Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1910-05-05
CHAPTER IIl-contlnued.

the barrier reef. It stood up a foot or
two above the water now, the tide be-
ing low, and she clambered upon 1t.
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
to pieces. 1t 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 II
had been torn away and had fallen
into the lagoon. There was no wind,
the sea was unruffied. She could see
as if 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 ex-
hausted. Everything else had been
washed out of it and carried into the
deeper recesses Of the lagoon where
they we're inaccessible to the human
vision.
Stop! Under what remained of a
piece of thwart she caught a little
CLEAN of metal. Calculating the dis
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
cane to the surface with it. 1t vas a
sailors sheath knife with a bit of
lanyard fastened to it. She had had a
fancy to wear it in her sailors blouse
and she had missed it since she had
come ashore.
But there was nothing else in the
boat, not a thing; nothing OF the bar
rier reef. She tried to pull the stern
away where it had been wedged, but
found that impossible. She tugged at
it valiantly, but could not move it. In
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 it into the water, where, of
course, as it was wood, 1t foated
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
to pull it apart, what she wished him
to do. The impossible to her was
child's play to him, and in a 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 a little box for
the coxswain to sit in, which would
do for a shovel. 1t was too wide, but
she broke it against a big stone and
was possessed of what she wanted.
The ends were rough and serrated 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 a shovel. She in
tended to use that or the boat On the
sand the next day.
Finished with this, she looked at
the man and sighed in despair. Gould
she ever get rid of him? Instantly
there flashed into her mind that
which she had before overlooked as Of
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 1t had not
been severed. An idea came to her
Dropping the shovel and followed by
her satellite, she plunged in once more
and again swan to the boat. Wasting
no time, she dove as before, found the
rope and having previously opened
her knife, cut 1t quickly and came t.
the surface gasping.
There we're perhaps 10 or IL fee
Of it. It was a stout piece Of rope, O.
unusual quality, as had been every
thing on board the yacht. The very
best Of stuff had gone into 1t and sh,
did not believe any man on eartl
could break it. She had amused her
self on the cruise by learning the rudi
ments of seamanship and she could ii,
knots like any sailor. This little &C
complishment was to stand her il
good stead. She wrapped the rop'
around her neck, plunged In the la
COON for the third time, and swan
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 no
made the slightest resistance. He ha'
no idea evidently Of what she was dc
ing or the purport Of her motions
Then she turned and went away from
him quickly. He started for her a
once and was nearly jerked from hi
feet by the tautening Of the rope.
was a new situation for him. vet hi
hands instinctively went to his throa
and he strove to tear away the moose
putting forth sucn q prodigious amour
OF strength that she stood In horro
last he should part the lashing. Blu
it was made Of stout stuff and he ha
no purchase; although he pulled unit
the sweat stood out on his forehea
from the violence Of his efforts, the
were OF no avail. She had not dare
to interfere or to say d word, br
when she saw his efforts slacken, sh
pointed to the sands to indicate to hill
that he was to sit down, and then sh
went away conscious that while th
rope held she was free. She was col
scious Of another thing, too, and the
was that he was learning a sad an
bitter lesson Of physical restraint |