The Lamar register. [volume] (Lamar, Colo.) 1889-1952, 1913-11-19
The Island.of the Stairs
(Continusd from page y

~ service again. and then she rose
and gave me her hand.
You have been a true knight ana
ssntleman. she said softly. her eyes
shining land I thank you"
could only take 1t dumbly and
stare at her like the great fool was.
vbereat she smiled brightly. 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.
sat for a long time before the fire,
thinking and making plans for our es
cape. The ship didn't give me much
concern. because | was sure she
couldn't come at us and In the end she
must go away and leave us.
A long time ! sat there until I
finally fell asleep. 1 must have slept
some time and soundly for | was
wearied II was she who awakened
me- When ! opened my eyes and saw
her sweet face bending over me and
heard her dear voice calling me I de
clare 1 almost felt as II l had died ana
gone to heaven and was being wei
coined by an angel
Our first waking thought was for
the ship. She was still there in the
oding She had been hove to during
the night. could Imagine what fierce
debate and wrangling there were
aboard her.
ho Aaxy ho Hka
the afternoon before. Although we
were by this time persuaded that the
reef was an absolute protection, a
vague possibility that they could de-
wise 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 be where We could
not watch the ship. We did walk
along the shore and ascend the giant
stairs In the afternoon, then. while she
watched the sea within calling dis
tancs Of me, ! managed to penetrate
the jungle with ax In hand. SO that
finally l made shift to cut down
COCOA palm tree. and We gathered as
many delicious nuts as we could carry
ond returned to the shore.
That night the sun set amid lowering
cl0uds With a sailors weather sense,
! was sure that we should have
storm. Pimball and Glibby sensed 1t
too. We could see them making things
mug allow and aloft. They were good
enough seamen. as far as that goes
The wind. II 1t came. would be OF
shore. and there would be no danger
Of tho ship being driven upon our reef.
but there were Islands to leeward.
which they seemed to have forgotten.
which ! remembered
explained all this to my little mis-
tres rs ! made things snug for the
night She would he perfectly protect
Cd by the overhang of the cliff and the
overturned boat. and ! told her, al
though 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 I could
L
broke with all the suddenness and in
tensity Of the tropics. Such peals of
thunder and such flashes of lightning
! have never witnessed. although had
been In many storms throughout the
world. To sleep was impossible. Mis-
tress Lucy came out from her boat and
stood beside me as we leaned against
the cliff while the storm drove harm
lessly 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 wet ship. and the huge
waves fairly rolled over her Once she
went over nearly on her beam ends.
and I thought she was gone | didn't
view her position with a great deal of
regret either Presently she drove OF
before the wind with a rag of her fore
tops1 still showing. and that was the
last we saw Of her OF her men. we
thought
Storm bound under the lee of the
cliffs, we passed long and anxious
hours the next day. although our only
misfortune was the inclemency of the
weather. for we were completely shell
tered. and we had plenty OF the refresh
ing milk of the cocoanut to vary our
other food. The second day after IL
began the tempest finally blew itself
out, although the great surging seas
0fI a