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

fifth day Captain scraggs tainted
twice. On the twenty-sixth day Me-
Guffey crawled into the shadow of
stunted mimosa bush and started TO
prayl
IL was the finish. The commodore
knew IL, 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, bone
In her teeth and every stitch OF canvas
flying. he saw her luff up into the
wind and hang there shivering; mo-
ment later her sails came down by the
run, and ne saw n little splash under
her port bow as her hook took bottom.
There was a commOti0n on decks. and
then 10 Mr.. Gibney's dying ears came
family the shouts and songs OF the
black boys as a whaleboat shot into
the breakers and pulled swiftly toward
the beach. Mr.. GIbney dreamed that
a white man sat I'm the stern sheets of
this whaleboat. and as the boat
touched the beach IL 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 a striking resemblance to Neils
Halvorsen. Neils Halvorsen, of all
meni 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 on" shrieked Mr.. Gibney
and struck feebly at the imaginary fig
ure rushing toward him. No use. He
felt himself swept into strong aims
and carried an unreasonable distance
down the beach. Then somebody
threw water I'm his face and pressed a
drink OF brandy and sweet water 10
his parched lips. His swimming senses
rallied moment, and he discovered
that he was lying In the bottom Of a
whaleboat. McGuffey lay beside him.
and on a thwart I'm front Of him sat
good old Neis Halvorsen with Captain
Scraggs' head on his knees. AS Mr..
Gibney looked at this strange tableau
Captain Scraggs opened his eyes,
glanced up at Neils Halvorsen, and
spoke:
"why II II amt old squarehead
Neils." he muttered wOnderingly. eff
II amt Neils, I'll go to hades or some
other seaport" He closed his eyes
again and subsidized into a sort Of leth-
argv, for he was content. He knew he
was saved.
Mr.. Glbney rolled over. and, strug-
Cling to his knees. leaned over Me
Guffey and peered into his drawn face.
"Mac, old shipmatei Mac, speak to
me. Are you aliveT
Il. McGuffey, Esquire, opened a pair
Of glazed eyes and stared at the COM
modore.
"Did we lick 'emT' he whispered.
''The last I remember the king was
putin II all over Scraggsy. And that
Tabu boy-was-nO SLOUGH" McGuf-
fey paused, and glanced warily around
the boat, while a dawning horror APP
peared in his sunken eyes. eco 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. wouldn't
leave a-crocodile on that-hell hole,
II could-help IT,"
an hour later the Robinson CrusOe
syndicate, including the man Friday
and the Goat, were safe aboard the
Maggie ii. and Nells Halvorsen, with
the tears streaming down HE tTc..svd
cheeks, was sparingly doing out to
them a mixture of brandy and water.
And when the syndicate was strong
enough to he allowed all the water 1t
wanted. Neils Halvorsen propped them
up on deck and told the story. When
he had finished, Captain Scraggs
turned 10 Mr.. Gibney.
"Gib. my dear boy" he said. make
a motion"
81 move" said the commodore. shat
we set Tabu-Tabu and the king down
on the first inhabited island we can
find. They've suffered enough. And !
further move that we readjust the
ownership OF the Maggie ii syndicate
and cut the best Swede on earth in on
quarter of the profits"
Second the notion" said McGuffey.
Carried" said Captain Scraggs.