Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1917-04-12

dies. However. IL was a most exciting or
deal
Hooja stood in the bow of his boat alter
nately urging his men to greater speed and
shouting epithets at me. But we continued
TO draw away from him. At last the wind
rose to a fair gale. and we simply raced
away from our pursuers as II they were
standing still. Juag was so tcked that he
forgot all about his hunger and thirst.
think that he had never been entirely recon-
ciled to the heathenish invention which L
called a sail, and that down In the bottom
OF his heart he believed that the paddlers
would eventually overhaul u.s. but now he
couldn't praise II enough.
We had a strong gale for a considerable
time, and eventually dropped Hooja's fleet
so far astern that we could no longer dis
cern them. And then-ah, I shall never
forget that moment Dian sprang to her
feet with cry of Land! -
Sure enough, dead ahead long. low coast
stretched across our bow. 1t was still a
long way off and we couldn't make out
whether it was island or mainland ; but at
least 1t was land. If ever shipwrecked
mariners were grateful we were then. Raja
ana itanee were commencing to suffer for
lack Of food, and / could swear that the
latter often cast hungry gances upon us,
though | am equally sure that no such
hdeous thoughts ever entered the head of
her mate. We watched them both most
closely, however Once while stroking
hdIce 1 managed TO get a rope around ner
neck and make her fast to the side Of the
boat. Then felt bit safer for Dian. It
was pretty close quarters in that little
dugout for three human beings and two
virtually wild man-eating dogs; but we had
| to make the best of it. since / would not
listen to Juags suggestion that we kill and
| cat Raja and Rance.
We made good time to within a few miles
of the shore Then the wind died suddenly
| out. We were all of us keyed up to such
| pitch of anticipation that the blow was
doubly hard to bear. And 1t was a blow,
| too, since we could not tel in what quarter
/ the wind might rise again: but Juag and
set to work to paddle the remaining dis
| tance.
Almost Immediately the wind rose again
| from precisely the opposite direction from
which it had formerly blown, so that it
| was mighty hard work making progress
| against it. Next II veered again SO that
we had to turn and run with it parallel
| to the coast to keep from being swamped
! in the trough of the seas.
And while VIC were suffering all these
disappointments Hooja's fleet appeared in
| the distance
They evidently had gone far to the left
| c: our course. for they were now almost
behind as we ran parallel to the coast !;
| but we were not much afraid Of being over
| taken in the wind that was blowing. The
| gale kept on increasing but it was ftful.
swooping down upon us in great gusts and
| then going almost calm for an instant. 1t
was after one of these momentary calms
| that the catastrophe occurred. Our sail
| hung limp and our momentum decreased
| when of a sudden particularly vicious
sauall caught us. Before I could cut the
sheets the mast had snapped at the thwart
| in which it stepped.
The worst had happened. Juag and I
| seized paddles and kept the canoe with the
wind but that squall was the parting shot
| of the gale, which died out Immediately
after. leaving us freesto make for the shore,
which we lost no time in attempting But
| Hooja had drawn closer in toward shore
| than we so it looked as If he might head
| us off before we could land. However. we
did our best to distance him, Dian taking
a paddle with US.
We were in fair way to succeed when
there appeared. pouring from among the
| trees beyond the beach, a horde of yelling,
| painted savages, brandishing all sorts Of
| evilish-looking primitive weapons. So
| menacing was their attitude that we real
lied at once the folly of attempting to land
| among them
(CONTINUED TOMORROW