The evening world., 1914-03-23
By II. de We're Stacpoole
=AufhoF "THE II


and like q flock Of flying swans, dark.
ening with their suggestion OF snow
,ne biueness OF tho water. deepening z
Win their remotenees tho distance.
Two hours before sunset (saspard.
STANDING up to get "a better horizon
and shading his eyes with his hand,
saw. away on tho eastern sea line.
bright point burning like . star.
II was q sail.
Ana. stu. as he watched. the sail
grew. The vessel was not nearly no
far on az she appeared. for tho boat I
gave a low horizon. For this reason.
700. she seemed bigger than sho really
was. That she was heading straIcht
Tor the boat he could not doubt. ye,
caspard stood torn by the fear that
shc would miss him. pass him by, no,
sight him. NV
The sun was little moro tina, an
hour from his sctting: would he cut
inc sca limo before the vessel sighted
II was a race between the sun and
tno snip. Hc knew quito we'll that
tnoush shc was coming apparently
she might pass him by a con.,ders
apie distance. and. as though the
thought had cnst n blight on her. FOR
a long time she hung, not seeming ,o
alter IN Hizc. Then. magicaiiy. nhc
look distinctncss. mystery and beauty
Ieu hcr: In n short hnlf hour she be .
came clearly defined. n small yesse,
OF perhaps 200 tons, al a distance of
perhaps I'VE miles. Shc would not bc
dolng more than eight or nine knots.
AZ last he turned his head. The
sun was gone. Just n trace Of Nrs lin :
gcred beneath tho gold of tho sunset.
through which. like n dark blue wind.
was stealing tho night.
A Oaspard rowed he shouted.
scarcely n cable length away and
making to pass him by half that din.
tance sho came. black as ebony. a
barkcntinc. silent as u phantom.
steaithy as thief. Then. ms he hailed
ner again with n last despairing cry.
she burst into voice.
lantern shot Its light over tho
port quarter voice halted him from
tho deck:
IN vi ow'" shrln as n bird, and
~ the cry, liko shaken beehive,
tho forecastle broke into life: the
decks In n moment wers n.sworm'
chattcring like tree full Of monkeys.
another lantern showed over tho p1,t
bow. and above tho lantern n face
black as tho face OF devil with gilt !.
tering eycballs and white teeth
grinned down on tho boat below.
N"Nt moment something struck
Gaspard across tho chest. n was a
rope. Seizing II. he held on, and the
iittie bont came up grinding against
the great waShing wall OF tho vessel.
carried with hcr on her slow way and
right beneath tho broad channel Of
the forcmast. lie seized tho rope'r
end to tho forward seat, caught up
the belt with tho pouch Of gold ana
fastened II to his waist: then. reach
Ing up. he caught hold OF n channel
plato and with tho help OF another
rope hung by tho chattering crowd
above. swung himself on TO tho chan
mel. Next moment he was on deck.
The starlight liz tho decks dimly
fore and nft. ho wnS surrounded wit h
negroes swarming and chattcring like
monkeys; man In Panama hat
who had helped hun over tho slds.
ana who. dlsrcEarding him. was now
shouting directions In shrill French
TO black man who had slipped down
INTO the boat. seemed the only white
man on board.
Having finished his directions ho
turned. kicked n negro who stood in
ms way. caught up q lantern and,
coming up to Gaspard. hold the liKht
TO him an II he wore a work Of art hs
wished to examine.
"French?" said the man in the
panama. speaking In that language
and fixing Gaspard with a pair OF
beady unwinkin9 black eyes. Ills
face iit up by tho lantern liGht was
round. good-tempered looking, the
face of q bon bourgcois--yet the eyes
ch'iicd Gaspard for a moment ore no
replied:
"Yer. French, shIpwrccked and
floating about In that cursed boat
I'll you nearly ran me down"
What ship"
"rhe Ehone Of the Compasnie
Tho Rhone: ] have soon hsr In
Havana harbor: N sho lost them"
Yes. ripped hcr bottom out on a
reef and gone with all on board"
You are the only one saved"
yes"
"l'oufre," said tho other, betyoying
his provence In tho word. "A Moco.
too. so was ] TN I became "A man OF
my own. Well have saved you and
tako the boat! am Capt. Sagesse,
ana this is my baraue La Belle Arls-
siennc."
He seized Gaspard by the coat inpsl
as he brought the words out with em-
phasis.
The boat is mine. YOU understand."
Oh, the boat; she In yours and
welcome"
she In worth i've hundred francs.
INA brush full OF white paint will
lake tho Rhones name on her. found
you on n raft--no. on a henco0p--no,
IN a spar"'--' lie slipped his arm
through Gaspsrds and was leading
lin nft to the deckhouSe on the poop.
You were floating on n spar. Here
= the deckhotlse. Come IN"
lie opened the dcckhousc door dis
losing cabin comfortably yet
'oughly furnished. Gaspard placed
lis hand on the bag Of gold a. hts
'ide as. leaning on the table. he re-
,liod:
But SEQ horo. that boat doesn't
'elong 20 the khone at all"
Tho man IN he Panama had placed
he things on tho table. lie turned.
"But yuu sa!d"-----
Yes, but YOU have not heard all.
was wrecked from the Rhone right
nough. on spar. too. away on an
sland down there. Then tho boa,
anne noltirg along. She has no
anne on her that have seen. | got
ITO lCr and rpwsl uWay--thnt'R all. -