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

afternoon. Then. while she watched the
sea within calling distance of me. L man
aged to penetrate the jungle with ak in
hand. so that finally l made shift to GU,
down cocoa palm tree, and we gathered
as many delicious nuts as We could carry
and returned to the shore. And we made
plenty of conversation easily during the
hours of watching. On the ship we had
conVersed mainly about business Now
we had no business, and my little mis-
tress was pleased to look at me in some
surprise 1 told her what l guessed
about the formation of the island. and
displayed unthinkingly the knowledge OF
the South seas and other parts of the
globe which l had acquired in my Ions
studying and wide cruising.
why. Master Hampton she eXclaim-
ed. opening wide her beautiful eyes. after
L had explained to her something of the
nature of the island and how l thought
IT was made and the use of the great
quantities of fruits thereof you seem to
know more than any of the finest gentle
men l have ever been thrown with
Whereat / was flattered beyond meas
ure and showed it. but she was kind
enough not to rebuke me for my vanity.
And. indeed. there were not many-per-
maps even none at all-among her &C
quaintance who could have done for her
what l had: they We're men of spirit. In
truth. but they lacked my experience and
my strength.
Clouds. With a sailors weather sense
was sure that We should have storm.
P1mball and Glibby sensed it, too. We
could see them making things snug allow
and aloft. They We're good-enough sea-
men. as far as that goes. The wind. if
1T came, would be off shore, and there
would be no danger of the ship being
driven upon our reef. but there We're is
lands to leeward which they seemed to
have forgotten which l remembered. If
it came to blow hard 1 would not want
to be in the position of the Rose of
Devon, even if I do prefer ship to the
shore in storm, but I want plenty of
sea room, and that the poor little Rose
of Devon had not. l surmised that the
attention of the crew had been SO per-
SlStently fixed upon us that they had
scarcely ever glanced to leeward even.
l explained all this to my little mistress
as made things snug for the night. She
would be perfectly protected by the over
hang of the cliff and the overturned
boat, and l told her. although l left her
alone in the boat that the same overhang
of the cliff would protect me from the
wind and the rain If the storm broke.
And so, after prayers again and a long
look Seaward. we went to sleep.
About midnight, so far as l could Judge
/ was awakened. The storm broke with
all the suddenness and intensity of the
tropics. Such peals Of thunder and such
flashes of lightning / have never wit
HeSSeu, although L ndu Deen IN many
storms throughout the world. To sleep
was impossible. Mistress Lucy came out
from her boat and stood beside me as we
leaned against the cliff, while the storm
drove harmlessly over our heads.
We could see the ship at intervals by
the vivid flashes of lightning. She was
making fearful weather Of it. She was
always a wet ship and the huge waves
fairly rolled over her. Once she went
over nearly on her beam ends and l
thought she was gone. l didn't view her
position with a great deal OF regret.
either. Although she could not come at
us. she was a terrible menace. But the
next flash of lightning showed that her
main topmast had gone by the board or
had been cut away, SO she righted. Pres
emily she drove off before the wind with
a rag of her foretops'l still showing. and
that was the last we saw Of her or her
men, we thought
(To be continued tomorrow)