The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1921-08-10

the cove Mr Shaw had left his ma
rine glasses lying about and had
been doing some exploring with them
Under the great cliffs on the north
shore. Of the bag ] had seen an OBJ
jet thar excited my curiosity II
seemed TO be the hull OF small yes
sci. lying on the narrow strip OF rocks
and sand under the cliff. Now, wreck
age anywhere fills me with sad and
romantic thoughts. bur on the shore
Of a desolate island even a barrel
hoop seems 70 suffer a sea-change into
something rich and strange 1 there
fore commanded the b. Y. to row me
over TO the spot where the derelict
lay.
| lay back idly in the stern as the
boat skinned over the smooth water
beneath the strokes Of my splendid
oarsman More than ever he looked
ike 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 huh and flung
itself across her deck like a white
winding-sheet- Surprisingly, the yes
sci was very small one, a little
pleasure-boats that cluster under the
SausaIito shore al home The single
mast had been broken of short. and
the stump Of the bowsprit was wish
BILE, like finger Reckoning for rescue
from the crawling sand
Poor forlorn little boatl" said.
What in the world do yous suppose
brought such a mite of thing to this
unheard-of spotg
Perhaps she belonged to the eopra
chap. One man could handle her"
what would he want with her? A
small boat ike 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 a very bulky
cargo
"Then 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
made out q string of faded letters.
began excitedly to spell them out.
| "I-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 ~
remarked the Honorable BERTHE with
unlooked-for vivacity For so far Aunt
James trembling anticipations had
been unfulfiIled by the sight of sin
gle snake. 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-
eholy little derelict | saw that near
by a narrow gully gave access 70 the
| top of the cliff. and / resolved that
would avail myself of this path to
visit the Island Queen again. Ny mind
i continued TO dwell upon the unknown
figure Of the copra gatherer.s Perhaps
the loss of his sloop had condemned
him TO weary months or years of soli-
| tude upon the island. before the rare
| glimmer of a sail or the trail of a
steamers smoke upon the horizon
gIaddened his longing eyes.
| Suddenly / turned to Cuthhert vane.
How do you know. really, that he
ever did leave the island?" I demand
ed.
.'Who-the copra chap? 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
ly made very deliberate and order
ly business of packing up TO 20.
We drifted about the cove for n
while, then steered into the dim muir
muring shadow of the treasure-cayern
Mr.. yane indicated the point at which
they had arrived in their exploration
among the assures opening from th'
ledge
The place held me with its fascina
ton, but we dared not finger long, fol
as the tide turned one man would hav'
much ado to manage the boat. So WI
slid through the Archway into thu
bright sunshine of the cove, ant
headed for the camp.
As we neared the beach we saw ;
figure pacing IT. Ii was Duga1d Shaw
And quite unexpectedly my heart be
. gan to beat with staccato quickness
Dugald Shaw, who didn't Ike me ant
who never looked at me-except jus
sometimes, when he was perfectly sur
. didn't know it-there he was, wait
ing for US, and splashing into tn
foam TO help Cuthbert beach the boa
he for whom thousand years ag
the skalds would have made a saga
The b. Y. hailed him cheerful
as we sprang out upon the sand. Blu
the Scotchman was unsmiling.
Make haste after. your tools, lad,
he ordered. Wen have fine work nov
10 get inside the cave before the turn.
! Those were his words; his tone an
his grim look meant so in spite o
al my care you are being beguiled b.