Mexico Missouri message. (Mexico, Audrain County, Mo.) 1899-1918, 1910-07-14
CHAPTER IlI-contlnued.

II was not long DetOre She reacheu
the barrier reef. It stood up a foot or
two above the water now, the tide be
ing low. and she clambered upon IT,.
The sharp rocks cut her naked and
tender feet, unused to such eXertions
and untitled to such demands, but she
persevered. The boat had been beaten
20 pieces. II had been forced over
the reef by the hurl Of the sea. The
stern had been wedged in between
some projecting rocks. The rest Of it
had been torn away and had fallen
Into the lagoon. There was no wind,
the sea was unrufiied She could see
as II through a glass the wrecked re-
mains Of the boat. There was nothing
in It except the battered motor, use
less for days before she landed since
her supply of gasoline had been eI-
hausted Everything else had been
washed out of 1t and carried into the
deeper recesses Of the lagoon where
they were inaccessible to the human
vision.
Stop! Under what remained of a
piece Of thwart she caught a little
kltuAl VI ultlhls NdlNuldllllE Allt hlo'
lance nicely, she plunged in and dove.
Keeping her eyes open she easily
found the piece Of metal, dislodged 1t
from the place where it had fallen and
came to the surface with it. 1t was a
sailors sheath knife with a bit of
lanyard fastened to 1t. She had had a
fancy to wear II in her sailors blouse
and she had missed 1t since she had
come ashore.
But there was nothing else in the
boat, not a thing; nothing on the bar
rier reef. She tried to pull the stern
away where it had been wedged, but
found that impossible. She tugged at
Il valiantly, but could not move it. In
despair she turned to the man who
had watched silently as usual and
pointed. He seemed to understand,
for he came and with great effort
lifted the torn part of the boat from
the rocks and laid 1t down at her feet.
She threw 1t into the water where, of
course, as It was wood, 1t floated
easily. Then, with a nod to him she
plunged in and together they guided
It to the shore, he taking his cue
from her action.
She had a fancy to test his strength
and she managed to convey to him by
signs, mainly by trying herself in vain
20 pull it apart, what she wished him
TO do The impossible to her was
child's play to him, and in moment
the several pieces of the boat which
made up the stern were scattered on
the beach. There was one straight
piece which went across the stern
of the boat and made little box for
the coxswain to sit in, which would
DO for a shovel It was too wide, but
she broke it against a big stone and
was possessed of what she wanted
The ends were rough and sCrrated and
unfit for her hands, but these she
smoothed by the aid Of her knife. She
sharpened the other end and soon had
a rude semblance Of shovel. She in
tended to use that on the boat on the
sand the next day.
Finished with this, she looked al
the man and sighed in despair. Gould
she ever get rid of him? Instantly
there flashed into her mind thai
which she had before overlooked as o.
no moment. A long heavy boat rope
the boats painter, she had noticed
when she dove lay floating by the
side of the boat from which it had no
been severed. An idea came to her
Dropping the shovel and followed b!
her satellite, she plunged in once more
and again swan to the boat Wastinl
no time. she dove as before, found thu
rope and having previously opened
her knife. cut It quickly and came t,
the surface gasping.
There were perhaps 10 or 70 fee
of it. It was a stout piece of rope, o
unusual quality, as had been every
thug on board the yacht. The yer,
best of stuff had gone into 1t and sh
did not believe any man on cart
could break 1t. She had amused heI
self on the cruise by learning the rud
ments of seamanship and she could ii
knots like any sailor. This little az
complishment was to stand her 4
good stead. She wrapped the rop
around her neck, plunged in the Ia
COON for the third time, and swar
once more to the shore.
She led the way up the sands to tn
palm grove. Then she tied the rop
around the mans neck, not in a sill
moose, of course, but In a hard circle
and quickly made a running bowlin
around the nearest tree. He had nc
made the slightest resistance. He IA
no idea evidently Of what she Was d.
ang or the purport Of her motions
Then she turned ana went away froI
him quickly. He started for her q
once and was nearly jerked from hi
feet by the tautsning of the rope.
was a new situation for him, yet hi
hands instinctiYely wen' tn ba throa
and he stroYe TO tear q ~ iaS Oos'