The Meeker herald. [volume] (Meeker, Colo.) 1885-current, 1913-04-26

slant the ship was on . coral rssf.
full Of water, and the seas breaking
over her from stem to stern.
Morning came and showed q little
patch Of land. with palm trees and
tropical vegetation waving in the
gusts and green in the sunshine. Cap
tain Nat ordered the boats To BE- low
cred. Much ~ he hated the thought.
he saw that the Sea Mist had made
her last voyage and must be aban-
doned, He went TO the cabin. col
lscted papers and charts and prepared
to leave. The ships money. over ten
thousand dollars In gold belonging to
The owner and 70 b used In trade
and speculation among the East In
dies, he took with him. Then the
dimcult and dangerous passage
through the opening IN the rest was
begun. M
Only the captains boat reached the
shore. The mats's was caught By .
huge breaker. Dashed against the rest
and sunk. Captain Nat, his second
mate and i've Of his men were all that
was left OF the Sea Mist's company.
And % that island they remained for
nearly two weeks. Provisions they
had brought ashore with them. Wa
ter they found BY DIGGING. Nat hid
the gold At night, burying II ON the
beach below hish-watsr mark.
Then. having made sure Of his 10
cation BY consulting the chart, he Dc.
tssminsd to attempt voyage to the
second Island, whore he knew the
English colony 70 Be. Provisions were
getting abort, and, to remain longer
whore they wsrs was to risk starva-
ton and al IT. horrors. So. In the
longboat. which was provided with
sail. they started. Charts and papers
and the gold the skipper took with
them. None Of the crew knew Of the
existence Of the money: It was . -.
cret which the captain kept to him
self.
A hundred milss they sailed In the
longboat and, at last, the second Isl
and was sighted. They landed and
found. to their CONSERVATION and sur
prise. that Il. too. was untuhabitsd.
The former residents had grown tirsd
Of their isolation and. trading vss-
ssa having touchsd there, had ssi1ed
the opportunity % depart Tor Tahiti.
Thsir houses were empty. their eat
tie. sheep. goats, and fowl roamed
Wild In the woods. and the fruit was
rotting on the trees. In its way the
little island was an Eveless Eden.
flowing with milk and honey: but to
Captain Nat, a conscientious skipper
with responsibilities to his owners. It
was . prison from which he deter
mined to escape. Then. ~ II to make
escape impossible. sudden gale came
up and the longboat was smashed BY
the surf.
II guess that settles it." ruefully
observed the second mate. another
Cape Colder, from Hyannis. "Cal'lats
wen stay here for spell now. hey.
Cap'n."
FOR spsll. yes" replied Nat.
Wen stay here until We get another
craft to set sail in. and no longer"
Another craft9 Another ons7
Where in time you goin' to get herr"
Build her" said Captain Nat cheer.
fully. Then, pointing to the row Of
empty houses and the little deserted
church, he added, There's timber and
nails-yes. and cloth. such ~ Ills. II
/ can't build q boat out Of them ri
agree to eat the whole settlement"
He did not have to eat It. for tho
boat was built. It took them sig
months to build her. and she was .
curious-lookfng vessel when done, but,
a. the skipper said. "shs may not be
4 clipper. but she'll sail anywhere. II
you give her time enough" He had
been the guiding spirit Of the whole
enterprise. planning Il, laying the keel.
burning buildings TO obtain nails and
iron. hswing trses TOR the largest
beams, showing them how to spin