The Dermott news. (Dermott, Ark.) 1910-1977, 1915-10-21

! like uoNement. suddenly fefndHueA
spoke.
Careful senior. he commanded
Behold the surf"
He was quite right They were
crossing some bar we'll 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-l'll take you
safe ashore.
Half an hour later the three men
! staggered out of the battered surf and
! sank down exhausted upon a strip OF
| beach
Dawn broke with llington 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 pan.
i Their He collected his faculties in an
instant He placed his hand upon the
shoulder of the sleeping man and
| shook him.
Wake. senior" he commanded. 1t
Is day
senior" went on Hernandez. let
us resume our Conyersation-our talk
of yesterday Where is this lost
island %" lie thrust his face into the
face OF Ilington And where. he de-
mauded, is the oilsilll packet
Where. also" added Ponto. is the
bag OF geld %.
Ihngton smiled. So you have
searched me. have YOU" he returned.
We'll. 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 eold?' persisted
/ Pouto.
Hington smiled Both travelling
north. he answered, with Annette IL
ington. They are contided to her care.
And why" asked Hernandez.
llngton shrugged his shoulders. Il
thought YOU and and Ponto here
were booked for death. that's why.
Mo knows-we may still be booked
/ for death.
Hernandez glanced significantly at
/ Ponto. Some OF us may he said.
Come on. said llington. there are
| mussels ON those rocks !onder Fol
/ low me"
He strobe into the water and waded
toward a patch of rocky reef beyond.
ponto seized bit OF jagged wood
that lay upon the beach. He and Her
nandcz waded after llngton. Once
on the rocks llington stopped and tore
/ huge shell fish from their moorings
/ with his naked hands AS he did sc
I Ponto in a sudden frenzy lifted high
the billet in his hand and brought il
With a crashing blow down upon III,
head OF llington.
llington fell like a log. Hernandez
sprang at Ponto and shook him as q
terrier shakes n rat.
You fool" he cried. what do you
7 gain by this"
Wait exclaimed Ponto, clawinl
/ llington with his clutching talons
let us search him thoroughly
The search yielded nothing to them
Fool" repeated Hernandez. "yor
have done a useless thing There's al
WAYS time tell you
Pouto shook his head. Senior" hs
said. this man stood between us and
the packet. There is no one now L
keep us from his child"
Hernandez slowly nodded True.
he returned perhaps you are right
He was a meuace-now he is dead IL,
is removed Let us leave him to the
mercy OF the sea. Come on"
To the mercy of the sea" thes,
Adventures had said. and the sea wa,
strangely merciful. With the tender
ness OF mother II layed the limbs o
the supine victim-it washed hi,
| wound-it laved his brow
II did more-it brought him back e
life Uttering an inartiCulate cry, tn,
man rose, staggering 10 his feet. III,
put his hand TO the back OF his head
IL came away covered with blood II,
stared at his ruddy fingers yacantly.
"Red-red-" he be billed.
He stared about aim in bewilder
ment
Babbling and cackiing he rose ono,
more TO his feet. Some instinct lee
him toward the shore. He wadet
across the narrow strip OF water
breast high. toward the narrow striI
OF beach beyond.