The herald-advance. (Milbank, S.D.) 1890-1922, 1919-10-10

serted tSland-Behring'S point.
Here we dropped anchor and Char
lie, who had some business ashore,
proposed our landing with him but
here again our passenger aroused his
suspicions-though Heaven knows
why-by preferring to remain ABOARD.
please let me off," he requested in
his most top-lofty English accent. you
can see for yourself that there's moth
ing of Understanding but Il beastly
lot Of niger cabins, and dirty coral
rock that will cut your boots to pieces.
I'd much rather smoke and wait for
/ you in peace" and. taking out his
case and lighting a cigarette. he
waved it gaily to us as we rOwed off.
He had certainly been right about
Behring's pOint-Charlie was abs,!rdly
certain that he had known it before,
and had some reason for not landing
fOr a more forlorn and poverty
stricken foothold of humanity could
hardly be conceived; Il poor little clus-
ter of negro cabins, indeed, scram-
bling up from the beach, and with no
ooL NidSSS EothSNSN III dLlo
out among the gray c~linker-like coral.
But 1t was touching to find even
here that, though the whole worldly
goods Of the community would scarce
~ have fetched ten dollars, the souls
off men were still held worth caring
pretty little church, with a schoolhouse
near by, while from the roof of an adj
jacent building we were hailed by a
pleasant-faced white man, busy with
some shingling.
1t was the good priest of the little
place. Father %Serapion, disguised in
overalls and the honest CRIME of his
labor; like a true Benedictine, pray
ing with his strong and skillful hands.
Father Serapiom and Charlie were
old friends, and Charlie tool occasion
to confide in him with regard to To-
bias, and, to his huge delight, discov-
cred that a man answering very close
ly to his description had dropped in
there with a large spoEger two days
before. He had only stopped long
enough to buy rum at the little store
near the landing and had been off
again through the blight. sailing west.
Father %Serapion. who knew Charlie
Webster's shooting ground, promised
to send a swift messenger should any
thing further Of interest to us come
to his knowledge within the neXt week
or so.
Then we sailed away from Behring's
point. due west through the North
blight. Morning found us sailing
through a maze Of low-lying desert is
lands Of a bewildering sameness Of
shape and size, with practically moth
ing to distinguish one from another.
We had hoped to reach our camp,
out On the other side of the island,
that evening, but that lodging the
shoals and sticking in the mud had
considerably delayed Us. Besides,
though Charlie and the captain both
hated to admit 1t, we nae lost our
way. So night began to fall and, as
there is no sailing in such waters at
night, we once more cast anchor I'M
der q gloomy. black shape of land. e
ceedingly lonesome and forgotten
looking, which we agreed to call Lit
tie Wood cay"-till morning.
Soon all were asleep except Sailor
and me. I lay awake for a long time
watching the square yard of stars that
shone down through the hatch in our
cabin ceiling like u little window look
Ing into eternity, while the waters lap
,ol o~A 1,.aI D,,+ciJn and Tho ,,;vhf
talked strangely to itself. Next morn
ing Charlie and the captain were
forced to own up that the island, dis
covered to the day, WAS nOt Little
Wood cay. No humiliation goes deep
er with a sailing man than having to
ask his way. Besides, who was there
to ask in that solitude? Doubtless a
cormorant flying overhead knew it,
but no one thought to ask him.
However, we were in luck. for. after
sailing about a bit, we came upon two
lonely negroes standing up in their
boats and thrusting long poles into the
water. They were spOnging-mOst
melancholy Of occupations-and they
looked forlorn enough in the still
dawn. But they had a smile for our
plight. It was evidently a good joke
to have mistaken Sapodilla cay for
Little Wood cay. OF curse we should
have gone-'ao." And "so" we pres
emily went, not without rewarding
them for their information with two
generous drinks Of old Jamaica rum.
One Of our reasons for seeking Lit.
tie Wood cay, which 1t proved had
been close all the time, was that 1t is
one Of the few Gays where one can get
fresh water. "GoTi water here" says
the chart. We wanted to refill some
Of our jars, and so we landed there,
glad to stretch our legs, while Old Tom
cooked our breakfast on the beach, un.
der a sapOdilla tree.
Now that we knew where we we're
If wnS rlnnr huf nv M mans CARELESS