Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1922-03-01

envy, and the enemy fed I'm wild dis
order. pursued by the syndicate. After
a chase OF half a mile Mr.. GIbney led
his cohorts back 10 the beach.
Let's build a fire-not that we
need IL. but just for company-and
sleep till mornin'. BY that time my
imaginatiOnn be in worlSin' order and
I'll scheme a breakfast out OF this
GOdforsaken hole"
At the first hint OF dawn Mr.. Glib
ney, true 10 his promise. was up and
scouting for breakfast. He found
some gOoneys on rocky crag and
killed half a dozen OF them with
club. On his way back to camp he
discovered a few handouts OF sea salt
I'm crevice between some rocks, and
the syndicate breakfasted an hour
later on roast gooney. II 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. II Captain
Scraggs had not made repeated ref
erence 20 his excessive thirst. Nc
1
was over. and cuffed Captain Scraggs,
who thereupon subsidized with tears in
his eyes. This hurt McGuffey. II was
like salt IN a 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. as
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, show
ever, the soil was less barren. and
here a grove OF coconut palms lifted
their tufted crests invitingly.
"we will camp In this grove" said
the commodore. ''and keep guard over
these green coconuts. There must be
nearly n hundred OF them and l no.
tioe a little taro root here and there.
As those cOconuts are full of milk,
that insures us life for n week or two
II we 90 on n short ration. BY bath
in several times a day we can keep
down our thirst some and perhaps
itll rain"
"what II Il does7" snapped Captain
Scraggs bitterly. "We amt got moth
In but our hats TO catch It in"
"Well, then, Scraggsy, old stick-ln-
the mud" replied the commodore
quizzically. ''irs n cinch you'll go
thirsty. Your hat looks like a cul-
lender"
/ Captain Scraggs choked with rage,
and Mr.. Gibney, springing at the near
est palm, Skinned to the top Of 1t in
the most approved sailor fashion. A
moment later, instead of cOconuts,
rich unctuous curses began 10 de-
scend on McGuffey and Scraggs.
"Gib. my dear boy" inquired
Scraggs, whatever is the matter OF
your"
THAT hound Tabu-Tabu's been
strippin' our coconut grove" roared
the commodore. "He must have spent
half the night up In these trees"
thank the Lord they didn't take
'em ALL" said McGuffey plOusly.
Chuck me down a nut, Glib" said
Captain Scraggs. "Fm famished."
In conformity with the commodore
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 on
the beach. This suggested turtle
eggs 20 Mr.. Gibney. and a change OF
diet resulted. Nevertheless. the I'M
accustomed food. poorly cooked as IL
was, and the lack OF water. told cru
ely on them. and their strength
failed rapidly.
At the end OF a week. all hands were
troubled with indigestion and McGuf-
fey developed a 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.. McGufTey predict
ed a wlliwaw. Captain Scraggs In
quired feebly II IL was good TO eat.
That night II ralned, and TO the
great Joy OF the marooned mariners
Mr.. Gibney discovered. in the center of
a big sandstone rock, a natural reser-
volr 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
a 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 10 be deceived. and after furnish
ing them with a supply OF water I'm
coconut calabashes. he ordered them
TO their own side Of the island.
On the eighteenth day the last drop
OF water was gone. and on the twenty
second day the last Of the coconuts
disappeared. The prospects OF more