San Antonio light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1911-1993, 1923-09-13
Begin Here Today.

Il Ned Cornet goes on a voyage I
, Northern Canada and Alaska to ex
tchange silk and velvet gowns with tn
Indian trappers for fine fnrs. Ned il
accompanied by his fiancee, Lenor
HardenwOrth, and the latter's mother
Bess Gilbert, seamstress, and tn,
captains assistant, McNab, are wor
ried because Captain ,Knutzen is i'm
lbibing too freely of liquor. Togethel
they steal into Ned's cabin and confis
cate his remaining stocks. When Net
finds the liquor gone he blames Bes.
for the theft and she confesses.
The craft runs into a heavy gale and
is shipwrecked. Two life-boats are
lowered and in one is Captain Knut.
zen, Ned, Lenore and Bess. After
many hours the cap;~.n sights land
Bess bears up bravely. but Lenore
seems almost unable to bear the hard
ships. Now 60 on with the story.
With the waves ard the wind behind
them, Knutzen saw the gray line that
was the island slowly strengthen. The
time came at last, when his weaker
arms were shot through with burning
pain, that Ned could also make it out.
1t was still weary miles away. And
there was still the dreadful probability
three chances out of. four-that it
was uninhabited by human beings.
Soon the island began to take shape,
revealing itself as of medium size in
comparison with many of the islands
of Boring Sea, yet seemingly large
enough to support kingdom.
The canoe pushed farther into the
harbor. 20
But at that instant. Bess, who had
sat so quiet that her companions had
thought her asleep, uttered a low cry.
For all its subdued tone, it's living
note of hope and amazement caused
both men to turn to her. Her White
face was lifted, her blue eyes shining,
and she was pointing to the fringe
of timber at the end of the trail in the
snow. ~.
"What is it?' she asked in low
tone: isn't it man?
Her keen eyes had beheld what
Knutzen's had mssed-a dark form
half in shadow against the edge of the
scrub timber. For all thatit was less
than a quarter of mile distant, both
men had to strain to make it out. The
explanation lay partly in the depths
of the surrounding shadows; partly in
the fact that the form was absolutely
without motion. =.
Knutsen drove his oars with added
force into the water. The boat leaned
forward: in moment more they
touched the bank.
Their deliverer. a great blond man
seemingly of Northeastern Europe. was
already at the waters edge watching
them with strange and inexplicable
glitter in gray, sardonici eyes. He was
a mighty, bearded man, clothed in
furs: already he was bent. his hands
on the bow Of the boat. Already Ned
was climbing out upon the shore.
Partly TO remove the silly dismay
that had overwhelmed him. partly be-
cause it was the first thought that
would come to the mind Of wayfarer
of the sea. Knutzen turned with "a
question. what island is. dis?" he
asked.
The stranger turned with a grim.
meaning smile. HELL" he answered
simply.
Both Ned and Knutzen stood erect
to stare at him. The wind made cur
ious whispers down through the long
slit of the river valley. "Hell?" Knut-
zen echoed. is dat its name"
Its the name 1 gave it. You'll |
think it's that before you get away"
XIII.
The strangers voice was deep and |
full. so far-carrying, so masterful. that
it might have been the articulation of
the raw elements among which he
lived, rather than the utterance of hui
man vocal chords.
His accent was plainly not that of
an American. He had not been born
TO the English. tongue; very plainly
he had learned it, thoroughly and. Ia
boriously. sa
. He was dressed from head to foot in
fhrs and skins of the most rare and
beautiful kinds. Q His jacket and trous-
ers seemed to be of lynx, his cap was