qualities they had already such
lively experience quite demoralized
them. They fed without attempting
a counter assault.
At last the sounds of conflict died
away. The black waters closed over
the dead; the last swimmer vanished
into the silence The spasmodic bark
ing of the dog, the grooming of men ~
4 ing on the decks and the shouts ex-
changed between Courtenay and Gray
for the guidance of the boats We're the
only remaining symbols Of the fercest
crisis which had yet befallen the Kan
sas.
! Elsie, wandering through traneelike
maze Of vivid impressions. awoke with
a start to the fact that Courtenay was
giving directions for the lowering of
the ships gangway, meanwhile receiv-
ing information as to the identity Of
the boats beneath.
t.Mr. Malcolm is in charge of the
jolly boat" Gray was saying. Miss
Barring and Mr.. and Mrs. Somerville
are with him. Miss Baring's maid is
dead. Senior Jerrera is in my boat,
No. 2. We have been on White Horse
island all this time, but we have seen
nothing of the other lifeboat.a
Thatmeant that two boats out of those
which quilted the ship had arrived thus
opportunity. Senior Jerrera was the
! Spanish mining engineer who had been
hustled into one of the craft manned
by the mutineers. And Christobal was
saying:
+ Well Miss Maxwell, you and can.
/ lock forward to busy night. The
ship is Uttered with wounded men, ana
our newly arrived friends must be
worn with fatigue
His smooth. even sentences helped to
dispel the stupor of amazement which
had made her dumb. And the first
reasoned thought which came to her
was that the Spanish doctor had treat
ed her with the kindness of an indul-
gent parent, for Elsie was far too I'M
selfish not to be alive to the unselfsh-
ness of others.
/ sHow good you have been to me-
she murmured Il can never repay
you. l remember now that / said
dreadful things to you in the salon.
/ But you did not know what it meant to
me when realized that Captain Cour-
tenay might be falling even then be-
meath the blows of those mereiless saw
ages. I have not had a chance to tell
you that he has asked me to be his
wife and have consented love
him mere than all the world. And you,
DR.. Christobal, you who knew my IA
ther and mother, who have grownup
daughters of your own. you viii wish
me happiness n
It was not easy to bear when it
came. although he had guessed the
truth already But he choised back
the wrath and despair which surged
up in him and said, with his stately
courtesy:
81 Go wish you well, Elsie No man
can hope more earnestly than l that
you have made the better choice.
Then he turned with a certain abrupt
ness which reminded her of the change
in his manner she had noticed once or
twice during recent days and quilted
the bridge. She sighed and was sorry
for him, knowing that he loved her.
Courtenay, who had been far too
busy to pay heed to anything beyond
the brief fight between the boats and
the canoes, perceived now that the
gangway was in position. Lights We're
shining on both the upper and lower
platforms.
He stretched out his hand and drew
Elsie to him.
Are you alone, sweetheartY he
asked.
Eyes,
eKiss me, then, and go to meet your
friends. They viii be aboard in less
than minute. oh, Elsie, thought
had seen the last of your
WAS it so bad as thatss she MUIR
INJURED, a great content soothing her
heart and brain at her lovers admis-
sion that he was thinking of her dur
Tag the worst agony of the fray. He
gave her a reassuring hug.
With her soul singing a canticle OF
JOY, she passed from the bridge to the
lower deck. Mr. Boyle was waiting
there, holding lantern.
s'Huh!p he growled when he saw
her. "P'raps you'll believe what / tell
you before your hair turns gray, if not
sooner. Luck. Did any man ever
have such luck as the skipper? Why.
II he fell off Mong Biong he'd ma
sircus net rugged up to catch him."
Il agree with you so fully, Mr..
Boyle she whispered, that am go
4 - u