The Sauk Centre herald., 1908-06-25
When a more extended kr rowledge of

When a more extended Knowledge Of
al that had happened, joined to nicer
adjustment of the time factor in events,
enabled Elsie to realize the extraor-
dinary deliverance from death which
she had been vouchsafed that night she
began to appreciate the service which
Christobal rendered her in discussing
matters with such nonchalance.
Barely a minute had elapsed since
they were in the throes of struggle
which promised to be the last act of
a tragedy. The ship was then overrun
by horde of bowling savages. mad
dened by the desperate resistance Of
fered by the defenders and ruthless as
wolves in their lust for destruction.
Now the Kansas was clear Of every
bedaubed Alaculof save the many who
numbered the decks either dead or so
seriously wounded that they could not
move. These men were SO near akin
to animals that this condition implied
ultimate collapse save in a few in-
stances Of fractured skulls and broken
limbs. From the final stage of hope
less butchery the survivors of the
ships company were suddenly trans
ferred to position Of reasonable Sc
curity. 1t was not that the arrival of
the ships boats meant such an acces-
sion of fighting strength that the Ala
culofs could not have made sure Of vic
tory. Gray and his companions were
badly armed. The Indians remaining
in the canoes could have pelted 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 filled with men Of whose fight
ing qualities they had already such a
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 groaning Of men ly-
ing on the decks and the shouts ex-
changed between Courtenay and Gray
for the guidance Of the boats were the
only remaining symbols Of the fercest
crisis which had yet befallen the Kan
SaS.
Elsie, wandering through trancelike
maze of vivid impressions, awoke with
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.
"Mr. MALCOLM is in charge Of the
jolly boat" Gray was saying. "Miss
Barring and Mr. and Mrs. Somerville
are with him. Miss Barings maid is
dead Senor 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 Efeboat"
That that two boats out Of those
which quilted the ship had arrived thus
opportunely. Senor 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 l can
look forward to a busy night The
ship is Uttered with wounded men, and
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 un-
selfish not to be alive to the unselfish-
ness of others.
"How good you have been to me"
she murmured. 81 can never repay
you. I remember now that l said
dreadful things to you in the salon.
But you did not know what it meant to
me when I realized that Captain Cour.
tenay might be falling even then be-
meath the blows Of those merciless saw
ages. l have not had chance to tell
you that he has asked me to be his
wife and have consented. l love
him more than all the world. And you,
DR.. Christobal. you who knew my ia.
ther and mother, who have grownur
daughters of your own. you will wish
me happinessY'
1t was not easy to bear when il
came. although he had guessed the
truth already. But he choked back
the wrath and despair which surged
up in him and said. with his stately
courtesy:
'I do wish you well, Elsie. No man