The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1913-11-14

was policy to do so, lest something
worse might befall. and Matt and
Chris We're perseveringly friendly to
the careworn captain. and to the sulky.
sardonic mate. They judged it wise
to talk IA great deal Of the Tokelaus.
and of their plan afterward to reach
Samoa and start a little cacao plan
tati0n
MATHS cry. wrung from his despera
ton. that he would sink the schooner
had given him the germ of an idea.
Yes. why not sink her-not from any
notion of wild revenge but as we'll
calculated solution of the perils sur
rounding them: TO wait. in fact. I'M
Ill they knew there were islands near
/ them and then. sinking the vessel.
compel Schwartz to take TO the surf
boat This was fine. big. carvel built
boat. twenty-SiX feet long. and Matt
tested it with his penknife to make
sure it was sound 1t would easily
hold all hands. with ample provisions
! and water. and tri1, of sixty or eighty
miles in it would be no terrible hard
! ship. Compared to the unknown dan
gers that grew daily nearer. the haz
! ard of such an escape seemed small in
/ deed And once ashore. anywhere
ashore-they would be safe. for. how
! ever primitive and loose the little 4
/ tive governments are. they are strong
| enough to protect the lives and per
| sons of those within their rule.
| But to sink the Esmeralda, That
] TO, :y.i-
| of dynamite would send her to the bot
! tom in short order. and there was plen
| ty of the deadly stuff in the trade
| room. together with GAYS and fuses
( But that was suicide That was to
! open barn door to the Pacific ocean
| The alternative was to chisel good
| sized hole in her cardboard streak and
| give it about twice the bore of bilge
! pump.
| The Esmeralda had an unusually
good pump. worked by couple OF
hand spikes. and throwing five inch
stream. Matt squared the circle III
| dustriously and then doubled the re-
suit. going over these calculations
again and again to make sure of no
| mistake. What he aimed to accom-
| pIish was a leak that would force
! Schwartz to lay the vessel toward the
nearest land. and perhaps bring it into
view before there would be any need
| TO take refuge in the whaler. On a
| two to one ratio of leak against pump.
| he hoped the Esmeralda might stay
afloat for ten or twelve hours after
| he had achieved his purpose
| They were twenty-four days out OF
| San Francisco when the first land
| rose over the horizon. To Matt the
| sight OF the island was like a signal:
it made him acutely restless and IN
comfortable: he was possessed with
the suffocating sense of almost terror
that precedes al desperate deeds. TAX
ing advantage of the commotion Oh
| deck he ran below. watched his OPP
| portunity and entered the trade room
No craftsman. on his knees before a
| safe and thrilinGly conscious that at
| any moment be might be interrupted.
| could have experienced more trepida-
| ton than did Matt as he sought out a
! case Of axes and pripd open the i'd
| He seized one he went down on his
| knees before the hatch and fumbled
! with the ring cOuntersunk III the plank
! ing.
The hold was about nine or ten feet
deep: be peered in again. gauging
it. Rope: There was rope every
| where comDactly coiled and burlapned-
1t would he quite bother, though,
to cut the fastenings: new rope also
was sure to kink-to tanrle and twist
/ itself into snarlS Why not a bolt of
that stout red cotton 1t would be
| Just as efficaciouS-more efficaciouS-
! timber He made the loose end fast 10
n keg Of nails and tossed the bolt itself
| down the hatchway: lowered the *
! after il on piece Of Irvine: also a key
/ saw and pair OF chisels on another
! piece Of twine
Crushing the cotton in his hands. he
! swung over the opening and let him
!! self 60 His feet touched the iron bars:
all about him ii was as black a pitch
/ except under the twilight Of the hatch
{ The mir was stale and sitting and Teek
ing Of ti.Ge water.
! Getting his tools together. he got
vigorously 70 work. ripping Of 4 bic
patch - the inner skin and LAYING one-
havon1 the real object Of attack TIE
i next step required more delicate meth
o6S-m more care and skill One dS~CTa
however small IN the outer rlanE542
might admit 50 fierce Il G1>b o. E-aTeg
taat thu task would have 20 BE r=at
sun elsewhere with MI Ifs atteuIaG1
delay But there was Nd time fCr IL
Fav-r7r m instant Abar+. Linn vas