Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-11-06
IN TWO PARTS-Part l.


CTRAIGHT south from New York we held for seven
- days, with the smooth as a duck pond all the
time; and tell you when we got down among
those little islands keeping my weather eye peeled
had been with night and day. and at last the Fortune
slung her mud hook into the shadows outside Skull
Island-a clipper built yacht on the crazlest cruise
Gloucester charted.
Keep her riding short, Captain Eccles," said Mr.
Larrabee to me- he and the inventor fellow in shore
going ogs of white duck dropped the side into the
launch With luck we'll strike the fukes out before
shutdown and be on way And with that he set OF
to find the he had halfway out OF his course
to lay hands on.
man of few words Mr. Larrabee, as they say all
these stock gamblers are but fair we had found
him since shipped him of smart hands Tor the
b to m oo bu e his ecessness
offshore with hrn-though as long as sign as captain
am master on my ship 80,
Owners orders" told myself now, and passed the
word to keep her short chan but had one eye on
the horizon all the time. In those island ATTITUDES the
hurricane up mighty sudden and we od-faSh1oneo
deep-Sea still think anchors were MADE 10 stnu Dy
with stout cable and plenty of to ride IN. Only,
the anchor isn't made that will hold in hurricane on
those tropical bottoms.
beating down fit the in the deck through
the awnings and with my own eyes how Skull
Island got its name 1t rises sheer out OF the sea IKE
Smooth it is and green beyond belief seeing the core OF
it is solid rock The soil must be rich in guano from the
way the lime grow; but the gus must have fought
shv of the top for reason and never made tnelr
where the peak shows gray and bald ike
just weatherworn granite and not sign OF Vegetaton
stood and watched the launch make the beach IKE
swoopng albatross and Mr.. Larrabee and the IN
step and start paaver with some OF the great
great-grandsons of the original Dutch settlers
The upshot that presently one OF the natives
pointed place the peak of the island and
figured that was where Spanish Dick to be found
he was at home. 1t looked to be stfish climb and
thought it queer that rascaly buccaneers grandson
should choose to live far from the water now that ne
had left the But staring up where the green
as had heard him described brooding up there like
shhawk his keen aching to pierce the far-on blue
and where the great gold ngos lay that were lost
when the Santa Teresa went down with her crew on the
Spanish Main, nigh three generations gone
could see Mr.. Larrabee, in his eager way, was tor
setting out at once but Mr. Belden caught his and
objected have doubt in that scientific fashion OF his
Whatever he sad it convinced Mr. Larrabee who after
some talk with the of the place. turned and
order which the launch scuddng back to the yacht
MIR Larrabee wants to you ashore, Sir, was the
word she swung under the rail; and presently was
the rocky strip of beach, wondering what need there
might be of plain seaman IN the business OF getting
Spanish Dick to ship supercargo on the Fortune.
MR.. LARRABEE was twisting his mustache in his
NA nervous way. well need you along Eccles,
he H. coming to the point right away, and as soon as
the chairs arrive well This Spanish Dick shy
old bird and will have to be persuaded from all hear
could see he eager to be off, and looked at the
inventor for the sake of contrast impractical
looking fellow never saw must say though here was
in fair way years full wages account
of his fooshness if the cruise lasted long enough Yet
how the man ever persuaded Mr.. Larrabee that the
sea telescope would work is beyond me, seeing what
had for driving shreWd bargains in rail-
roads, of which had heard he controlled more than
seemed right for a of his age
By this time half the island the landing, and
more coming down the path that wound up from the
rocks through the green lime trees The word had been
passed that the white ship had to bear Spanish
Dick away, if he would go; and dozen sea-beaten
Dutch faces crowded close Notwithstanding they
had Mr.. Larrabees handsome features to look at. l
heard smart opinions of the Fortune from these