Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1925-05-29

HALMERS moved hurredly out
of the path of wave that
~ swept proudly over the damp
mark made by Its predecessor,
and the waves gurgled pleasantly as If
amused at the beachcombers haste.
The movement aroused Delcroix, and
he followed the example of his partner
by rolling over the hot sand as the tide
crept stealthily in.
The silence was intense. 1t seemed
to rise out of the painting ocean,
smothering influence that choked the
weird notes of the wood pigeons and
hushed the cicadas that sent shrill,
needle-like noises from the green
masses over which the lawyer vines
crept like living net
go on" murmured Delcroix; your
pauses would lead anyone to think you
were making up the yarn as you went
along" He spoke irrltably, as II the
silence that flung itself upon them each
time that Chalmers stopped talking
had upset his nerves.
The sun-tanned features of his COM
panion wrinkled into a cynical sheer.
perhaps I am making 1t up" he
said, quietly. "sometimes-s sometimes
when tell 1t to anyone like am
telling 1t to you, wonder II didn't
read 1t In book years ago, and just
fooled myself into the belief that It
happened to me-"
He paused for an instant and mois-
tened his dry lips,
That's a uel" he cried sharply,
turning suddenly upon bis companion
as If he would destroy the doubt oeca-
stoned by his last remark. 'This IL
the truth never think that read
1t, not this yarn, DelcroiK 1 know
that-that this thing-where did l
stop? Oh, remember Well, our
three King divers muzEled the silt
near the Horse Shoe Shoal for weeks,
and we piled black-up shell into the
hold by the ton. God, It was rich
Wed sit Of night on the deck of that
old lugger while the smell of half the
worlds nations drifted over the tropic
seas, and we'd dream Of what we'd do
with out profits. He'd do the picturing
that's why hated him so much
afterwards.
Il remember those nights. The dark
ness just sneaked down from Asia like
a drifting blanket, and the yell of
Javanese from the prahu fleet would
sting the silence like n whip. Ever
listen to the cities calling In the night,
Delcroix? Clink of glasses, kids pratt
tie, sound Of shoes on the pavement,
and the laugh of women--it t1st gets
into your breast like an iron hand and
twists your heart strings till you choke
for breath"
A big wave slipped forward quietly
and stopped over the bare feet of the
two beachcombers, and Delcroix cursed
us they rolled out of Its path.
ut was on one blazing hot day in
September that he cut loose" con
tinued Chalmers. II pulled across to
whalebOat on the other side Of the
reef, and coming back | was just
dreaming Of wheat fields and orange
groves two thousand miles away as ]
stuck the oars into that sea of melted
glass. Then | sort of woke up and
looked around The old lugger was
squelching down the seas, and that
swine was rushing round helping the
Kings to spread more cloth.
ado you know how those little puffs
OF air race round in the tropics? Gods
breaths' the 0rang Lauts call 'em.
They hit boat every five minutes
and leave stiffness after them that
gives you d cold SILVER. Well, the
lugger was getting those little whlffs
now and then, so ! put after her. |
can feel that pull now. Every ray Of
the@ellOw sun went through my back
like a poisoned arrow, and the renec-
ton on the oily waters blinded me. He
could have pOtted me with a gun at
times when gained on the boat, but
he didn't He just raced round spread
ing more cloth, and Just when thought
there was chance Of getting aboard,
one of those little puffs would get
tangled up In the sails, and the old
lugger would roll away like a drunken
thing.
81 don't know how far | followed
him. After a time l couldn't see, but
| kept on pulling. was blinded with
the glare from that red-palnted ocean,
and every time / dipped the oars !
screamed in agony. Once | was quite
near. could hear him yelling Mt the
crew, then he seemed to understand
from my actions that | couldn't see,