Phoenix tribune., 1922-07-01

~Let's build a fre-not that we
need it, but just for company-and
sleep till mornin' By that time my
imaginatioa'll be in workin' order and
I'll scheme a breakfast out Of this
GOdfOrsaken hole"
At the first hint of dawn Mr.. Glib
ney, true to his promise, was up and
scouting for breakfast. He found
some gooneys on a rocky crag and
killed half a dozen of them with q
club. On his way back to camp he
discovered a few handfuls of sea salt
in crevice between some rocks, and
the syndicate breakfasted an hour
later on roast gooney. 1t was oily and
fishy but an excellent substitute for
nothing at all, and the syndicate was
grateful. The breakfast would have
been cheerful, In fact, If Captain
Scraggs had not made repeated ref
erence to his excessive thirst. Nc
Guffey lost patience before the meal
was over, and cuffed Captain Scraggs,
who thereupon subsided with tears In
his eyes. This hurt McGuffey. 1t was
like salt in fresh wound, so he pat
ted the skipper on the back and
humbly asked his pardon. Captain
Scraggs forgave him and murmured
something about death making them
all equal.
''The next business before the syn
dicate," announced Mr. Gibney, rs a
search Of this island for water"
They searched all forenoon. At In
tervals they caught glimpses of the
two cannibals skulking behind sand
dunes, but they found no water.
Toward the center of the island, how
ever, the soil was less barren, and
here grove Of coconut palms lifted
their tufted crests invitingly.
1--WE will camp in this grove" said
the commodore. land keep guard over
these green cOconuts. There must be
nearly hundred Of them and l no.
tice little taro root here and there.
AS those coconuts are full of milk,
that insures US, life for week or two
If we go on short ration. By bath
In several times a day we can keep
down our thirst some and perhapsI
It'll rain"
"What If 1t does?" snapped Captainl
Scraggs bitterly. 1--WE amt got moth
In but our hats to catch 1t In"
''Well, then, Scraggsy, old stick-in-
the mud" replied the commodoreI
quizzically, ITS a cinch you'll goI
thirsty. Your hat looks like a cul-
lender"
Captain Scraggs choked with rage,I
and Mr.. Gibney, springing at the near
est palm, Skinned to the top of it inI
the most approved sailor fashion. AL
moment later, instead Of coconuts,I
rich unctuous curses began to de-
scend on McGuffey and Scraggs
"Gib. my dear boy" inquired
Scraggs. whatever is the matter oil
your"
THAT hound Tabu-Tabu's been|
strippin our cocOnut grove" roaredI
the commodore. "He must have spent
half the night up In these trees"
THANK the Lord they didn't take
em ALL" said McGufrey piously.
"Chuck me down a nut. Gib," said
Captain Scraggs. I'm famished."
In conformity with the commodore's|
plans, the castaways made camp in|
the grove. For a week they subsist-
ed on gooneys, taro root. coconuts|
and coconut milk. and a sea-turtle|
which Scraggs found wandering onI
the beach. This suggested turtle
eggs to Mr.. Gibney, and a change oil
diet resulted. Nevertheless, the un-
accustomed food, poorly cooked as It
was, and the lack Of water, told cru
ely on them. and their strength
tailed rapidly.
AT the end Of week, all hands were
troubled with indigestion and McGuf-
fey developed low fever. They had
lost much flesh and were a white, hag-
gard-looking trio. On the afternoon
of the tenth day on the island the sky
clouded up and Mr.. McGuffey predict
ed williwaw. Captain Scraggs In
quired feebly If it was good to eat.
That night 1t rained, and to the
great JOY Of the marooned mariners
Mr.. Gibney discovered, Ia the center of
IA big sandstone rock, natural reser-
voir that held about ten gallons of wa
ter. They drank to repletion and felt
their strength return a thousand-fold.
Tabu-Tabu and the king came into
camp about this time, and pleaded for
Il ration of water. Mr.. Gibney, swear
ing horribly at them, granted their re-
quest, and the king, in his gratitude,
threw himself at the commodore's feet
and kissed them. But Mr.. Gibney was
not to be deceived, and after furnish
ing them with supply of water In
oconut calabashes, he ordered them
70 their own side of the island.
On the eighteenth day the last drop
of water was gone, and on the twenty
econd day the last Of the coconuts
disappeared. The prospects of more
ain were not bright. The gooneys were
becoming shy and distrustful and the
syndicate was experiencing more and
moro diff o,1lfr 0x,Iw~ L.. l~sr1r-<.