Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1908-04-09
SYNOPSIS.


CHAPTER Lon the steamer Kan
sas. leaving Valparaiso for England.
are Miss Elsie Maxwell, fleeing from
the unwelcome attentions of Pedro
Ventana, and Miss Isobel Barring.
Among the other passengers Is Count
Edouard de Poncilit. The two girls be-
come interested in Captain Courtenay,
the commander of the Kansas, and in
PEELED to shoot a Chilean who has tried
to knife Chief Officer Boyle
CHAPTER 1.-THE, Chilean. Frascu-
ella, a coal passer, tells of having been
drugged and thrown into the ships
hold before her departure from Valpar-
also. His wound, Which is not serious,
Is attended to by Or. Christobal, pas
senger. AT night the Kansas runs into
heavy storm, during which an eX-
plosion in the enginee room is heard.
CHAPTER III-Courtenay tells the
the boats are made ready. The gravest
danger to the vessel and its passengers
is from mutiny by the Chilean crew
and stewards.
CHAPTER IV.-The explosion has
killed and wounded several firemen and
wrecked the ships engines, Drifting
helpleSsly, the Kansas strikes a reef 2J
miles from the perilous Chilean coast.
CHAPTER V.rCourtenay, with Gray
and Tollemache, two of the passengers,
overawes mob of stewards and kitch-
en- hands, but in struggle for the
boats Boyle is badly hurt. Isobel
crazed with terror of the storm mys-
titles Elsie by calling her an emissary
of Ventana. Elsie is left behind by ac-
cident when the other women passen-
gers are taken off the Kansas in one OF
the lifeb0ats.
sees part of a letter addressed to the
captain. In it the unknown writer re-
fers to the woman destined to be your
wife" Elsie, Courtenay, Christobal. an
engineer named Walker, and Tolle-
mache, with some wounded men, among
them Boyle and F'rascuelo, are compell-
ed to remain on the Kansas, all the
boats being gone or smashed. The
steamer floats clear of the reef.
CHAPTER VII In the dark the
Kansas drifts on to AN unknown des.
tination, but Courtenay discovers at
dawn that land is near
CHAPTER VIIf.-After drifting into
q narrow ford, the Kansas drops
anchor and Courtenay sets Walker to
repairing the engines. The vessel is
attacked by savages.
CHAPTER IX.-The Indians are beat
en- off and one of their canoes is cap
tured. The Kansas takes aboard a man
from Argentina named Suarez, who had
been a captive among the saVageS. He
declares that the Alaculols. as the In
dams are called, have guns and will at
CHAPTER -Courtenay' discovers
that the explosion has been caused by
dynamite placed in the ships coal at
Valparaiso. Spectators In copper, OF
which metal the Kansas carries many
tons, would benefit greatly by the loss
of the steamer, and Pedro Ventana is
suspected. Christobal tells OF a love
affair between Isobel and Eentana-
Walker promises to have the KANSAS
under way in 10 days Some Indians in
a canoe row near the ship.
CHAPTER Kiln the canoe Courte-
nay sees water cask known to have
been on one of the lifeboats. Christie
bal suspects Elsie of flirting with
Courtenay and tells the girl he believes
the captain is in love with her. The
doctor has himself fallen in love with
Elsie and is delighted to learn from
her that she believes Courtenay to be
engaged. Elsie is informed by Frans-
cuelo that before the. Kansas sailed he
had been drugged and flung into the
hold by Jose Anacleto, believed to be
in the employ of Nentana. AnacletC
had then temporarily taken Franscue-
los place among the coal passers Ell
sic plans to have the deck of the Kan
sas covered in with canvas in order tC
keep oft the expected attack.
CHAPTER XlI-Tollemache lay:
plans to defend the Kansas by mean,
of floating dynamite RATS. Elsie ad-
mits to herself her love for Courtenay