The circle banner. [volume] (Circle, Mont.) 1914-1939, 1918-10-18
BY MISADvENTURE|
BY GERTRUDE |. TUNELlUs.
Copyright. 1918. western Newspaper Union

"a plain nobody" modest Ruff
Dow designated himself, but Adj
Pearce considered him the best of mel
and was not far amiss, and her father
who was BOWS employer, had reason
| to thank this loyal, industrious youn,
fellow for keeping his small and strug
! Cling business afioat through all kinds
| Of vicissitudes.
Mr.. Pearce had been too ill for 6
year to do much more than assume the
direction of affairs. He owned barge
clumsy, old, and safe for close coast
service only. He lived a few leagues
down the Australian coast from Mel
lowed the conveying of merchandise
from port to port, especially bulk stuff
cutting steamer rates. The barge had
a sail and a tiller and was scarcely sea-
worthy, and could be operated by one
man.
1--WE got a cargo-ice," reported
Pearce one day. 1.-THE consignorS will
load and all care taken off your hands
at the other end. Pick out spell of
clear weather for the go, Rufus, for l
hardly think the craft will stand many
more voyages"
Rufus started on his voyage week
later. Above the hold, Grated, were
two hundred ice cream freezers and
several barrels of coarse rock salt, for
the cargo was designated for firm en-
gagged in the manufacture of Ice cream.
II think, myself, the old tub is at its
last gasp" Rufus told Ada. eff fate
downs her on this trip, maybe it will
be a good thing, for we make so little.
I would like to strike out into some
new field. It's this wretched pinching
and scraping to get dollar ahead that
is putting off our marriage"
"But it doesn't wear out our love,
DEAR" reminded Ada sweetly.
Everything augured an easy, pleas
ant voyage. The old barge behaved adj
for two days. The third night,
however, fifty miles from any port, Ru-
fus found himself in the grasp of a
fierce storm. With dismay he let the
craft drift, the plaything Of
the waves, for there was nothing else
TO do. With daybreak there came
tense fog and stern northeaster that
1rove the barge ahead like an arrow
shot from a bow. The straining craft
yroaned and shivered. No land was in
sight, the great broad sail had been
tipped to tatters and the rudder had
)urst its lashings. Rufus had lost ac-
count of bearings, the fog did not lift
ind that night the wind increased. In
he utter darkness, just before day
Freak, with a crash the barge struck
'ocks, the prov was battered into |
lindling wood, the bulky mass turned |
,ver on its side and Rufus chung to the |
upper rail, awaiting daybreak.
'It's a coral reef and an island be-
-ond," he calculated, as morning
howed him a coastline fringed with
rees. He had made up a package of
God and, strapping half dozen of the
reezer pals together, utilized them as
float to get ashore.
Rufus sat down and rested when he
cached the beach. The tropical air
Did him that he must have voyaged
lany hundred miles. He was blocking
ut a blind course along the coast |
hen a blaring trumpet blast, followed
y the clash of cymbals, caused him to
bserve a procession at a short dis
ince. Borne in a palanquin Shout
cred by half dozen dusky fellows, all
ands nearly nude, was a great, portly
lvage, decorated with metal orna-
ents.
The inference was palpable. Rufus |
ad landed on some isolated island in
abited by savages--this was their au- :
1st monarch on journey. They might l
) cannibals, and at this thought Ru- I
IS started to hide, but he was OBJ
rived and put on bold front, await
G the approach of the procession.
blowing it were some cattle yoked {
gether. The procession halted and :
e king, alighting, studied Rufus with
riosity. Then he inquisitively point
to the ice cream pals.
A bright thought struck Rufus.
trough gestures he impaired to the
Isky monarch that he would swim to
e barge and return with something y
at would explain the situation. The C
ng nodded and Rufus struck out for
e wreck He returned, floating a
eat cake of ice ahead of him, and {
d to his shoulders the canister that
Id the crafts supply of sugar. =
One hour later Rufus was at stage
wild jubilation. He had made of +
E king a real friend and the latter
t only rewarded him richly but indi- q
ted that he should be conveyed to
> mainland.
Yes, I'm here and the barge and it's
Ego demolished or devoured," report
Rufus to Ada, and her father one :,
nth later, and he told of the wreck. ~
And then" he recited, 81 treated w
IN. They had cows, and therefore
TX. / had sugar and ice. / made n
IN freezer full of ice cream. The
ect was magical. They had never VI
ted the dainty before and were en- n;
need. They halted right there, I'M
ding ice and freezers from the
.ge. They sent to their camp and
ole army flocked to the spot. There
s such an ice cream festival as was
1er heard of before. They kept IL
ir word as to placing me In the way d;
getting home and the king gave me IN
Il -.