The Idaho Springs siftings-news., 1910-11-05

story of danger and distress. The rival claimant
OF the throne had demanded her hand In
riage and had promised to spare the life of her
father II she would consent to become his queen.
1t was but matter of weeks, possibly of days.
till his force would be strong enough to back his
arrogant demands. In the end the white
knew that the island beauty had fallen in love
with him. She pleaded with him to stay and help
her escape from the clutches of the oppressor.
1t is possible that Thompson would have lin
gered for time II his companions had not been
eager to get away from the island before the civil
war began. They were traders, and such they
did not care to take sides In the dispute 1t
might hurt their business chances in they
ever made another trip to the island The anchor
was lifted the brown sails spread and the ugly
little schooner slipped out Of the harbor Of Nal
keva while Thompson stood her deck and
waved farewell to the imperious little island
beauty. At the very last she had reminded him
OF his promise to return to Nakeva.
1t was weeks after the departure OF the ship
from Naikeva that Thompson dramatically
reminded of his promise to the Princess Laka-
nita. The sun had Just set one night and Thomp-
son was lying on deck smoking and watching the
swift tropic dark come up out of the east A
tive canoe scraped against the schooner's side
and native heard calling for "the white
man with the blue eyes" He was brought aboard
and proved to be the faithful messenger of the
distressed princess He had followed the schoon-
er across leagues of unknown in his open
canoe searching for the only man upon whom she
could rely for aid
The end was at hand in Naikeva, and I-aka-
n1ta and her father were about to be put to death
Help must come quickly, and 1t more than
possible that it now too late. That night the
stanch little trading vessel pointed her PROV
toward Nakeva. In the final melee along the
sands the old king and his rival both slain
and Thompson was stunned by blow from a
war club in the hands of a savage fighting man
When he revived he and his men began a hunt
of determination for all the revolters. They were
wiped out and their villages fired before the party
returned to the kings village where the schooner
lay anchored. Then the white hero was stricken
by one of the malignant island fevers brought
on by his injury the beach.
1t was many days before he was able to rec
ognize his free-trading companions. The princess
had been his devoted nurse through his danger
Gus attack of tropical fever Now that he about
to leave the island forever she grew sorrowful
and listless. She dropped like dying flower as
the ships preparations for sailing were being
made All his promises to return brought fits
OF passionate weeping the part of the little
princess. She wanted him to stay.
81 fought that fever when 1t tried to take YOU
away from me, ard 1t all for nothing" was
her constant reply, "and that you are well
the white men are taking you away where Laka-
nita can never hope to you again"
In the end her peadings won After all there
was nothing In the outer world to which he cared
to go back.
The good news spread quickly over the little
kingdom. The Child Of the Sun" was to wed
their princess and rule them in the wise ways Of
the white man.
After twenty-five years of idyllic happiness.
Thompson, the love-lorn youth who fed from
the covert jeers Of the town OF his birth, died a
king in farof Naikeva. The princess still lives
and his two sons will reign in his place The
silence of twenty-five years has been broken by
the news of his passing away surrounded to the
last by his dusky retainers.