The Bottineau courant. (Bottineau, Bottineau County, N.D.) 1895-1929, 1915-11-11
vi.
Hemmed In by Enemies.

CHAPTER vi.
Hemmed In by Enemies.
The night, however. passed without
event, and morning came bathing the
empty edge of the forest in crystal
freshness. The scene I still had to
myself. My morning journey down
to the waters edge for food and bath
ing was made with the most painful
caution, and l ate without relish.
Ny world had altered overnight. I
was no longer merely shipwrecked.
but shipwrecked among savages who
might adhere to the perverted epicu-
reanism which esteems human meat
for it's fesh-pots. Stories of canni-
balism had been plentiful at the CAP
tain's table on the Wastrel. Even the
value of white heads for decorating
native huts had been touched upon.
The fact that they had attempted
no night attack seemed to indicate
that their valor was tempered with
discretion. But whether this initial
timidity would hold or shortly sue
cumb to curiosity and appetite re-
NAMED for the future to tell me.
My defense was limited to the six
cartridges in the chambers of my re-
volver and the newly discovered slung
shot.
Meantime I was lonely. I turned
the chest on end near the opening of
my cavern and spread the newspaper
upon it like a theatrical poster On a
fence at home. The two upper cor
ners l fastened with the curved and
jeweled daggers from Jerusalem.
The days which Immediately fol-
lowed marched slowly and were much
alike. It was only in my own state
of mind that there was any element
of change or development.
The lurking figures did not reap
pear at the edge of the jungle, and I
began to hope that they were of some
itinerant band from the opposite OF
the island that had CHANGED upon this
locality in its wanderings, and might
not again return. I was not even
sure they had seer me.
And slowly, wierdly, while I dwelt
in uncertainty and suspense, the in.
fluence of the lady in the picture
grew upon me and compelled me.
It may have been at first, and doubt
less was, a form of autohypnosis. Al
ready the seed for such an influence
had been planted in the turning of
young Mansfield and myself to the un-
known girls diary for diversion from
the too tense strain of anxiety. Now,
in utter isolation / was doubly in
need of some power to avert my
thoughts from channels which go
down to madness and despair. g
The lifelike quality of the portrait
made it easier to talk aloud, and as
the spell grew l found myself talking
with the softness of the lover.
There is a power in the spoken
word. There mere act of giving audi
BILE expression is a spur to thought.
Sitting alone and DEBATING how uncer-
tainly the wretched spark of life sput-
tered at the wick of my being I was
the craven. When I talked to the
picture whose lips smiled as though
all the world were brave, I grew
ashamed of my terror.
Leaving my W in the morning
to forage and reconnoiter with the
slung-shot or my wrist and the pistol
at my belt, I would carry with me, as
a fragrant memory, the gracious smile
Of her lips and the royal fearlessness
of her eyes.
Her image nerved me to endurance,
gave me q shoulder-touch on normal
thought, and enabled me to hold in
memory the world for which her even
ing gown and pearls were symbols.
And in deeply morbid moments this
was all, perhaps, that saved me from
losing my grip. Certainly it was all
an artificial stay-a. ludicrous pre-.
tense-but it served, and that is the
final test of any love or any creed.
It served.
As these forces worked !, at times,
forgot that the picture was that Of
an unknown. Its reality was so strong
that it came to stand for some one I
had left behind, whom I must live to
rejoin. some one inexpressibly dear
whose love hung over me ana safe
guarded me like a powerful talisman.
Often, in my broken sleep I would
dream that I was sore beset by Z
thousand dangers and had fed to my
cave as animals have fed to caves
since the world began, and that l
stood budding there miserably await
ing the end. Then, in the dream. she
would come out Of the picture. as Gal
atea stepped down from the lfeless.