Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1922-01-13

hfth day Captain Scraggs tainted
twice. On the t~wenty-sixth day Nc
GuTey crawled into the shadow OF a
stunted mlm0sa bush and started TO
pray!
II was the finish. The commodore
knew It. and sat with bowed head in
his gaunt arms, wondering, wondering.
Slowly his body began to sway; he
muttered something. slid forward on
his face, and lay still. And as he lay
there on the threshold Of the unknown
he dreamed that the Maggie II came
into view around the headland, a bone
in her teeth and every stitch Of canvas
flying. He saw her huff up into the
wind and hang there %shivering a mo-
ment later her sails came down by the
run, and he saw a little splash under
her port bow as her hook took bottom.
There was a connection OF decks, and
then to Mr.. Gibney's dying ears came
family the shouts and songs Of the
black boys as a whaIebOat shot into
the breakers and pulled swiftly toward
the beach. Mr.. Glbney dreamed that
a white man sat in the stern sheets OF
this whaleboat, and as the boat
touched the beach 1t seemed to Mr..
Gibney that this man sprang ashore
and ran swiftly toward him. And
Mr.. Gibney twisted his suffering lips
into a wry smile as he realized the
oddities of this mirage-it seemed to
him that this visionary white man
bore q striking resemblance to Neils
Halvorsen. Neils Halv0rsen, of all
men! Old Neils, 'the squarehead'
deckhand Of the green-pea trade! Dull,
bOwlegged Neils, with his lost dog
smile and his
Mr.. Gibney rubbed his eyes feebly
and half staggered to his feet. What
was that? A shout? Without doubt
he had heard a sound that was not the
moaning Of their remorseless prison
keeper, the sea And
Hands Off" shrieked Mr.. Glbney
and struck feebly at the imaginary fig
ure rushing toward him. No use. He
felt himself swept into strong arms
and carried an Unreasonable distance
down the beach. Then somebody
threw water in his face and pressed a
drink of brandy and sweet water to
his parched lips. His swimming senses
rallied a moment, and he discovered
that he was lying in the bottom of a
w%haleboat. McGuffey lay beside him,
and on a thwnrt In front of him sat
good old Neils Halvorsen with Captain
Scraggs' head on his knees. As Mr..
Gibney looked at this strange tableau
Captain Scraggs opened his eyes,
glanced up at Nells Halvorsen, and
spoke:
why II 1t amt old squarehead
Neils," he muttered wonderingly. IF
1t amt Neils, I'll go to hades or some
other seaport" He closed his eyes
again and subsidized into a sort of leth-
argy, for he was content. He knew he
was saved.
Mr.. Gibney rolled over, and, strug-
Cling to his knees, leaned over Nc.
Guffey and peered into his drawn face
Mac, old shipmate! Mac, speak tc
me. Are you aliva?"
b. McGuffey, Esquire, opened a pair
of glazed eyes and stared at the com.
modOre.
did we lick 'em?" he whispered
1.-THE last I remember the king was
putin it all over S%craggsy. And thai
Tabu bOy-was-no SLOUGH" McGuf
fey paused, and glanced warily around
the boat, while n dawning horror ap
peared in his sunken eyes. go back
Neils-go back-for Gods sake
There's two niggers--still--on the
island. Bring-'em some-water
They're cannibals-Neils, but never
mind. Get them-aboard-the poor
devils-if they're living. %I-wouldn't
leave a~-crocodile on that-hell hole
If | could-help it."
An hour later the Robinson CrusoC
syndicate, including the man Friday
and the Goat. were safe aboard the
Maggie II, and Neils Halvorsen, will
the tears streaming down his bronzeC
checks, was sparingly doing out It
them a mixture Of brandy and water
And when the syndicate was strons
enough to be allowed all the water Il
wanted, Neils Halvorsen propped then
up on deck and told the story. Wher
he had finished. Captain Scragg.
turned TO Mr.. Gibney.
"Gib, my dear boy" he said, max,
a notion"
II move" said the commodore, "tha
we set Tabu-Tabu and the king dow
on the first inhabited island we cal
find. They've suffered enough. And
further move that we readjust tn,
ownership of the Maggie II syndicat
and cut the best Swede on earth in OF
Il quarter of the profits"
Second the motion" said McGufsey
Carried" said Captain Scraggs.