New-York tribune., 1910-11-06
IN TWO PARTS-Part I.


. TRAIGHT south from New York we held for seven
- days, with the sea smooth as a duck pond all the
time; and l tell you when we got down among
those little islands was keeping weather eye peeled
for squalls. But all got the Captu OF wind that
had been with night and day and at last the Fortune
slung her mud hook into the shadows outside Skull
Jsland-a clipper built yacht the cTazIest cruise
Gloucester man ever Charted.
Keep her riding short Captain Ecces" said Mr..
Larrabee he and the inventor fellow, IN shore
going togs of white duck dropped the side INTO the
launch. with luck, We'll strike the fukes out before
sundown and be on way And with that ne set of
ind the he had come halfway out OF his course
to lay hands
man of few words was Mr. Larrabee as they say all
these stock gamblers are; but fair we had found
him since shipped him OF smart hands Tor the
Fortune, some three years gone Something OF sailor
he had learnt be but he brought his recesSreSs
ofshore with h1n-though as long as l sign as Captain
l am master on my ship.
Owners orders, I told myself now, and passed the
word to keep her short chain; but had one eye on
the horizon all the time. In those island ATTITUDES the
hurricane comes up mighty sudden and we old-Iashoned
deep-sea men still think anchors were made to stand BY
with stout cable and plenty OF room to ride in Only
the anchor isn made that Will hold II hurricane on
those tropical bottoms.
But there wasn't cloud in the sky and the kept
beating down mt to start the seams IN the deck through
the awnings, and | saw with my own eyes how Skull
Island got It's II sheer OF the like
bell buoy. and think had been turned lathe.
Smooth and green beyond belief seeing the OF
It is solid rock. The soil must be rich IN guano from the
way the lime trees grow; but the gs must have fought
nests where the peak shows gray and bald like skull
Just weatheTworn granite and not sign OF vegetation.
| stood and watched the launch make the beach like
swOopng albatross, and Alr Larrabee and the IN
ventor step and start paaver with some OF the great
great -grandsons of the original Dutch settlers.
The upshot that presently OF the natives
pointed to some place the peak OF the island and
figured that where Spanish Dick to be found II
he al home. 1t looked to be a stifsh climb, and
thought 1t queer that rascaly buccaneers grandson
should choose live far from the that he
had left the But staring up where the green
stopped short OF the gray aucied the fierce old
| had heard him described brOOdng up there like
hshhaWk his keen eyes aching to pierce the tar-o blue
and where the great gold ngots lay that lost
when the Santa Teresa down with her crew the
Spanish Main nigh three generations gone.
/ could MIR. Larrabee, in his eager way, for
setting once; but Mr.. Beden caught his and
objected have doubt that scientific fashion of his
Whatever he said it convinced Mn Larrabee, who after
talk with the OF the place, turned and gave
order which the launch scuddIng back the yacht
Mr.. Larrabee wants to you ashore. Sir the
word she swung under the rail; and presently
the rocky strip of beach wondering what need there
might be of plain in the business of getting
Spanish Dick to ship supercargo on the Fortune.