The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1912-05-24


time success crowned my efforts.
From this moment date comfortable
change of diet, and may say that in the com
pletion Of this labor and contemplation of its
results to me was happier-at any rate calmel
than I had been since my arrival on the
island
My misery was soon deepened. aye, made in.
supportable by the loss of my precious knife,
the one invaluable treasure that yet remained,
AS l was STOPPING over my turtle cage to OBJ.
serve the welfare of it's occupants it slipped
from my pocket and dropped into the water.
For some time I had been of opinion that
the bad weather would soon have its ending,
and that probably gale Of wind would mark
its exit. The accuracy of my calculations was
justified, for after several days of great heat
and unexampled calm, one Of those sudden con-
vulsions of tropic violence assailed the island
with cyclonic force My frail hut was bodily
lifted by the blast as If it were a feathers
weight, and no portion of it or its contents ever
met my eye again. Torrential rain in binding
sheets, almost suffocating in its profusion, ut
terly drenched me, and the great ocean, dashed
into a wild fury, seemed bent on submerging
the little island, as it had done on previous oc.
casiOns.
From the ending of this storm, my days
were spent in searching for food and praying
to the fend, and my nights. were troubled with
they were-as wholly to wreck my reason.
Naked and unkempt, I roamed over the linn
tied extent the land afforded; attached now to
no particular place, and needless of any at
tempts at rescue, no longer kept lookout
Like wild man that was, cleaned such
food as the place afforded. untroubled by
Qualms of any sort.
One day while drowsily musing. new sounds
assa1led my ears-more ineligible, more har-
h0U Cd $ho,o r<&h~. I'D
been accustomed to. Though they evidently
came from behind, I expected the new breed
OF Intervals to deploy suddenly in front. as
thehir predecessors had always done, there
fore did not turn until one of them laid a
rough hand on me. This was new expert.
ence for till now the busy imps had under
close inspection seemed intangible.
Turning to the touch, number Of figures
In white garb met my astonished gaze and
though their countenances seemed plying and
benefcent, I knew them for their deceitful
worth, and cursed their uncalled-for interfer-
ence would have chased them from the
island. Till now all COLLINS and little inquisi-
tive imps had fed before my rage, but these
newcomers closed in around me- Selling nv
weapon and overpowering my fercest efforts,
until lay fast in bonds, and quite insensible
The end had come. I had been rescued hy
an adventurous and devoted party of Samoan
missionaries and their Ellice Island followers
Strange to say, nearly II not all Of my mes
sages had safely reached some inhabited
island, but unfortunately none could read and
understand the English words.
Paulo, the teacher on Nanomea, sent mes.
sage after message through the group, and
these timely explanations came to the south
ern teachers, enlightening them as to the
real meaning of my misspelled and almost un-
Ineligible Samoan notes which they had
been getting from time to time by bird post
a letter-delivery service which was soon &C.
lively employed in my behalf
AS soon as the defective system woull al
low, the teachers consulted, and one bold
spirit. an aged man, brave old Alamoa-jour
neyed from Nicutao to Vaitucu, and q to
Funafuti, in an open boat to give direction
to the work of rescue
AS an example Of infinite unsclfshness, of
noble devotion to high convictions Of duty,
think that the work of my difficult rescue can
be favorably compared with many other shin
Ing records Of Christian endenvDr.
The original party of thirteen Adventures
set out from Funafuti II en- ordinary open
boat, three oars on a &lde, and using bat
tered compass as their cnly guide. After
rest of several days on Nukulailai and with in
creased. stores Of food and water, the perilous
journey to Nuulakita vas successfully at
tempted
VINO can WIN pen or tyte recount the rap
lures of a return sush as mine turned out to
be?
By kindness and generosity, my employers
sought to reward the gccd teachers and the
workers who had saved me from a living death
at the imminent risk Of their own lives and
~ good wife and children set down In feeling
terms the heavy obligations under which they
lay; but I, who more Immediately knew the
case, felt that long life Of thankfulness to
and respect for the COED people of the Ellice