Evening capital and Maryland gazette., 1915-10-04

seemed 10 leave him.
For hours he rowed-he forgot he
was a human being His oars rose and
fell with the regularity Of machine.
Ike movement Suddenly Hernandez
spoke.
Careful, senor," he commanded.
Behold the surf.
he was quite right They were
crossing some bar well off the shore
Before they knew it they were in the
midst of tumult of wind-driven angry
waves. Ponto shrieked. A wave tow
cred high above them and fell with
thunderous thud upon the bottom Of
their boat. She went under.
Come on" cried Ilington; "a hand
on each of my shoulders-I'll take you
safe ashore"
Halt an hour later the three men
staggered out of the battered surf and
sank down exhausted upon a strip OF
beach
Dawn broke with Ilington still sleep
ing heavily. Ponto was the first TO
wake He shook Hernandez, placing
his finger on his lips Hernandez
sprang up with the agility of a pan
ther He collected his faculties in an
instant. He placed his hand upon the
shoulder of the sleeping man and
shook him.
Wake, senor," he commanded; "it
is day"
"senor," went on Hernandez, 'let
US resume our conversation-our talk
OF yesterday. Where is this lost
island?" lie thrust his face into the
face of Ilington. And where he de-
manded. is the oil-silk packet?"
Where also" added Ponto, lis the
bag of gold?"
Ilington smiled So you have
searched me, have your" he7eturned.
"Well. you're welcome, gentlemen. to
anything you find" He rose to his
feet Come on" he commanded,
were marooned. I'm hungry Let US
see what we can find"
Hernandez caught him by the arm.
Where is the packet?" he demanded.
And where the gold?" persisted
Ponto
Ilington smiled. Both travelling
north, he answered, with Annette IL
ington. They are confided to her care. ="
And why?" asked Hernandez.
Ilington shrugged his shoulders. Il
thought you and ] and Ponto here
We're booked for death. that's why.
Who knows--we may still be booked
for DEATH"
Hernandez glanced significantly at
Ponto. Some of us may" he said.
Come on" said Ilington, there are
mussels on those rocks yonder. Fol
low me-"
He strobe into the water and waded
toward patch of rocky reef beyond.
Ponto seized a bit of jagged wood
that lay upon the beach lie and Her
nandez waded after Tlington. Once
on the rocks nington stopped and tore
huge shell fish from their moorings
with his naked hands. AS he did so
Ponto in a sudden frenzy lifted high
the billet in his hand and brought il
with a crashing blow down upon the
head of Ilington.
Ilington fell like log. Hernandez
sprang at Ponto and shook him as a
terrier shakes q rat.
you fool" he cried, what do you
gain by this?"
Wait" exclaimed Ponto, clawing
Ilington with his clutching talons;
''let US search him thoroughly"
The search yielded nothing to them.
Fool" repeated Hernandez, you
have done a useless. thing. There's al.
ways time l tell you"
Ponto shook his head. 'Senor," he
said, this man stood between us and
the packet. There is no one now to
keep us from his child"
Hernandez slowly nodded. "True." /"
he returned, perhaps you are right.
He was a menace--now he is dead. He
is removed. Let us leave him to the
mercy of the sea. Come on"
TO the mercy of the sea- these
adventures had said, and the sea was
strangely merciful. With the tender
ness Of a mother ii laved the limbs Of
the supine victim-it washed his
wound--it laved his brow.
II did more-it brought him back to
life. Uttering an inarticulate CRY. the
man rose. staggering to his feet He
put his hand to the hack of his head
It came away covered with blood. He
stared at his rudy fingers vacantly.
''Red-red--" he babbled.
He stared about him in bewilder.
ment.
Babbling and cackiing he rose once
more to his feet Some instinct led
him toward the shore He waded
across the narrow strip of water,
breast high. toward the narrow strip
OF beach beyond.
He reached the beach and darted
zig-zag hither and thither, always
babbling. always cackling
There was reason for this. Some
where in his skull there was dent
3 deep depression-made by the billet
OF wood that had struck him down
Ever and anon as he went he stroked
the wound with the right hand and
drew the hand away. covered with
blood
aRed-red-r be babbled and went
on.
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