Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1915-09-01
CHAPTER XIX.


IN 8nfCH we %%FN @astS"aFss
ENDEAvORED TO emulate his
ii oriental calm. John" said !,
IL Z catchee plenty wind this
- time"
Yes. plenty wind said he.
You suppose we leave China boy?"
! demanded.
"oh. no. no" be exclaimed with ETH
phasls. Il know you come back alice
time birneby, one time"
What were you doing. john
Il Iced plenty Mclean book" said
he calmly, Now I makee pull To
obIige him I made way for him. and
we crawled past each other on the
floor Of the heaving dinghy. He took
the oars and began pulling with an
odd chopplnR sort Of stroke. perhaps
learned In his youth on some sampan
that rode the waters of hts native
land. But FOR my own part since
fate seemed TO be kind to me. after ALL
] trusted his skin. such as it was, and
was willing to rest for a time.
NO velly bad" said John judicially
after a time. Pretty soon come in
No doubt be saw the little fire. now
beginning TO light the beach At any
rate. he beaded straight in, the seas
following. reeiing after Us. They have
their own ways. these people OF
the east / fancy John had run surf
before. At any rate. I knew the water
now was shallow and that perhaps
one could swim ashore If he were
overset ] trusted him to make the
landing, however. and he did it like a
veteran
"All litee. remarked John amiably
ami started for It's fire. such being his
instinct not with the purpose Of get
ting warm. but of cooking something
And IN hatf an hour he had a cup Of
hot bouirlon all around
Through the night there came con
tinually the cIamoring of the wild fowl
in the lagoon back of us. and this
seemed TO make the boys restless 1t
was Jean LATTE, next, who poked mis-
head out from under the tarpauln.
I've got the gun all right" said he.
"and q lot Of shells In the morning
we'll go out and get some of those
ducks that are squawking'
Yes. Jean" said !, we're in one of
the best ducking countries on this
whole coast"
That's fine. We can live chiefly by
hunting and fishing. ike it says in the
g'opraphies-
If the wind should shift" said I.
eve may have to do that for quite a
time. l don't know whether the light
house keeper has q boat or not. and the
channel lies between us and the light
1t makes out here straight TO the gulf.
But now be quiet. my sons, and see
II we can't all get some sleep. I'll
take care of the fire"
/ passed a little apart to hunt for
some driftwood. my shadow. John. fol
lowing close st hand When ! return
ed ] found a muf1ed figure standing
at the feeble blaze Helena raised her
eyes, grave and serious
TT wac splendid said she IN lo>=
tone of voice, addressing not SO much
myself as all the world, it seemed
20 me.
"Get back in there and go to sleep
said l. And quietly she obeyed- so
far as 1 might tell
In the morning could see the Belle
Helene still rolling at her anchor. IN
easy, but still afioat, and in the day
light and with a lessening sea there
would he no great difficulty In board
ing her as We fixed Presently the
others Of the party were all afoot.
Gee, amt this fine" said Lolou-
nois, II never did think we'd be really
shipwrecked and cast away on a desert
island This IS just like it is in the
books"
Can We so hunting now g. demanded
lean Latte his mouth stlu full of ba-
cen And viii ron come along? There
must he millions Of them ducks and
geese ! didn't know there was so
many in all the world -
"You may so, both of you. Jean La
dtte" said l. II you'll he careful not
to shoot yourselves, As for me. must
90 hack oaee more TO the boat, I
fancy
We found II NOT difficult row to go