Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1911-11-03

ed filled with their flying leaves. any
one Of which. stem-on. could brain q
man. Then came the rain. IL deluge
straight, horizontal sheet that poured
along like river, defying gravitation
The black. with Sheldon mounted on
him, plunged ahead into the thick OF
it, STOPPING far forward and low to the
ground to avoid being toppled over
backward.
lies 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 mas., him into repuIsive nothing
ness. But the automatic pistol in his
belt. with its 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 ut the ease with
which he got into change Of cloth.
ing. Though he was fearfully weak. he
found himself actually feeling better.
The disease had spent itself. and the
mend had begun.
"Now. 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
Tie crawled out on the veranda. The
rain had ceased. but the wind. which
had dwindled to half gale. was in
creasing. a big Sea had sprung up.
and the mile long breakers. curling
up to the OVERALL 200 yards from
the shore. We're 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 stif1ly 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
instructions? Shall l attempt to land
boat?" Tackled on the wall between
the signal locker and the billiard rules
was the code itself. by which be vert-
fed the signal before making answer.
On the Flagstaff gaR a boy hoisted a
white flag over a 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. leav-
ing them buoyed to be picked up in
better weather The Jessie swung of
under her full staysail: then the fore
sail. double reefed. was run up. She
was away like a race horse. clearing
Balesuna shoal with half cable length
to spare. Just before she rounded the
point she was swallowed up in ter
rife squall that far outblew the first
All that night. while squall after
squall smote Berande. uprooting trees.
overthrowing copra sheds ana rocking
the house on its tall piles. Sheldon
slept. He was unaware Of the COM
motion. He never wakened. nor did
he change his position or dream. He
awoke new man. Furthermore. he
was hungry. 1t was over a week
since food had passed his lips. He
drank glass of condensed cream
thinned with water. and by 10 O'Clock
he dared to take u cup OF beef tea.
He was cheered also by the stu
alton in the hospital. Despite the
storm there had been but one death.
and there was only one fresh case.
while half dozen boys crawled weak
ly away to the barracks. He wonder
ed if it was the wind that was blow
ing the disease away and cleansing the
pestilentLl land.
BY eleven Il messenger arrived from
Balcsuna village. dispatched by Seelee.
The Jessie had gone ashore halfway
between the village and Neal island.
1t 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 shivering fit. In
half an hour he was burning up. And
he knew that ut least another day
must pass before he could undertake
even the smallest dose Of quinine. He
crawled under heap Of blankets and
Il little later found himself laughing
aloud. He had surely reached the limit
OF disaster. Barring earthquake or
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 it was. shiv-
cring under his blankets. that he
laughed until the house boys. with
heads together. marveled at the devils
that were III him.