The Lexington intelligencer. [volume] (Lexington, Mo.) 1901-1949, 1909-03-13

the whistling buoy was. Of course.
beyond me. and / could only crouch in
the boat with my two shiyering com
panions and stare.
And so. while we were all c%rouching
and staring. a visible link in the phe-
nomena came before US. A human
band appeared in the aperture in the
buoy, from nowhere that We could see.
and, laying hold OF the watch, with
drewl
Not one Of us moved.
We must have sat gazing into the
buoy like men dreaming for as long as
you would take to catch your breath
after a hard fall; then
santa Mariai"
The Italians voice rose in almost a
shrek. We stiffened in our seats and
looked to where he was pointing.
Less than 200 yards away a mans
head was bobbing upon the surface of
the ocean,
| turned the glass upon IT. At first
/ could see only the back OF ii, for Il
was moving away from us toward the
Filipino vessel, which now stood half
a mile out; but did not all of us know
whose head it was? The foreign ma
gician's. OF course-the Filipino whom
we had left three miles ashore in the
Catalina hotel.
The next moment he turned and |
saw his face. He was swimming rap
idly toward the junk.
Andrea caught at his oars and tore
them into the waves. The boat moved
from the buoy. ! gripped the sides
and shouted TO the Italian to row with
all his might,
He was already doing so. But mo-
in the direction | had meant. The boat
had turned Its nose shoreward and
was splashing across the waves with a
speed that bent me in the middle with
every pull Of the cars
"You cursed fool" / cried. springing
for the Italians wrists. If you don't
turn this boat around, III"
But he did not hear me, nor feel my
grasp upon him. He was rowing with
the strength of a mailman; terror had
put a glare in his eyes, had deadened
his senses of hearing and feeling. I
called to Harvey for aid. My friend
sat ~speechless in the bow, gripping
I, both sides OF the boat for support.
/ hardly like to say what happened
In the next instant, for at first IT will
not be credited, on top of the things
already mentioned. But this is a mar
rative-not a story made to order
while you wait-and must be kept to
the facts.
While l still had hold Of Andrea's
, hands, the Italian fell in a heap in the
l. bottom of the boat, Harvey gave a
l. hoarse cry OF mingled prayer and
curse. and | was left to clutch the
nearest seat and gasp while the little
o craft tore over the white-caps with the
speed Of an express train.
What was moving II? | looked for
d ward and saw the head again on the
water. We should be upon tin a sec
o ond-we should. at this rate, crash
ID into the junk a second later. WhaI
was the invisible power or attraction
that pulled us thitherward at SC ter
r rife a speed? Impressions OF OLE
le witch stories few before my mind
of tricks Of sorcery and magic. a
IS which I had always loved to soon
r Then the boat gave a jar, and the mar
is swimming ahead Of us was lifted cleal
out of the water.
y He was hanging on to a thick linz
is which stretched far ahead into the Sc;
-Harvey's tuna line, with an immens'
ID tuna careering seward at the othe
Id end of It!
le Hang on" | yelled-for | could SCI
the Filipino was more frightened nov
rs than anybody else. Hang on for you
'e life! Work your way toward tn
he boat"
lie He had sense enough left to know
that il he let go the boat would strik
a him. He was only ten feet out on tn
line. The distant una had evidentl
n risen near the surface, thus raisin
"a the line clear of the water near tn
boat. The Filipino junk was now bu
he a hundred yards ahead, although sal
m ing away as hard as 1t could, pIainl
II. In a confusion OF fright.
cut the line!" shrieked the FLIP
ed no. "Then | will let go and 0 ca
1t pick me up"
tie Harvey" ! cried, for he was in M
CHI way-"cut the line, or Wen be dashe
Id to pieces"
ut He found his wits barely in time I
ce a v us. One slash of his knife did tn
er business. The moment after. we ha
ee- bumped up to the junk, and the FIJI
he Pine had let go the line and was swim
ny ming toward us. He was a super
he swimmer, and apparently indefatig
'or bic. He called in Fflipinese to II
a Junk to stop. Before We could realii
It we were hauled aboard OF her
,at about a dozen Malays. Their capita
ng saluted as we came over the sid
no Our Filipino stamped his foot.
nd ITO seal" he cried, shaking the W
rus ter from his clothes. TO sea as IA
a as you can go. These gentlemen a
very persistent-they do not like
his part with what does not belong
a them. They have decided 10 stay wi
F -..-..!. ~ y. -.