Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1908-03-13

use of 1t? Even If the men were dan
gerous that would just make then
think You did have something t
guard"
II know that. Orders" replied Per
cy Darrow. @
We built the stockade in a day
When 1t was finished, we marched t,
the beach, and never save in the tire,
instances, of which shall later tell 70,
did see the valley again. The mex
day we washed our clothes and movet
ashore with all our belongings.
Pm not going to have this crew
aboard" stated Captain Selovcr posi-
lively. "Fm going to clean her" H,
himself stayed, however
We rowed in, constructed hast,
fireplace of stones, spread our blan
kets and built an unnecessary fire nea
the beach.
"Clean herw grumbled Thrackles
"Aly eyer
"I'd rather round the cape" growle,
Pull hopelessly.
"Come, now, 1t can't be MS bad us al
that" tried to cheer them. ut can
be more than a week or ten days. job
even If we careen her.
you don't know what you're talk
ing about" said Thrackles. tits wors,
than the yellow jack. It's six weeks a
least. Mind when we last CLEANED
her?'" he inquired of Handy Solomon
you can kiss the book on it." re
piled he. Down by the line In tina
little swab Of sand island. My eye
but don't remember! sweated m,
liver white"
They smoked in silence.
"That's main queer contrivance Of
the perfessor's-that stockade-like, .
yentured Solomon after a little.
He doesn't want any Intrusion" ]
said. ..These scientific experiments
are very delicate...
:Quite like,a he commented noncom
Mutually.
We slept on the ground that night
and next morning, under Captain Sci
overs directions, we commenced the
task Of Tightening the ship. He de
tailed the niger and Perdosa for spe
cial duty.
"I'll just see to your shore quarters, >
he squeaked. "You empty her"
All day long we rowed back and
forth from the ship to the cove, land
ing the contents of the hold. These
by good fortune we did not have tt
carry over the neck of land. for just
above the gravel beach was a wide
ledge on which we could pile the
stores. We ate aboard and SO had ne
opportunity Of seeing what Captain
Selover and his men were about un
til evening. Then we discovered that
they had collected and lowered to the
beach quantity of stateroom doors
from the wreck and had trundled the
galley stove to the edge, where II
awaited our assistance. We hitched
a cable to 1t and let it down gently
The niger was immensely pleased
After some experiment he got it t.
draw and SO cooked US our supper OF
IT, After supper Captain Selover row
ed back to the ship.
HEagen," he had said, drawing m,
aside, 'I'm going to leave you Will
them. It's better that one of us
think as owner ought to be aboard"-
"Of course. sir" said |, 'it's the on
ly proper place for you.n
: SIN glad you think so,' he rejoin
ed, apparently relieved. "And any
way" he cried, with a burst of feel
Ing, II hate the gritty feeling of it I'm
der my feet! Solid oaks the onl,
walking for man.
He left me hastily as though trih,
ashamed. l thought he seemed de
pressed, even q little furtlye. and We
on analysis I could discover nothing
definite on which to base such con
clusion.
1t was rather feeling of differ
ence from the man l had known. II
my fatigue 1t seemed hardly wortl
thinking about.
The men had rolled themselves II
their blankets, tired with the long day
Next morning Captain Selover wa
ashore early. He had quite recovere'
his spirits and offered me dram o
French brandy, which ! refused. w
worked hard again. Again the maste
returned at night to his vessel. thi
time without a word to any of us
Again the men, drugged by toll, turne'
in early and slept like the dead.
We became cntanglel In a mesh o
days like these, during which thing
We're accomp gshed, buf III which wa
no space for Anything but the task
imposed upon us. The men for tn
most part had little to say.
"Por Dios, Get is too mooch work!
sighed Perdosa once.
'Whg don't you kick to the old mar
thcn3' sneered Thrackles.
The silence that followed and til
sullenness with which Perdosa read
dressed himself ia his work was sig
niticant enough of Captain Seiover'
past relations with the men.
And how we did clean her. w
stripped her of every stitch and slive
until she doated high, an empty hui
even her spars and running riggtn
ashore. understood now tho crew
grumbling. Me.llterally went at lie
with nailbrush.
Captain Selover took charge Of u
when we had reached this period. n
40 10 Srfa~ No. A..A -.