The Bottineau courant. (Bottineau, Bottineau County, N.D.) 1895-1929, 1915-11-18

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demigod, but breathing no hint Of the
gcdShip which was over my godship.
A week of hurricane and storm had
tested the ships endurance, exhaust
ed the crew, and driven the Gretchen
into unknown waters.
IF it hadn't been for your signal
fires" the captain told me, 1--WE might
have gone to smash on the outlying
needles. Your lights probably saved
us as well as yourself"
This was no larger than the Was
trel, but when one went to his berth
at night it was with confidence that
his sleep would not be interrupted by
the sudden necessity of getting up to
die. She had carried a cargo of trade
stuffs south and was returning to
Singapore by way of Brisbane, laden
with copra and pearl shell.
Her direction lay westerly, while !
wished to go east, but that was sec.
ondary. At the Australian port, l
could reship. Indeed, l was told our
course might shortly cross that of a
regular line of steamers between Bris-
bane and Honolulu.
For a few days it was satisfying
enough to pick up the lost ends of the
marking time, the world had been
marching; a hundred paragraphs had
been lived into history.
On the fourth day a slender thread
of smoke rose over the western hori
ION and grew into a clean-painted and
w~hite-cabined steamer.
AS the gap closed Whitehead men,
even women, stood out against the
deck rail. Then, with much signaling
from the halyards, the two vessels
had converse of which I was the oh.
ject, and I with my chest went over
the side.
I told the steamers purser as much
of my story as I had told on the
Gretchen, and when that evening 1 ~
peared at the captains table trans.
formed by bathing in a real tub and
submission to a real razor in the
hands of a barber, it was to find That
my story had travelled forward and
aft.
st. Paul "a a very good man. He
had piety and ferver, but also, in Z.
superior and godly fashion, he Was 4
mar of the world. Perhaps he gained s:
firmer grip on his followers by reas-
on of his ability to say 81 have been
twice stoned and thrice shipwrecked."
l had been only once shipwrecked. yet
a ready-made audience awaited enter
tainment.
1t was on the second afternoon that
Captain Keller appeared in the smok.
ROOM. He was a man of about my own
build and almost as bronzed, but fair
haired, and his carriage proclaimed
the soldier before he introduced him,
self.
I was idly enjoying the comfor: Of
wicker chairs and windows which
framed white decks and dancing sea-
The few other occupants of the place
were Longing about in pongee and
linen, chatting lazily of those things
which make talk among men coming
out of the east-tribal risings in Java
the late race meet in Melbourne. The
military looking young man droppe'.
into a seat at my table and signailed
to the spotless Jap who affiliated as
smoke room steward.
left you alone yesterday" he be-
gan, by way of introduction. II saw
you didn't relish being treated like
the newest and strangest animal il:
captivity. I take it they're accus
toned to you now. What will you
have?"
Brandy and soda" I decided. Then
I added: perhaps, after being re-.
cued, I ought to make myself more
volatile and amusing, but the fact IL
I'm readjus+ing. Did you eve hap
pen to sper six months on an undis-
covered cannibal island?"
He shook his head and laughed
with a pleasant CLEAN of strong, reg
ular teeth.
"Then," I assured him, "you don't
understand the desire to sit still for
a while. You don't understand the
sheer wonder of a soft chair, white
woodwork, the regular throb of en-
gines, and the sight Of white clad
men and clean, well dressed women.
Look there" I held out my copper
colored forearm.
He smiled again and nodded. I'm
going back to the States" he said,
latter three years in the islands.
capped with two months in India and
Australia. I'm Keller of the Twen-
ty-Third."
He paused, then went on in a mat.
ter-of-fact way: 1--WE been in the jun
gle three months on end. I know
what it means. This is my second
term of Philippine service, and it's
the first time I've gone home quite
sane. After the first three years the
melancholia had me. When the trans
port left Manila, and I thought of the
three weeks before I could see the
Golden Gate 1T took three good hus.