Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1911-07-06
with his friend7

After an tnvtgOraClng cup OF couee
Lester made q thorough examination
OF the island and found many traces
: Of Giberts occupation. There was his
former camp not thirty feet away
/ from the site Of Testers matched hut.
| There was q good sized tent pitched
| here and many utensils scattered
| 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 be had worn shoes.
There was no doubt that Gilbert Olds
had been attacked by natives from the
! neighboring islands and carried away
I to death or captivity.
A careful search OF the most promi-
nent palms along the shore did not re-
veal one that had q 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
J again from the south. and almost i'm
mediateIy Lester heard the signing
music of the night before.
He shook of the feeling of uncanni-
ness at the strange sound and tried
to place its 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
wigtfully upward at the thick tuft of
branches above his head. If he only
had the steel spurs OF a telephone
wire man the mounting of that tree
would be a small matter.
All at once there stood plainly be-
fore him as IL written on the sand
picture In a long forgotten geography
of his youth. 1t was a dra wing Of a
south sea islander climbing the bare
trunk Of q 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 OF 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 his travelling kit in the trop-
les. A half hours play with this re-
suited in his lassoiDg a thick bunch or
the top branches and pulling 1t 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 |
" 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 1t a pre-
caution against his 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 it open like little door. The
pithy trunk had been followed out, and
there. wrapped In an oilskin bag, were !
the pearls which had cost a score Of
60 80 hot nn
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.
You got here just in time. Gilbert"
he said coolly. My trading schooner
is q day ahead of time. l see her
awning into the harbor now"
THANK heavenw painted Gilbert Olds
as he fell exhausted on the sand. you
got the pearls. Lester?"
Inside my belt" returned Lester, his
hands in those of his friend. You
were captured and have escaped from
one of the islands. old man"
Yes; there are fifteen canoes and
about a thousand sharks In my wake.
I hope your schooner Is not far on
Lester answered the hall Of the trad
ing captain and ran up the beach to
collect bis things. When he came back
Gilbert stood at the waters edge.
You'll tell me all about it some day,
Gill;" he said affecdonately.
TITS one Of those things that will
never be told. Lester" said the other
slowly. THE pearls were not worth
the price paid"