The Mena weekly star. (Mena, Ark.) 1904-1977, 1911-12-21


along like river. defying gravitation.
The black. with Sheldon mounted ON
him, plunged ahead into the thick of
1t, STOPPING far forward and low to the |
ground to avoid being toppled over
backward.
He's sleeping out and far TO
night. +" Sheldon quoted as he thought
OF the dead man in the sand and the
rainwater trickling down upon the cold
clay.
So they fought their way back up
the beach. The other blacks caught
hold OF the man-horse and pulled and
tugged. There were among them those
whose fondest desire was TO drag the
rider in the sand and spring upon him
and mash him into repulslve nothing
ness. But the automatic pistol in his
belt, with fits rafting, quick dealing
death, and the automatic, death defy
ing spirit In the man himself made
them refrain and buckle down to the
task of hauling him to safety through
the storm.
Wet through and exhausted. he was
nevertheless surprised at the ease with
which he got into a change of cloth
Ing Though he was fe6rfully weak, he
found himself actually feeling better
The disease had spent ITSELF and the
mend had begun.
Nov, If don't get the fever" he
said aloud and at the same moment
resolved to go to taking quinine as
soon as he was strong enough to dare
He crawled out on the veranda. The
rain had ceased. but the wind. which
had dwindled to a half gale. was in
creasing. A big sea had sprung up
and the mile long breakers. curling
up to the overfall 200 yards from
the shore. were crashing on the
beach. The Jessie was plunging madly
to two anchors, and every second or
third sea broke clear over her bow
Two flags were stifIly undulating from
the halyards like squares Of flexible
sheet iron. One was blue. the other
red. He knew their meaning in the
Berande private code: what are your
nstructlonsY Shall ! attempt to land
boatT' Tackled on the wall between
the signal locker and the billiard rules
was the code itself. by which he vert.
fed the signal before making answer.
On the Flagstaff gaff a boy hoisted a
white flag over red, which stood for.
run to Neal island for shelter"
That Captain Oleson had been ex.
pecting this signal was apparent by
the celebrity with which the shackles
were knocked out Of both anchor
chains. He slipped his anchors, leay-
ing them buoyed to be picked up In
better weather. The Jessie swung off
under her full staysail; then the fore.
sail. double reefed, was run up She
was away like race horse, clearing
Balesuna shoal with half a cable length
to spare Just before she rounded the
point she was swallowed up In a ter.
rife squall that far outblew the first.
All that night. while squall after
squall smote Berande, uprooting trees,
overthrowing copra sheds and rocking
the house on its tall piles, Sheldon
slept He was unaware OF the com.
motion. He never wakened, nor did
be change his position or dream. He
awoke new man. Furthermore, he
was hungry. 1t was over week
since food had passed his lips He
drank a glass of condensed cream
thinned with water. and by 10 O'Clock
he dared to take a cup of beef tea.
He was cheered also by the stu
alton in the hospital. Despite the
ofn
and there was only one fresh case.
while half dozen boys crawled weak.
iy away to the barracks. He wonder.
ed II II was the wind that was blow.
ing the disease away and cleansing the
pestilential land
BY eleven a messenger arrived from
Balesuna village. dispatched by Seelee.
The Jessie had gone ashore halfway
between the village and Neal island
IL was not till nightfall that two OF
the crew arrived, reporting the drown
ing of Captain Oleson and of the one
remaining boy. AS for the Jessie.
from what they told him. Sheldon
could not but conclude that she was
a total loss. Further to hearten him
he was taken by a shivering fit In
half an hour he was burning up. And
he knew that at least another day
must pass before he could undertake
even the smallest dose of quinine he
crawled under heap of blankets and
a little later found himself laughing
aloud. He had surely reached the limit
of disaster. Barring earthquake cor
tidal wave. the worst had already be-
fallen him. The Flibberty-Gibbet was
certainly safe in Mboli pass. Since
nothing worse could happen things
simply had to mend. So II was. shiv
ering under his blankets. that he
laughed until the house boys. with
heads together. marveled at the devils
that we're q ss.s.::
Continued in next issue.)