Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1920-11-08
West Wind Drift
BY GEORGE BARR McCUTCHEON
Copyright, 1870. BY George Barr MocutoAson
ru,s STARTS THE STORY
1870, BY George Barr M%oCutcAeon

~ possscit leaves port. Alcernon
ms,S psrctvdl 10 brought before
covtain Trigger as q stowatody ins
Captain questions htm as 'g ~. Re
bearded ~ ~ ys'se' coal %T" passsr. lie
oumV In Return to the Urttsd Stdtes,
~ SrnIains that robbers haze tdken
Iii I'd money. The captain. also iearns
tTTat too d~eokhands haze hdpen Jrom
lie ship and he SUSPECTS p 49, 70
@ onrI undey guard. Vert morning fho
U u operutor reporfe his trdnsrat-
t,r out Of order. Passengers arc nS,y
ovs and some carry drohnu tneU
Jspcis fer safety. Whue az ,oo rn.ton
Ssort,v after a series Of explosions
enewu, killing forty-sir Of the crcp
S.d passengers. The shfp remains
SGoat. Both the captain. = PerStco'
. I,ye among tbs injured. NINE zoos.
Ky. a beautiful gorno Rs's,eni , - XIII
Tar as the situation 70 critical Iona
Z. s,ohfsd. and the Doratne grounds ~
= ,1,ro,r channel betDcen too smdit
Glands, There Ia a c,fsfs as the steer
Soe passengers IN their erciteten1 70
Sa,,,,ooi aoain proves himse,t the nan TOR
ths emergency and qnells the out
brsak. An exploration party ts orQ1n-
trsd. out before Il leaves The shtp hmtn
Ciinton co,nes tn Pcrcspdl ana INSISTS
on dressing his hands, stu sop. Jrom
i.ads tbs exploration party and plants
sbs stars and Stripes on the island
Sstore returning to the ship. 1hs,e q
course of action Is discussed "
agreed upon and oil on board ore SUN
rsoned to the open deck to near me
result Of the expedition.
AMI HERE 1T CONTINUES
CHAPTER Ix--Continued
pERCIvAL reported the following
facts and conclusions
First. The Island was approximately
ffteen miles long and six or seven
m,les wide in the center. The basin in
which the Doraine rested was about
midway between h extreme points, and
about two miles inland from the north
ern shore. The southern slope OF the
haps moor, some two miles across at
is broadcast point. and ran in varying
width from one end Of the island to the
other. It was green and almost entirely
devoid Of timber; The S,ntrai . sm' t.nsn
was the loftiest of q range OF ten or
twelve diminishing hills that formed
what might actually be described as the
backbone OF the island. The eastern ex-
lying promonotory that ended In a
point so sharp n wedge-like that II
bore a singular resemblance to the for
ward deck and prov of a huge iron
clad. The hills, as they approached the
, plateau, terminated altogether q couple
Of miles from the tip Of land. The vest
ern half OF the island (strictly speaking,
II was n separate bit OF land, cut on
from It's neighbor by the r~ibbon.liko
channel, was Of a more rugged char
sea, forming, no doubt, steep and pre-
~cipitous cliffs, rising directly from the
waters edge.
(Since his return. Percival had painted
on a large piecA OF canvas. a fairly &C.
curate outline map o. the bisected Island
Of the mountain. This crude map was
hung up In full view OF the spectators,
and served him we'll in an effort to make
clear his deductions. .
past or present human habitation. Alb
solutely nothing appeared to indicate
or occupy this virgin land.
Third; The channel through b
The walls Of this gorge at one point
were fully 700 feet high, absolutely per,
pendicular. and Of solid rock. 1t was
as II tho hill had been split wide op n
with one blow of a tremendous broad;
spread out fan-fashion. creating a fun
nel.like bay or inlet from the sea
Fourth. There was no other land m
sight AS far as the eye could reach
ing but water, a mighty waste Of water.
Fl IN. TIL wind. which a veered
around to the south. vas cold and dry.
Sixth. A curving bach of almost
snowy wilderness extended for a mile
or so along the northern shore. about
half way between the entrance to the
channel and the eastern point OF land.
inside th5 fringe of trees that lined
this beach stretched what appeared to
reaching far UP the hillsides.
Seventh. Monkeys. parrots and snakes
gray-plumaged bird " the toucan va
riety. but larger than the ordinary
south american species, was seen, while
large numbers of plump, birds OF the
through the forest at the approach OF
ne party, !Penguins strutted In com.
nlete full dress among tho rocks Of
the southern shore. A dead armadillo OF
extraordinary dimensions was found
least thrice the size Of the common
Eouth American mammal. The same
could be said of the single isuana on.
eountered. This large lizard, which
wa, alive must have been fully ten
70 the belief that the supposedly extinct
lguanodon. described by the scitntists
as attaining a length Of thirty feet, might
an! day be discovered In the ~fastnesses
al sro ,n's nnexpicred land. The mere exist
snoe OF this rather amiable, unfrlght'
est Significance II II were known &c
man why had It never been reported ir
hop,ngIcal or natural history Journals
Elshth. The trees on the mountain
terlocking limbs that created a sort OF
endless canopy which the sun was un.
aole TO penetrate. The cool dry wind
mat swept the slope would account
moIs,urrcc Tor the surprising absences o.
sonse shade Of tho trees. Oak, elm
spfuce. even walnut. and other trees o,
: sturdy character Indigenous to tn,
sSnperate zone were identified. wha;
sS apta to be a elump. O. cypress trees
20 shrink back In terror from the as.
NSsS'tins breakers. stood out In bold re,
ast upon a rocky point TO the south
anu west OF the observation hill.
Their ssunt, twisted trunks leaned
iimb, "Gra from the sea their shorr
hh.m duplication to the somber forest
venina them. Trunks of enormou tree,
mat hRd fallen perhaps q century age
WIT wSrs round half buried In the earth
Of ~" ~. scattered along the northern base
sew o. their gigantic co~unterparts, alive
cno nourishing, raised their lofty head,
.n above the surrounding forest, and
''ySE IKE sentinels. guarding the plain
tMihth. A small river wound its de.
Mvus way, with s%erpentine rocks and
M tS.'es, through the downs and acros.
some distance east or the slssm,ns
fnSsseh: That It's source was far up In
onn ~ ,seeretive hills was not n matter O
and 'ee.ure. however; the incessant HIST
hesrd 'ssr OF a cataract was plainl,