Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1922-01-13

bic, like a finger reckoning for rescue
from the crawling sand.
"Poor forlorn little boat" I said.
What in the world do you suppose
brought such a 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"
'"Then why leave her strewn about
on the rocks? And besides"-here the
puzzle of Crusoe required to me end
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 string Of faded letters. l
began excitedly to spell them out.
'1-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, thought"
remarked the Honorable BERTHE with
unlooked-for vivacity. For so far Aunt
James trembling anticipations had
been unfulflled by the sight Of a sin
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 / 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 soli-
tude upon the island, before the rare
glimmer of a sail or the trail of a
steamers smoke upon the horizon
gladdened his longing eyes.
L
"How do you know, really, that he
ever did leave the islandY" / 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" 1 acknowledged The
last occupant of the hut had evident
ly made a very deliberate and order
ly business of packing up to go.
We drifted about the cove for a
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, for
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, and
headed for the camp.
AS we neared the beach we saw a
figure pacing it. 1t was Dugaid Shaw.
And quite unexpectedly my heart be-
gan to beat with staccato Quickness.
Dugald Shaw, who didn't like me and
who never looked at me-except just
sometimes, when he was perfectly sure
didn't know it-there he was, wait
ing for us, and splashing into the
foam to help Cuthbert beach the boat
he for whom a thousand years ago
the skalds would have made saga
The b. y. hailed him cheerfully
as we sprang out upon the sand. But
The Scotchman was unsmiling.
snake haste after your tools, lad"
he ordered. well have fine work now
to get inside the cave before the turn"
Those were his words; his tone and
his grim look meant, so in spite of
all my care you are being beguiled by
a mfnx-"
1t was his tone that / answered.
"Oh, don't scold Mr.. Vane" / i'm
plored every paradise has It's SER
pent, and as there are no others here
I suppose am it. OF course all lady
serpents who know their business have
red hair. Don't blame Mr. Vane for
what was naturally all my fault"
Not a line Of his face changed. In
deed, before my most vicious stabs
it never did change.
"To be sure it seems unreasonable
to blame the lad" he agreed soberly,
"but then he happens 70 be under my
authority"
Meaning, / suppose, that you would
much prefer to blame me-" l choked.
There's logic, no doubt, in striking
at the root of the trouble" he admit
ted with an air of calm detachment.
'sThen strike" / said furiously:
strike, why don't you, and not beat
about the bush sol" Because then he
would be quite hopelessly in the
wrong, and | could adopt any of sew
eral roIes-the coldly naughty, the
wounded but forgiving, ETC., with
great enjoyment.
But without change in his glacial
manner he quite casually remarked:
at would seem had struck
home"
l walked away.
Fortunately nobody undertook to ex-
ercise any guardianship over Crusoe,
and the little white dog bore me faith
full company in my rambles. Mostly
these were confined to the neighbor-