The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1918-05-09
|BY MlSADVENTUREl
BY GERTRUDE L. TUNELlUS.

| ana was not far amlSS, ana ner lalner
who was BOWS employer, had reason
to thank this loyal, industrious young
fellow for keeping his small and strug
Cling business ahoat through all kinds
of vicissitudes.
Mr.. Pearce had been too Ill for a
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
bourne, and for twenty years had fol
lowed the conveying of merchandise
from port to port, especially bulk stun,
| cutting steamer rates. The barge had
a sail and tiller and was scarcely sea-
worthy, and could be operated by one
man.
1--WE got q cargo-ice," reported
Pearce one day. 1.-THE consignors will
load and all care taken off your hands
at the other end. Pick out a spell of
clear weather for the go, Rufus, for
hardly think the craft will stand many
more voyages"
Rufus started on his voyage a 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.
Il think, myself, the old tub is at its
last gasp" Rufus told Ada. IF fate
downs her on this trip, maybe it will
be a good thing, for we make so little.
l 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 1t doesn't wear out our love,
dear" reminded Ada sweetly.
Everything augured an easy, pleas
ant voyage, The old barge behaved adj
mirably for two days. The third night,
however, fifty miles from any port, Ru-
fus found himself in the grasp of u
fierce storm. With dismay he let the
unwieldy craft drift, the plaything Of
the waves, for there was nothing else
to do. With daybreak there came a
dense fog and stern nOrtheaster that
drove the barge ahead like an arrow
shot from a bow. The straining craft
groaned and shivered. No land was in
sight the great broad sail had been
ripped to tatters and the rudder had
burst it's lashings. Rufus had lost ac-
count of bearings, the fog did not lift
and that night the wind increased. In
the utter darkness, just before day
break, with crash the barge struck
rocks, the prov was battered into
kndling wood, the bulky mass turned
over on its side and Rufus chung to the
upper rail, awaiting daybreak.
ITS CORAL reef and an island be
yond," ~ calculated, as morning
showed him a coastline fringed with
trees. He had made up package Of
food and, strapping half dozen of the
freezer pals together, utilized them as
float to get ashore.
Rufus sat down and rested when he
reached the beach. The tropical air
told him that he must have voyaged
many hundred miles. He was blocking
out a blind course along the coast
when a blaring trumpet blast, followed
by the clash of cymbals, caused him to
observe n procession at short dis
lance. Borne in palanquin shout
dered by half dozen dusky fellows, all
hands nearly nude, was a great, portly
savage, decorated with metal orna-
ments.
The inference was palpable. Rufus
had landed on some isolated island in
habited by savages-this was their au-
gust monarch on a journey. They might
be cannibals, and at this thought Ru-
fus started to hide, but he was OBJ
served and put on a bold front, await
ing the approach of the procession.
Following it were some cattle yoked
together. The procession halted and
the king, alighting, studied Rufus with
curiosity. Then he inquisitively point
ed to the ice cream pals.
A bright thought struck Rufus.
Through gestures he impaired to the
dusky monarch that he would swim to
the barge and return with something
that would explain the situation. The
| king nodded and Rufus struck out for
| the wreck. He returned, floating a
| great cake of ice ahead of him, and
| tied to his shoulders the canister that
held the crafts supply of sugar.
One hour later Rufus was at stage
Of wild jubilation. He had made of
| the king Il real friend and the latter
not only rewarded him richly but indi-
| Gated that he should be conveyed to
the mainland.
Eyes, I'm here and the barge and its
cargo demolished or devoured," report
ed Rufus to Ada, and her father one
month later, and he told of the wreck.
"And then" he recited, II treated
them. They had cows, and therefore
milk. / had sugar and ice. | made
| them a freezer full of ice cream. The
effect was magical. They had never
tasted the dainty before and were en-
tranced. They halted right there, UNI
loading ice and freezers from the
barge. They sent to their camp and a
whole army flocked to the spot. There
was such an ice cream festival as was
never heard of before. They kept
their word as 20 placing me In the way
of getting home and the king gave me
these" and Rufus, drawing out lit
tie chamois-skin bag, poured into his
hand "a dozen or more magnificent dia-
monds.
"And now, Ada" he exuberated,
gayly. 1--WE can get married"