Northern Wisconsin advertiser. [volume] (Wabeno, Wis.) 1898-1925, 1921-12-02

oassman. More than ever he looked
like the island god. Every day he
grew more brown and brawny, more
superb in his physical vigor.
The cliffs on the north shore of the
cove were considerably higher than
on the other side. The wreck lay
close in, driven high upon the mar
row shelf of rocks and sand at the
base of the sheer ascent. Sand had
heaped up around her hull and flung
itself across her deck like white
winding-sheet. Surprisingly, the yes
sci was very small one, little
soop, indeed, much like the fragile
pleasure-boats that cluster under the
| Sausalito shore at home. The single
mast had been broken off short, and
the stump of the bowsprit was visi-
BILE, like a finger reckoning for rescue
from the crawling sand.
"Poor forlorn little boatw / said.
"What in the world do you suppose
brought such mite of thing to this
unheard-of spot?"
perhaps she belonged to the copra
chap One man could handle her."
"What would he want with her? A
| small boat like this is better for fish
ing and rowing about the cove"
.Perhaps she brought him here from
| Panama, though he couldn't have
counted on taking back very bulky
cargo"
'sThen why leave her strewn about
on the rocks? And besides"-here the
puzzle of Crusoe required to me and
seemed to link itself with this-"then
how did he get away himself?"
We rowed in close under the port
bow of the sloop, and on the rail l
made out string Of faded letters. /
began excitedly to spell them out.
'T-s-l-oh, Island Queen! You
see she did belong here Probably she
brought the original porcine Adam
and Eve to the island"
Luckily forgot the snake, though! y
remarked the Honorable BERTHE with
unlooked-for vivacity. For so far Aunt
James trembling anticipations had
been unfulfilled by the sight of sim
gle snake, a fact laid by me to the
credit of st. Patrick and by Cookie to
that of the pigs.
Snakes ID jes' be oysters on de half
shell to dem pigs" declared Cookie.
AS we rowed away from the melan-
choly little derelict r saw that near
by narrow gully gave access to the
top of the cliff, and / resolved that
/ would avail myself of this path to
visit the Island Queen again. My mind
continued to dwell upon the unknown
figure of the copra gatherer. Perhaps
the loss of his sloop had condemned
him to weary months or years Of soil
tude upon the island, before the rare
glimmer of sail or the trail of a
steamers smoke upon the horizon
gladdened his longing eyes
Suddenly / turned to Cuthbert Vane
"How do you know, really, that he
| ever did leave the island?" demand
| ed.
sWho-the copra chap7 Well, why
else was the cabin cleared out so care
fully-no clothes left about or any
thing?"
"That's true" / acknowledged. The
last occupant Of the hut had evident
Iy made a very deliberate and order
ly business of packing up to go.
We drifted about the cove for q
while, then steered into the dim muir
muring shadow of the treasure-cavern
Mr.. Vane indicated the point at which
they had arrived in their exploration
among the assures opening from the
ledge
The place held me with its fascina
ton. but we dared not linger long, fol
as the tide turned one man would have
much ado to manage the boat. SO we
slid through the archway into the
bright sunshine of the cove, ano
headed for the camp.
AS we neared the beach we saw 9
figure pacing it. 1t was Dugald Shaw
And quite Unexpectedly my heart be
gan to beat with staccato quickness
Dugald Shaw, who didn't like me an6
who never looked at me-except JUS
sometimes, when he was perfectly sure
I didn't know it-there he was, wait
ing for us, and splashing into the
foam to help Cuthbert beach the boa
he for whom a thousand years age
the skalds would have made saga
The b. Y. hailed him cheerfully
as we sprang out upon the sand. Blu
the Scotchman was unsmiling.
MAKE haste after your tools, lad,'
he ordered. "We1l have fine work now
to get inside the cave before the turn
Those were his words; his tone ant
his grim look meant, $50 in spite o.
all my care you are being beguiled by
a mink"
1t was his tone that ] answered.
"Oh. don't scold Mr.. Vane" i'm
plored. Every paradise has its ser
pent. and as there are no others here
1 suppose l am it. OF course all lady
serpents who know their business have
red hair. Don't blame Mr.. Vane fol
what was naturally all my fault"
/ Not line of his face changed. In
deed, before my most vicious stab:
it never did change.
''To be sure it seems unreasonable