Los Angeles herald., 1908-07-19

ever. whom 10 motifs -
arms on the deck of the Star.
Tho easb;ng ewes. triumphant face and
dr;nning form told their own story, AIDED Dy
4be explosive announcement, as Nat gaZeo
hack at the yacht and shook his list at Il.
saThe mean hunks of boatman! But got
here-I said I'd find the Star II 1T TOOK an
arm, and here am. Hurrahi
If ever a boy had cause Tor seh-gna.u Ia
ton and delight, it was Nat DAVIS; Tor ms
experience since the eventful day he ieit NeW
York a stowaway on the Brazilian freight
steamer had been thrilling one. -
When he awoke in the hold OF tnat poae
and found step from the carriage to be notn-
inc more than a step toward very little
wider scope of action, ne experienced ieei
ing of blank, utter dismay.
He was In trap, cage rather, ana as tne
match he had Lit went out, he seemed to
still see the frowning, solid pile of merchan-
disc, firm as a barricade, impenetraple as
blocks of ice.
The grating vibration of the machinery
made his head ache; slight osclllatory move
ment of the craft caused ulzZness SheC soou
He Law down as this feeling overcame him,
and, realizing that he was getting seasick'
tried to go to sleep. ,o,l
of misery, and many hours seemed to have
been lived through, only to terminate WIN
clearer head, but with sharper anguish 10
endure.
husky. as he whispered, Water, water!
and in a wild, hopeless sort OF manner,
set about working his way toward securing II.
'I mustn't .get-scared muttered Nat.
"It won't do. / can't really have been here
very long, and / amt going to die just yet,
even If I do feel bad. Maybe it looks worse
than it is. They can't have piled much
freight. aboard after the carriage Tor they
He tried to think out the problem of relief
in his extremity calmly and seriously, Ins-
comfort and darkness were not much but
hunger and thirst were everything, and ne
knew that even at the risk OF discovering
himself too soon to the crew, he must not re-
main inactive until too weak to work his way
toward the deck.
IT must be careful of them-twenty, y
breathed Nat, as he fingered the precious
matches he had found In pocket. IN take
another look now"
He took half dozen looks at the expense
of as many matches in the next hour, but the
result was gratifying one.
Nat had settled on the decision that to
work toward what he supposed was the cen
tire of the steamer would be TO soonest reach
an open space.
Overhead, far up, were immense timbers-
the underside of deck OF a floor, Nat sur
missed: elsewhere around him were boxes and
bales. In the direction he looked for escape
these boxes and bales presented an unbroken
but a varied surface.
is. there was bottom layer of heavy boxes
or crates about six feet square, then one oil
smaller parcels, until the top row would rep
resent gunny sacks or small bales.
cts working in the dark" soliloquizec
Nat, after a careful inspection of this BARR
cade, "but I guess / can stand it. Here
goesl"
He had picked out his way beforehand Il
reach the top of the pile, and soon clambere6
thither. Standing up, he could touch tbs
boards overhead.
He felt more hopeful, now he was sur,
that between him and liberty was only Z
blanks thickness, and that knocking ant
shouting would be sure to attract attention.
greatly in error, for the thick timbers con
Veyed no upper vibration of sound, and hi
voice would not pierce them; and, if it did
it would be only to penetrate portion O
fne-blooded cattle being shipped to Brazil.
Nat, when on top Of the first tier of mer