New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1909-08-29
The Floating Forest

cement and lime and earth lax packed into
Id mass, Mary Vance made her home, as IN a
I'VE. Here, dlstraught IN mind. hut bale IN
nody, she continued 20 exist MANY Of the pro-
visions Of the ship were vet intact The creek
OF fresh water ran beside the very keel If the
Scraps and there were tropical fruits that
offered themselves 10 her hand on every side
The trees and flowers cast their seed on the
sarthen covering Of the ship. and soon a tropi-
eal>garden began 10 bloom. with interviewer
leaves and ferns and Jungle creepcrs. Emilia
zOned blooms and tufted and clustered growths
Of a hundred shapes and Colors began TO -four
Ish there. About the upright mainmast a dense
host of sturdy vines entWlncd themselves hike
green serpentS and made a mighty column Of
foliage Several trees shot up where the soil
lay thickest Birds mated and nestled IN her
trees, strange furtlVe animals made their
haunts and burrows IN the earth on her breast.
These BECAME accustomed To the familiar ap-
partition Of the gaunt and long haired creature
who emerged from what seemed a hole IN the
tarth, called 20 them IN plaintVe tones, and fed
them strange food when they came. Brilliant
emerald parrots and flaming toucans with i'm
nl,nse bills. red as blood futtered about her
liz living flashes OF gorgeous fire, squawking.
crested cockatoOs, white snow perChcd on
hsr shoulders and ate from her hand Huge
lizards there were plated with metallic and
shmrnering coats Of mail, which were unafraid
and kay hsSking lazily beside her IN the sun.
There came a She HaCkal that made her LAIR IN
tng ket upon the ship and soon learned 20 come
with her htter Of young and HEX the hands Of
to woman who wrought them no harm. This
lsckal and her whelps followed Mary Vance As
dogs follow Their master. Then, obsessed by
some rooted idea. the eery woman began 10
T8rse a TINY mound Of earth. decked II with
flowers and ferns, and planted a tiny cross upon
IT, Here She often knelt and prayed, prayed
for the babe and the husband that were lost.
So the Scraps lay for five wears buried IN her
far Cerrrneuts Of earth, leaves and flowers. and
her name was spoken no more upon the seas
IL the fifth wear Of the slumbers. IN the season
Of the rams. a great food devastated the
mountains and inland valleys until the narrow
sea gulch T0ared and raved with the rushing
fWaters. The Scraps was lifted from her nest
the rivcrbed. tore loose from her anchor
tIns # towering creepcrs and cllngIng VINES,
~ spcged forth into the SEA.
There. Ike some ancient barge 81 state. =
..4gnent tom from some non pTlmcval forest
trailing her long grasses and mats OF tangled
ferns through the water she Toved IDLY. the
port 81 every wind and current. The salt
pray soon bin hted many u the Jungle growths,
and they hum down from her black bulWarks,
r1sird and yellow like rottIng SAILS But There
were lulCy fruits that continued L. grow and
every daE the heavy tropical rams came down
several hroodIng birds brilliant parrots and
flaming t0ucans chained by instinct u tnclr
nests remained IN the floating forest with tneIT
mate ScafoWl came and lined the brand hes
oi the trees and few dreaming about the
strange drifting lslet
The hanging impulses of the ocean carried
her west then south. once II night be- lay IL
the path of q steamer from sydney. boat $
length o. port or starbYard and the Iron vessel
and tH- wooden had run their heads together
like TWO frantic balls The watch GA that
steamer spoke IA awel voices ri "a speoter ISLAND
they had passed during the night so close that
the branuhcs II trees had scraped the snTpuds-
And the Iasoar helmsman avowcd be had seen
a. ghost aboard A. the spcCter Of "a woman that
walled. and green eyed beasts that hoWlrd.
Their Captain who >wore by his charts. cursed
them Tor drunken fools. But when he saw,
caught IN the ratlincs small tWlg newly
broken from the bough fiuttering II green
leave M the wind his heart was cOnfounded
within him. Thus had the scraps once more
become the blind. dumb. and nindless terror
81 the deep. d floating menace hidden under
beautiful robes II flower.
SILENT swift and sure out Of the night came
- "a magnificent clipper ship southbound from
Eancouver % Kingston IA Jamaica. Every
-gsi ysas SIT. the taut rope sang IN tho bTceze,
her hull seemed lost beneath her towers 81
strainIng canvas. Her Captain stood IN the
bow gazing toward the stern. ms eyt% rested