The Washington times., 1913-01-24

hillside He had a huge pistol in his
I hand.
Ready I cried.
| Not o'ersoon," he said, springing up
and toward the boat.
AS we pushed of the cries or our
| pursuers. came closer and closer. In
deed. We were hardly two boat-lengths
from the cove when 1t seemed as IL the
hillside was alive with men and wom-
en-mostly women, The air shook with
| their wild curses, most of which were
heaped upon Mariposa's head. She was
a witch, a devils bairn and other hor-
rible IL more earthly things. 1 looked
| at her face, and IL was overwhelmed
corners Of her mouth dropped in sor-
| row and shame. ! leaned across my
oar and kissed her hand: She took my
meaning, and gave me a slow, CRATE
| full smile. z-r--.-ss 1890
AS for Bordeaux, the odd side of the
man suddenly reappeared He stood
/ up, straight as a rush, beseide his oar,
and in the most doleful tone addressed
| tAe discounted Macdonalds in words so
irrelevant that they are still in my
memory In a voice choked with emo
Clouds of sorrow pass me-
Flashes Of passionate lightning split the
| air.
Echoes of angry thunder crash and die.
Then blessed rain falls there. A pent-up
grief.
Bursts from the heavens in torrents Of
| reproach.
And vain recalling.
How much more of 1t there might
have been know not. for the explosion
of a pistol drowned the next words. A
bullet whizzed past the orators head
| and went into the strait with a noise
4 like awasp. Bordeaux raised his own
pistol sbut lowered it salmos inirnedi-
II might kill woman" ne grumbled,
\ and sat down to his oar.
! Which way" ] asked.
There was a strait on each side OF
| Butte Island, each leading to the fifth.
We were in the upper part of the west
ern strait The outlet of this was much
| nearer than by the eastern strait; but,
| although the. north wind was favor
able to the shorter route, 1t would have
brought us out too near the open sea
for our fran craft. The alternative was
| TO row around the northwest end Of
Butte, among the islands where we had
| first encountered Bordeaux, and SINH
| larly sail down the eastern passage
| with the wind. The distance to the
fork of the straits was not more than
a mile.
While we were still considering the
course, Mariposa cried out and pointed
to the landing beach, which was now in
full view. A score Of women were
| launching a boat. Bordeaux uttered an
u
What, pray" said he. sis a gentle
man to do when pursued by infuriated
ladies?"
He answered his own question by set
ting lusty oar-stroke. The north wind
sang a biting air around our ears as
the boat shot up the strait. But Il was
not women who were about to pursue
us. -Four men, all more or less under
the influence of Marposa's herb skill,
got into the boat, and. after much
drunken argument and confusion about
seating and adjusting the oars, came
after us at top speed.
-Four oars to our two was a point
against US; but one in favor of us was
THAT there was no helmsman; and as
the Macdonalds' was a two-seated boat
with a pair of rowers at each place
the boat was badly trimmed-up in the
stern and down in the bow-whiIe the
narrow beam of the craft caused each
pair of rowers TO bump their shoulders
together as they pulled.
But she was lighter boat than Bor-
deauX's masted craft. and what with the
drunken frenzy of the rowers. II soon
hauled before we could make the other
straits and get under sail Strain at the
oars though we did, the Macdonalds
crept up on us, boat-length in every
twelve
Mariposa sat in the stern, glancing
anXiously from the pursuers to the
islands ahead, and then back at the
Macdonalds. Suddenly she turned and
looked at Bordeaux, who was rowing be-
hind me. i could see by her face that
she had something to say to him, but
was unable to find words. ] know now