The Washington times., 1921-02-27

1Vuuu u0I. 10 iv8v0 N ko0 ny
lixht--- She shuddsrsd. and not
with cold.
Beyond the jstty. rocking wildly
ON the swells that burst over the
reef. lay at anchor the Queen Of
the Islands. Her riding lamps
made xis-zas lightnings in the
water; she pulled at her cables like
. furious horse at his halter. Now
and again her stern rose and fell
with . sound like q giant throwing
colossal buckets OF water on mar
BILE floor.
The smell OF copra. oily and
nutty, and charged TO US islanders
with the very spirit or ships and
sea. blew from the hold ~ our
whaleboat showed on. For . mo-
ment my spirits rose; for Z mo-
ment forgot that father was lying
alone underneath the palms, and
remembered only that I had longed
above everything to see the Queen
of the Islands: dreamed. as one
dreams impossible things, Of travel
ling somewhere In the wonderful.
wicked ship. Then the cloud came
down again and climbed the
Jacob's-ladder In . trance of tired
misery. only half understanding
what l saw and heard.
remember that we went across
q heaving deck (well was II for Us
that we were island bred, and ac-
customed to the violent ways Of
cutters and ketches), down q COM
panion. and into q white saloon
with swinging lamps. An island
youth, dressed In the royai-blue
jumper and 0in-cloth that were
England's uniform. showed US 4 lit.
tie cabin with Q berth and q cush-
toned locker. Almost before we
had time to realize our surround
ings the loud song of the anchor
chains burst forth and all the ship
was filled with their roaring chorus
and with the cries of the brown
men who ran the winches round.
The great sails rose with thun-
derous Stating Of canvas. Sudden
ly the clamor died. the ship leaned
over-over--as IL she would swing
her lee rail underneath; chatter,
chatter went the sea along her side.
under the bulkhead of our cabin. A
new, cold air blew in from the sa-
loon doorway. We were away. and
the life at Hiliwa Dara had ended.
II was q terrible night. Captain
England had known 1t would be;
for that reason. and not on account
Of tides. he had hurried US away.
wishing to get through the danger
Gus bars of reef that surrounded
the island before the worst OF the
storm should break.
Once we were out from under the
lee of Hiliwa Dara and swept by
those strong winds and by the fierce
will of our captain, we cleared the
land all too soon and our ship fell
into the nav of the ravening seas.
like a butterfly seized by q shark.
Less chance than the butterfly she
seemed to have through the hrst
hours of storm: II blew half
hurricane that night.
Hour after hour. ,clinging tossed
duQ UIulScu W tHC DOoio u thO
cabin, we heard the seas bursting
on the deck above with a sound as
II thousand carts Of paving-stones
had been cast down; we felt the
Wild leaping and staggering of the
ship. driven by the hounds OF the
storm. Long since the hatches had
been closed and the outer air cut
on; we stified IN our little cabin.
Lorraine and / crept out at last,
clawing and holding on, into the
saloon; at least, there was air to
breathe there.
think the storm must have
gone down q little about then; 1t
was morning, but we did not know.
for the headlights were screwed
home and the cover was on the sky
light. The noise was still appall'
ing; we did not hear the sound OH
the companion-hatch as 1t was
quickly opened and closed by Eng !
land. It was not until we saw his
tall figure bending swiftly down to
come in, against q background OF
pale, angry dawn, that we knew
the day had come.