American Falls press. [volume] (American Falls, Idaho) 1907-1937, 1921-11-11
CHAPTER xi.
The Island Queens Freight.

/ woke mex morning with a great
thrill of e~xhilaration. Perhaps before
the sun went down again / should
know the secret of the island.
The two divisions of our party,
which were designated by me private
ly. the Land and Sea Forces, went
their separate ways directly after
breakfast, which we ate In the cool
of earliest morning. 1 could retire to
the perusal Of the Journal which l
had recovered from the wrecked sloop
without fear Of interruption.
1 resumed my reading with the en-
try of February 10.
''This morning, having grown very
tired of fish, of which / get plenty
every time l go out in the boat. by
dragging a line behind, l decided TO
stay ashore and hunt pig. l set out
across the base of the point, nearly
due south-whereas l had been work
ing along the coast to the north of
the cove. | reached the edge of the
cliffs and found that on my right hand
the mountain dropped In a sheer
precipice from hundreds of feet above
me straight into the sea. l consid-
cred, and made up my mind that by
striking back ONE distance one
might by a very rongh climb gain the
top of the precipice, and so swing
around the shoulder of the mountain.
l did not feel inclined to attempt II.
The cliffs at this point offered no
means of descent, and the few yards
of sand which the receding tide had
left pare at their foot led nowhere.
81 turned to go back. and at that mo-
ment l heard an cutlery in the bushes
and Benny came tearing out at the
heels of a fine young porker.' l threw
up my gun to fire, but the evolutions
of Benny and the pig were such that
/ was as likely TO hit n as the other.
The pig. of course, made desperate
efforts to escape from the cul-de-sac
in which he found himself. His only
hope was to get back into the woods
on the point. Benny kept him headed
off successfully, and l began to edge
up, watching my chance for a shot.
Suddenly the pig came dashlng
straight toward me-oblivious, / sup
pose, to everything but the white
swapping terror at his heels. Taken
by surprise, / ~fired-and missed. The
pig shot between my knees, Benny
after him. l withstood the shock OF
the pig. but not of Benny. | fell
clawing wildly, into a matted mass OF
creepers that covered fine ground be
side me.
81 got to my feet quickly, dragging
the whole mass of vines up with me
curiously regular little patch o.
ground, outlined of intervals will
small stones. At one end was a large
stone.
1.-THE patch was narrow, about si'
: feet long-instantly suggestive of
grave. But swift beyond all process
: of reason was the certainty tina
flashed into my mind. ] fell on m
knees beside the stone and pulle
q away the torn ~vine-tendrils. / say
: the letters B. Fl. and al attempt o
g cross-bones rudely cut into the SUI
face of the stone.
4 81 closed my eyes and tried
steady myself. I thought, I am se'
e Ing things. This Is the mere proie'
!" tion of the vision which has been !
my mind so long
v 81 opened my eyes, and 10, the fal
e tasy, If fantasy it We're, remalne'
T. smote with my fist upon the ston
a The stone was solid-it bruised ii
h flesh. And as l saw the blood run,
Y, screamed aloud like a mailman, 1T
n real, real, real!
r "Under the stone lay the guardia
a of the treasure OF the Benny Lass
< And his secret was within my gras
r. 81 don't know how long | crouch'
W beside the stone, as drunk with JOY
t. any hasheesh topper with his drug.
It, reused at last to find Benny at n
shoulder, thrustlng his cool no