The Comrade., 1910-08-19
CHAPTER liI-Continued.

1t vas not long before she reache
the barrier reef. It stood up a foot O
TWO above the water now, the tide be
ing low, and she clambered upon II
Inc sharp rocks cut her naked an
tender feet, unused to such exertion
and untitled to such demands, but sh
perseVered. The boat had been beatel
70 pieces. It had been forced owe
the reef by the hurl of the sea. Th
stern had been wedged In between
some projecting rocks. The rest Of I
mad been torn away and had fallel
into the lagoon. There was no wind
the sea was unruff1ed. She could SET
as II through glass the wrecked re
mains OF the boat. There was nothing
IN 1t except the battered motor, use
less for days before she landed, since
her supply Of gasoline had been ex
nausted. Everything else had beer
washed out of it 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
CLEAN of metal. Calculating the dis.
tance nicely, she plunged in and dove.
keeping her eyes open she easily
round the piece of metal, dislodged it
from the place where it had fallen and
came to the surface with it. It was a
sailors sheath knife with bit of
lanyard fastened to it. She had had a
fancy to wear it in her sailor's> blouse
and she had missed it since she had
come ashore.
But there was nothing else in the
boat, not a thing; nothing on the bar
r1er reef. She tried to pull the stern
away where 1t had been wedged, but
found that impossible. She tugged at
1t yaliantly, but could not move it. In
despair she turned to the man who
had watched silently as usual and
pointed. He seemed to understand,
Tor he came and with great effort
lifted the torn part Of the boat from
the rocks and laid it down at her feet.
She, threw it into the water, where, of
course, as, 1t was wood, 1t foated
easily. Then, with a nod to him she
plunged In and together they guided
1t 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 1t 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 shovel. It was too wide, but
she broke 1t 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
q rude semblence of a shovel. She In.
tended to use that on the boat on the
sand the next day.
Finished with this, she looked at
the man and sighed in despair. Could
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 to L
the surface gasping.
There were perhaps 10 or IL feet 1
Of It It was q stout piece Of rope, Of +
unusual quality, as had been every.
thing on board the yacht. The very
best Of stuff had gone into 1t and she
aid not believe any man on earth ,
could break 1t. She had amused her.
self on the cruise by learning the rudi-
nents of seamanship and she could tie
snots like any sailor. This little ac. ,
,omplishment was to stand her In :
good stead. She wrapped the rope !,
lrolnd her neck, plunged in the la.
soon for the third time, and swami !,
,nce more to the shore. :
She led the way up the sands to the {
lalm grove. Then she tied the rope q
round the mans neck, not In a slip b
loose, Of course, but In hard circle.
md quickly made a running bowline /
round the nearest tree. He had not =
lade the slightest resistance. He had d
o Idea evidently of what she was do. >
as or the purport Of her motions. d
Aen she turned and went away from a
i'm quickly. He started for her at li1
nee and was nearly jerked from his h
set By the tautening OF the rope. It Lei
as d new situation for him, yet his st
ands instinctiyely went to his throat g;
% y he gtroye TO tear awaT tbs moose, Il