Waterbury evening Democrat., 1908-02-11

across the early morning.
We were as yet some twenty miles
distant from it and could make out
nothing but its general outline. The
latter was sharply defined, rising and
falling to highest point one side of
the middle. Over the island and rag
gedly clasping its sides hung a cloud,
the only one visible in the sky.
l Joined the afterguard.
"You seeg the doctor was exclaim-
ing. 1T ISIS as | hat said. The island
iss there. Everything ISIS as 1t should
bev' He was quite excited.
Percy barrow, too, was shaken out
Of bis ordinary calm.
"The volcano is active" was his on
ly comment, but 1t explained the rag
ged cloud.
"You say there's a harbor?" inquired
Captain Selover.
1T should be on the west end" said
DR.. Schermerhorn.
Captain Selover drew mo one side.
He, too, was little aroused.
"Now, wouldn't that get you" he
squeaked. Doctor runs up against
Norwegian bum who tells him about
a volcanic island and gives its bear
ings. The island amt on the map at
all. Doctor believes it and makes me
lay my course for those bearings. And
here's the island! so the buns story
was true. I'd like to know what the
rest Of 1t was" His eyes were shin
ing.
"Do we anchor or stand off and onY
/ / asked.
Captain Selover turned to grip me
by the shoulder.
81 have orders from barrow to get
to a good berth, to land, to build shore
quarters and to snug down for a stay
Of year at least"
We stared at each other. X.
Joyous prospect" I muttered. Hope
there's something to do there"
The morning wore, and We rapidly
approached the island. 1t proved to
be utterly precipitous. The high
rounded hills sloped easily to within
a hundred feet or SO of the water and
then fell away abruptly. Where the
earth ended was a fantastic filigree
border, like the fancy paper with
which our mothers used to line the
pantry shelves. Below the white
surges flung themselves against the
cliffs with wild abandon. Thousands
of sea birds wheeled in the eddies of
the wind, thousands Of ravens perch
ed on the slopes. With our glasses
we could make out the heads Of seals
fishing outside the surf and a ragged
belt Of kelp.
When within a mile we put the helm
up and ran for the west end A bold
point we avoided far out lest there
should be outlying lodges. Then we
came In sight of broad beach and
pounding surf.
l was ordered to take surf boat
and investigate for landing and an
high. We rowed back and forth, puz-
zled as to how to get ashore with all
the freight It would be necessary to
land The ship would lie well enough,
for the only open exposure was bro
ken by long reef over which we
could make out the seas tumbling.
But inshore the great waves rolled
smoothly, swiftly, then Ilddenly fell
ri 1nIn nd
with roar across the yellow sands.
The fresh winds blew the spume back
to US. We conversed in shouts.
ave can surf the boat" yelled
Thrackles, ''but we can't land load"
That was my opinion. We rowed
slowly along, parallel to the shore and
just outside the line of breakers.
I don't know exactly how to tell you
the manner In which we became aware
of the cove. 1t was as nearly the in
Simultaneous as can be imagined. One
minute I looked ahead on a cliff as
unbroken as the side of cabin; the
very next | peered down the length Of
a cove fifty fathoms long by about ten
wide, at the end of which was a gray
ell beach. cried out sharply to the
men. They were quite as much aston
ished as l. We backed water. watch
ing closely. At given point the cove
and all trace of its entrance disap-
peared. We could only Just make out
the line where the headlands dissolved
into the background Of the cliffs and
that merely because we knew of Its
existence The blending was perfect.
We rowed In. The water was still.
A faint ebb and flow whispered
against the tiny gravel beach at the
end. | noted a practicable way from
Il TO the top Of the cliff and from the
cliff down again to the sand beach.
Everything was perfect. The water
was a beautiful light green. like semi
Opaque glass, and from the lndlstinct-
ness Of its depths waved and beck
oned, rose and disappeared with indie
scribable grace and deliberation long
feathery sea growths. In a moment
the bottom abruptly Swallowed. The
motion Of the boat toward the beach
permitted Us TO catch a hasty glimpse
OF little fish darting. Of big fish turn
ing. Of yellow sand and some vivid
color. Then came the crate Of gravel
and the scraping OF the boats bottom
on the beach.
We Jumped ashore eagerly. I left
the men very reluctant and assembled
a natural t-af' ~ n hi-h sloping down
over whkh blew the great trades.
Grass sprung knee high. A low hill
rose at the back. From below the fail
Ct the cllf came the pounding Of surf.
Iwalked to the edge. Various lodges