The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1909-04-10


cEe4sing power Of the suns rays,
swept the ocean clear of its storm
wraiths. Soon after passing the pillar
rock Courteuay thought he Geld make
ont the unwavcring outline Of noun
famous land amid the gray mists )
few mInGtes later the waves racing
aiug=side changed their leaden Inc %
-tee'y g...ter which told him the fog
WIS Dispensing. The nearer blue OF
the ocean carpet spread an ever widen
irg circle uuti it merged INFO vivid
green. Then. with startling sudden
ness the curtain was drawn aside on
panorama at once magnificent ana
el1z.c
Alm0-t without warning the ship
res found 10 be- entering tie estuary
Of a narrow ford Gauat heallanIs
carved Oh ti,anic scale Out of tnc soil
rock guarded the entrance and already
shut ont the more distant colst li9e
Behind thee Grst massive walls. rY-
erywheTe uuscalable anI rising iH sep
aratc promontories to attitudes 81 per-
haps 900 feet. an inner fertilization of
PERCEPTIONS mountains Huu i,a -.
cier clad peaks heayrrwaI TO im
melse heights heights which u thai
/ region SCARED far above the SNOW line
But II the creSts of peak upon peak
were clothed in white their bases wore
garment of different texture Save
Oh the seaward terraces OF stark rock.
with their tide marked base OF weed
covered powders. the densest vegeta-
ton known to mankind imposed ev-
eryWhere 9 first barrier to human prog
/ rcas FAR more uncOnquerable than the
/ awesome regions beyond. Pine for
f cStS Of extraordinary density cram
med each available yard of space un-
tn the tree growth yielded perforce 10
harder Alpine moss ANA licheus. This
. lower belt Of deepest green ranged
from 500 to 1000 feet in height, as
( conditions were adverse or favorable
and waterfalls abouuGed.
Cour;enay. after an aStounded glance
at Che magnitude and solemn grandeur
Of the spectacle. had eyes for naught
save the conformation of the channel
( The change in the wind was caused he
found, by The nOrtherly headland thrust
I ing its giant mass mile or more
westward Of its twin. but he quickly
discovered from the conformation OF
the land that The latter was really the
! protecting cape of the inner waterway
/ He reasoned. therefore, that the deep
water channel flowed close to tie north
ern shore until it was flung of by the
( relentless rocks to seek the easier in
let behind the opposite point.
He did not know yet whether the
ship was entering some unknown strait
or the mouth of a narrow landiockei
bay If the latter, the presence of
the distant glaciers and the nearer tor
rents warned him Of possible bar on
which the Kansas might be lost within
sight OF safe anchorage. Not inspired
; guesswork now, but the skill OF The
pilot, was needed This crossing the
bar in broad daylight was as great a
trial of nerve in its way as the earlier
onward rush in the dark.
Wind ana sea had abate1 so sensibly
that the Pacific rollers raced on I'M
broken. and 1t was no longer super
human task to make ones voice heard
along the deck.
So the captain aroused Walker with
a sharp order:
Go and see if the donkey boiler has
a good head of steam. We may have
to drop the stream anchor quick and
both bowers as well. II TOlIemache
is doing his work properly. 70 forward
and keep "A sharp lookout for broken
water. Clear off the tarpauiins. and
be ready to lower away the instant |
sing out"
Walker, who had been gazing spell
bound at the majestic haven opening
up before the ship. hurried on his or.
rand lie found Tollemache seated on
an upturned bucket, IN which the tact
( turn one had just washed his face and
+ hands
Have you seen itY" demanded
Walker gleefully. while his practiced
eyes took in the state of the gauges
/ as he overran a number of oil taps
with nimble fingers.
"Seen whaty asked Tollemachc
without removing his pipe.
The land. my bonny lad. Weah
wunnin wight in now"
We've been doing that for hours"
Yes, but this is dif'went. Theaw's
a iine wiv-ah ahead. Have ye ev-ah
seen the Tyne? Well. just shove
Sooth sheels an Tyuemouth few hun
dred feet hiGh-ah an you've got t.
Now, don't ivy to talk or you might
cwack 20 face"
With this Parthian shaft Of mmoi
/ be vanished toward the forecaStle
whence the ubiquitous donkey boiler
through one of its long arms would
shoot forth the stockless anchors at
The touch Of q lever Tollemache. who
had already glimpSed the coast. stroll
/ ed, out on deck and bent well over the
side in order to look more directly
ahead Re could see one-half only OF
the view. but that suficed.
a respite" he growied to himself
penal seryitude instead of sudder
death"
{ And indeed this was the true aspect
of things, as Courtenay discovered
when be had successfully brought th,
ship past three ugly reefs and drop
ped anchor in the backwater Of "a small
sheltered baye He speedily abandoned
I the half formed hope that the Kansas
might have run into al ocean water