The Chesterfield advertiser. [volume] (Chesterfield C.H., S.C.) 1884-1978, 1919-07-10
CHAPTER vi,

| CHAPTER VI.
IN which the Sucking Fish Has q
| Chance to- Show Its Virtue.
The breeze was so strong that we
didn't use our engine that day. Be-
sides, l wanted to take little time
thinking over my plans. L spent most
OF the time studying the charts and
ponderlng John +. Tobias narrative.
which threw very little light ON the
situation. There wns little definite tn
go by but his mark OF the compass en-.
craven on certain rock I'm n wilder.
ness OF rocks; and such rocks nS they
were at that.
looked well to my guns. The com.
mandant had made me accept the loan
OF Il particularly expert revolver that
was, L could see, as the apple of hi.
eye. lie must have cared for mo u
great deal TO have lent 1t me, and II
was right as the things we love.
Then ] called Tom to me: GLOW
about that sucking fish, Tomf" I asked.
ITS just cured, sar," he said. 81
was going to offer 1t 10 you this lunch
time. It's dried out fine; couldn't be
better. I'll bring 1t to you this min
Ute And he went and was back again
In moment. "You must wear il right
over your heart" he said "nnd youll
So" there's not II bullet can get near II.
It's never been known for bullet To
z" through sucking fish. It's God's
| truth"
Put, Tom,"' 1 said, "how about
| yOuy'
"Fve worn one here, sar, for twenty
years. and you can see for yoursrlC'-
| and he barred the brown chest beneath
whlch beat the heart that lik" nothing
else In the world has made me believe
/ In God"
| we nwoke TO n dawn that was II
r"S" planted I'm the sky by Tie mys-
t"rious hand that seems TO love to give
the fnirest thing the lonelicst setting.
Hut there was no wind, so that day
we ran on gasoline. We had some
nfty miles to- go to where the nara
tive pointed, a smaller cay. the cay
known In old days ns "Dend Mems
Shoes"-but since known by another
name which, for various reasons, I do
not deem II polite to divulge-ncar the
/ end OF the long Guy down which we
were running.
About twilight we dropped anchor
In another quiet bay. so much like that
or the night before. as all the bays
| and Gays are along that cOast. that YOU
need to have sailed them from hoy
hood TO know one from another.
The cove we were looking for.
known by the chccry name of Dead
Mems Shoes, proved farther Off than
We expected. so that we didn't come
to II till toward the middle of the next
| afternoon, an afternoon of the most
innocent gold that has ever thrown its
sort radiance over an earth inhabited
Tor the most part by ruiiinus and
| scoundrels. We soon found that we
were not alone I'm the cave.
shes changed her paint" said Tom,
at my elbow. And. looking round, I
saw that our rakish schooner with the
black hull was now white ny dove;
| ana, IN That soft golden water, hardly
| u ioot ana Il half deep. five Shndowy
young sharks fiOatcd, with olItStrrtchrd
| fins like huge bats. Our engineer. who
was nlrcndy wnding irarlcSsIy in the
them off like chickens. But ii wax
soon to be evident that more ,lang"r-
"ns foes waited for us on the shore.
let there was seemingly nothing
there but pile Of SIIungcS, nnd n few
black men. The Susan II. had changed
her color, it was true, but she was "A
wcll-known spOngcr, and noticed no
one that l recognized.
There was one foolish fellow that
reminded me of my shnckly dcckhand,
whom had always thought out of his
mind. standing there on his head on
the rocks. and waving his legs to at.
tract attention.
Why! There's silly Theodore"
called out the captain.
I'm going ashore" / said.
I'm going with you too" said the
captain. But look after your guns
There's going to be something doing
quie: as II looks"
So we rowcd ashore, and there was
Theodore capcring In front of pile
of apOngcs. bur no other face that
knew. But there were seven or eight
negroes whose looks ! I, ,k no great
liking to.
Like some fancy spongcs to send
home!" said one of these, coming up
to me. Cost you five times as much
I'm Nassau"
"C"rtninly I'd like few spon3cs," I
said.
And then Theodore came up to me,
looking nS Though h" had lost his mind
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