Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-12-24
CHAPTER XII.-Continued.

She had slipped little prayer book
within her dress and she now drew ii
forth from her bosom. and by the light
of the fire read the psalm of David which
begins: ''Out of the deep have l called
unto Thee, Lord. Lord. hear my voice. V
And then she prayed. using some OF the
old collects of the church and adding one
of her own making in which she besought
God to care for us further. while she
thanked Him for having raised up a de-
Tense for her in my poor person-only she
did not so describe it. I listened very
humbly, saving a heartfelt amen at
the end.
| shall never forget that scene; the gray
cliff towering high above us, its crest lost
in the darkness, the white overturned
boat. the woman kneeling by the fire. its
lisht playing upon her until her race
looked like the face of an angel; myself
farther back in the shadow. 1t was a
dark. moonless night, but the stars shone
with tropical brillance, and in our ears
echoed and re-echoed the crash or the
mighty waves upon the barrier winch
was at once our prison and our fortress.
There was a silence for a little space
when she had finished, and in that silence
l devoted myself before God to her serv-
ice again, and then she rose and gave
me her hand
You have been true knight and gen.
tleman,' she said, softly, her eyes shin
ing, and l thank YOU.
| could only take it dumbly and stare
at her like the great fool l was. whereat
she smiled br' .htly, although her eyes
suddenly filled with tears.
And now she added, God keep you.
Good night.
| then kissed her extended hand which
she suffered without resistance.
II will leave you for little space,
said ], land so good night and God bless
you. too
When | came back she was in her place
under the boat. | sat for long time
before the fire. thinking and making
plans for our escape. The ship dldn {
give me much concern, because l was
sure she couldn't come at us. and in the
end she must go away and leave u.s.
1t was strange fortune that had
brought us here. How mysteriously
things had worked out. The marriage
of her father and mother, the last repre-
sentative of the two lines that had come
from the same ancestor, but had been
separated for hundred and fifty years,
which had brought together again the
old story of the island. which had been
handed down from father to son and now
to only daughter during those many
years. and the tradition explaining it;
the indifference with which her father.
Sir Godfrey, had received it: hts leaving
i,
the discovery that her mother years be-
fore had given her the other part the
saving of the two thousand pounds by
worthy Master F'icklin from the great eS-
tate which had been disSipated by her
father; my own opportune appearance on
the scene, | having returned from an
American voyage "a short time before his
death; her conSultatio with me; her de-
terminal ton to take the money she had
and charter "A ship: our securing the Rose
e III .,,I
the starting off on this wild goose chase
and what had happened since. ! recalled
them all.
AT first believing | had come to scott
at the whole matter, and had at last
laughed To myself at the prospect of find
ing an island or treasure, and had dis
credited the story of the old rover buc-
cancer who had captured the Spanish
treasure ship. his own having been sunk
in the encounter. He had manned the
Salleon with his own crew and they had
been wrecked on this island-if this were
the island-but the sea had subsidized. and
filling the boats with the treasure they
had hidden 1t in a cave on the other side
of the wall. The sailors had lived there
for some years, but had finally been at
tackled by some natives. probably from
the islands | could see dimly on the
horizon, and they had all been killed ex-
cept Capt. Wherefore, who had feigned
madness and become taboOed. He eS-
had been carried, in canoe and fell in
with Spanish trader. He was trans
shipped from one vessel to another. and
finally reached his home, a harmless
mailman on that subject, his friends and
neighbors and even his family thought.
with the parchment and the tradition
which he bequeathed to his two children
after he recovered his wits before he died.
They had quarreled, married apart and
lost sight of each other. And here we
after the death of the old Elizabethan
buccaneer, on his very island. Was the
treasure there still. where the tradition
said he had placed it? We should see.
| now believed that it was
long time l sat there until 1 finally
fell fast asleep. / must have slept some
time and soundly. for / was wearied. 1t
was she who awakened me. When l
opened my eyes and saw her sweet face
bending over me and heard her dear
voice calling me | declare l almost felt
as if l had died and gone to heaven and
was being welcomed by an angel.
Our first waking thought was for the
ship. She was still there in the offing.
She had been hove to during the night.
] could imagine what fierce debate and
WranSling there was aboard her. The
fact that We had landed would convince
them that the island contained the treas
IRE for which they had committed muir
der and which they could now by no
means come at. And that We had es-
capped them, coZened them. and now could
be seen on the beach Drawing them. in no
way diminished their anger. Even II
there We're no treasure. they would be
anxious to get possession of US and
Wreak their vengeance upon us.
The day that passed was much like the
afternoon before. Although We were by
this time persuaded that the reef was an
absolute protection, vague possibility
that they could devise means to pass 1t
in some way kept us uneasy on the sand.
We must have them under observation
We were eager to explore the beautiful
vale inclosed by the huge rampant but
We did not dare to he where we could not
watch the ship We did walk along the
shore and ascend the giant stairs In the