The Newport miner. [volume] (Newport, Wash.) 1899-current, 1911-09-28

he q prisoner on another island, per-
haps suffering torture rather than dis
close the hiding place Of the pearls.
Lester thought about these things
while the sun sank and a glorious
moon arose to light the world with
silver radiance. A little breeze sprang
I'D from the south. and Lester leaned
against the trunk of q palm and turned
his face to its cooling touch.
Then he heard 1t. Family, sweetly,
it was borne on the wings OF the wind
and swept over his head In signing.
tuneful melody.
This was the haunted island Of the
natives. Was it the spirit Of Gilbert
Odds seeking to hold communication
with his friend?
After an invigorating cup Of coffee
Lester made a thorough examination
of the island and found many traces
of Gilbert's occupation. There was his
former camp not thirty feet away
from the site of Testers matched hut.
There was a good sized tent pitched
around. There were traces Of tram
ping bare feet in the sand around the
tent door, and Lester counted that
there must have been a dozen men be-
sides Gilbert Olds, for the latters foot
prints were easily distinguished from
the others. for he had worn shoes.
There was no doubt that Gilbert Odds
had been attacked by natives from the
neighboring islands and carried away
to death or captivity.
A careful search Of the most promi-
nent palms along the shore did not re-
veal one that had a hollow trunk or
that in any way seemed to offer a
hiding place for some Of the most
splendid pearls of the east. Early in
the afternoon the wind sprang up
again from the south, and almost i'm
mediately Lester heard the signing
music of the night before.
He shook off the feeling of uncanni-
ness at the strange sound and tried
to place it's source. OF one thing he
was certain-that it lowered over the
tall palm beneath which he had sat
the night before. He stood beneath
its slender, tapering trunk and looked
wistfully upward at the thick tuft Of
branches above his head. II he only
had the steel spurs of telephone
wire man the mounting Of that tree
would be a small matter.
| All at once there stood plainly be-
fore him as If written on the sand a
picture in long forgotten geography
of his youth. 1t was a drawing Of
south sea islander climbing the bare
trunk of a palm tree. The man had
| tied a long scarf about the tree and
his own waist. and then. bending back
ward. his bare feet pressed against the
tree, he braced himself against the
scarf and slowly assembled.
1t was a difficult feat to perform, but
Lester was no mean athlete. and there
was a thin cashmere blanket that
would form an excellent brace for the
ascent. He kicked off his shoes. twist.
ed the blanket into rope. tied himself
to the tree with plenty Of slack and
tried. He failed utterly. While he
rested, bruised and scratched. another
idea came to him, and he Immediately
put it into practice. His bag also pro-
duced a long coil of flexible rope
[ which had seemed to him a useful ad-
junct to bis travelling kit in the trop-
les. A half hours play with this re-
suited in his lassoing a thick bunch Of
the top branches and pulling it taut.
Now. with the rope In his hands and
the brace once more in place, Lester
gradually drew himself up to the tuft-
ed top of the palm. where he rested
painting among the branches. while the
weird music played almost in his ears.
Now. that he was up here it was
easy to find the source Of the hidden
melody. An aeolian harp fashioned
from a cigar box and some strings
from Gilbert's mandolin was cunning
ly concealed in the branches where ev-
cry puff of the south wind resulted in
a strain Of music. Why had Gilbert
placed the harp there? Was it pre-
caution against bis possible capture by
the natives. and did it indicate the
palm tree which contained the pearls?
Lester believed it did.
He found the pearls easily. Just be-
meath the tufted top a square outline
was cut in the trunk. Lester thrust
the blade of his knife in one wedge
and pried 1t open like little door. The
pithy trunk had been followed out. and
there. wrapped In an oilskin bag, were
the pearls which had cost score Of
lives since the fame Of their presence
on the island had gone abroad.
With the pearls in his bosom Lester
slipped down from the tree just as the
sun sank below the horizon. Later
when the moon was rising he sat
watching its silver track across the
sea. AS he watched something black
bobbed into the radiance and stayed
there. gradually coming nearer. nearer,
until it came into the little harbor.
Lester stood at the waters edge to
| greet the man in the slender canoe.