Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1915-07-08
CHAPTER v.
A Radiant Visitor.

Though I am not giving authorship
to this narrative with view to its gen.
eral perusal, L am determined to SO
upon it they may read the true rec
ords of mans emotions under un-
usual circumstances.
shall never be able 10 coax my
self into any illusion of heroism in
my adventures, and I shall set down
my most abject terrors in equal and
impartial degree with the few occa-
sions in which the instinct Of self
preservation enabled me to rise to
the need and bluff magnifcently.
The case of the submarine comman-
der of Nippon was different. He wish.
ed to leave behind him such mes.
sage as an emperor might read, and,
with exalted devotion to his object, he
did so. Still, had some miracle
brought his vessel to the surface be-
fore the end, who knows but that, iu
| the confession of his memory, he
might have acknowledged a very de-
lirium of terror?
Who knows but that, between the
period of one unfiinching paragraph
and the capital of the next, there may
have been intervals of wallowing in
the trough of physical despair?
At least with me there were many
fears. The night went by, road Of
nightmare and thirst which led to no
haven of rest.
l slept fitfully and in terror and
awoke to feeling of exhaustion. For
a while I dreaded to rise and face
the possibilities of new day. In the
end, it was the burning torture of
| thirst that outweighed panic and
drove me out in search of water.
I held timiuly to the shore, distrust-
ing the jungle and lodging furitively
from rock to rock, with straining eyes
and ears. Climbing among the ragged
boulders which were strewn, like frag.
ments of fallen masonry, at the foot
of the cliff, l shortly came upon a
thread of clear water, where lay and
slaked my thirst.
After that came renewed fresh.
ness and sudden return of vigor.
could see magnificence in the colors
of sky and sea and mountainside. The
rank vividness of palm and fern; the
gorgeous profusion of funnel-shaped
dracaenas and a Cozen unknown
flowers became definite to my eyes.
began also to fell healthful hun
ger, and when, in clambering to the
top of steep rock, / frightened a
shrieking gull from her nest, l fell
avidly on the eggs she left behind
Possibly the pure food commission
would have disapproved of them.
did not.
| AS the sun climbed, tepid humid
ity freighted the air. but the trade
wind, riding steadily and freshly
tempered 1t and kept wisps of fleccy
cloud piled against the upper slopes
of the mountain. And clouds usually
trailed there, though out to sea the
sky remained unbroken.
The cliff was honeycombed witt
small irregular caverns and riffs
Some were mere hollows, but other;
went back into somber recesses, deep
er than !, with no means of lightin:
my steps. cared to explore. For ms
dwelling place / selected one tha
broadened from twisted and narrow
fssure to a crude chamber large
enough for a VOLTS den, or, at need
mans refuge. A fern-fringed brook
let trickled across the opening.
For my doOryard l had small pl,,
teau with sheer wall of cliff at m,
back and as sheer drop at the from
One must climb to reach the place
which is an advantage where the ten
ant may be forced to repel attack ALI
may desire to roll stones down upoi
the heads of his visitors. My firs
day brought no incident beyond thi
selection of a domicil.
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