The L'Anse sentinel. (L'Anse, L.S., Mich.) 18??-current, 1922-03-24

nfth day Captain Scraggs tainted
twice. On the twenty-sixth day Nc
Gufrey crawled into the shadow OF a
stunted mimosa bush and started to
prayi
Il 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, 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 he saw little splash under
her port bow as her hook took bottom.
There was commotion on decks, and
then to Mr.. Gibney's dying ears came
family the shouts and songs Of the
black boys as q whaleboat shot into
the breakers and pulled swiftly toward
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 a striking resemblance to Neils
Halvorsen. Neils Halvorsen, of all
men! Old Neils, ''the squarehead"
deckhand Of the green-pea trade Dull,
bowlegged Neils. with his lost dog
smile and his
Mr.. Glbney rubbed his eyes feebly
and half staggered to his feet. What
was that2 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.. Gibney
and struck feebly ut 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 moment, and he discovered
that he was lying In the bottom of
whaleboat. McGuffey lay beside him,
and on q thwart 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, III go to hades or some
other seaport" He closed his eyes
again and subsidized into 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 shipmatel Mac, speak to
me. Are you alive?"
B. McGuffey, Esquire, opened 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 dawning horror APP
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. 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 his bronzed
cheeks, was sparingly doing out to
them a mixture Of brandy and water.
And when the syndicate was strong
enough to be allowed all the water It
wanted, Neils Halvorsen propped them
up on deck and told the story. When
he had finished, Captain Scraggs
turned to Mr.. Gibney.
"Gib, my dear boy" he said, make
a motion"
~ 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
a quarter of the profits"
Second the notion" said McGuftey.
Carried" said Captain Scraggs.