The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1925-01-23

Jane Porter and the need OF armed
men to aid in the search for her.
mon Dieup' exclaimed the officer,
sadly. Yesterday and it would not
have been too late. Today and it
may be better that the poor lady
were never found. 1t is horrible,
Monsieur. It is too horrible"
Other boats had now put OF from
the cruiser, and Clayton, having
Ipointed out tho harbor's entrance to
the officer, entered the boat with
him and its nose was turned to-
ward the little land-locked bay, into
which the other craft followed.
Soon the entire party had landed
where stood Professor Porter, Mr..
Philander and the weeping Esme-
ralda-
Among the officers In the last
boats to put off from the cruiser
was the commander OF the vessel;
and when he had heard the story Of
Jane Porter's abduction, he gener-
ously called for volunteers to accom-
pany Professor Porter and Clayton
in their search.
The commander selected twenty
men and two, officers, Lieutenant
d'Arnot and Lieutenant Carpenter
A boat was dispatched to the cruiser
for provisions, ann milton, and
carbines; the men y:ere already
armed with revolvers.
Then, to Clayton's inquiries as to
how they had happened to anchor off
shore and fire a signal gun, the COM
mander. Captain Dufranne. ex-
planned that a month before they had
sighted the Arrow bearing south
west under considerable canvas, and
that when they had signaled her to
come about she had but crowded or
i more sail.
They had kept her hull-up until
sunset, firing several shots after her,
but the next morning she was no.
4 where to be seen. They had then
continued to cruise up and down the
coast for several weeks, and had
about forgotten the incident Of the
recent chase. when, early one morn
ing few days before, the lookout
had deserted vessel laboring in the
trough of a heavy sea and evidently
entirely from under control.
AS they steamed nearer to the
derelict they were surprised to note
that it was the same vessel that had
run from them a few weeks earlier,
Her fore-stay-sail and miMen-spank.
er were set as though an effort had
been made to hold her head up into
the wind, but the sheets had parted
and the sails were tearing to ribbons
in the half gale CT wind.
In the high sea that was running
it was a difficult and dangerous task
to attempt to put a prize crew
aboard her; and as no signs of life
had been seen above deck, it was de-
cided to stand by until the wind and
sea abated; but just then a figure
was seen clinging to the rail and
feebly waving a mute signal OF
despair toward them.
Immediately a boats crew was
ordered out and an attempt was
successfully made to board the
Arrow. The sight that met the
Frenchmen's eyes as they clambered
over the ships side was appalling.
A dozen dead and dying men
rolled hither and thither upon the
pitching deck, the living inter.
mingled with the dead.
1t did not take the French officer
long to learn what had caused the
terrible condition aboard; for when
water and brandy were sought to re-
store the nnen, it was found that
not only was there not any Of either.
but not a vestige of food Of any de.
scription.
When restoratives had been an
Piled several OF the men regained
consciousness, and then the whole
story was told. That part of it we
know up to the sailing of the Ar
row after the murder Of Snipes, and
the burial of his body above the
treasure chest.
1t seems that the pursuit BY the
cruiser had SO terrorized the mn
tineers that they had continued out
across the Atlantic for several days
after losing her; but on discovering
the meager supply Of water and pro-
visions aboard. they had turned back
toward the east.
When those who could had re-
covered, the entire story had been
told to the French commander. but
the men were too ignorant to be
able to tell him at just what point
on the coast the professor and his
party had been marooned, so the
cruiser had steamed slowly along
within sight Of land, firing occasional
signal gums and scanning every inch
Of the beach with glasses.
They had anchored by night so as
not to neglect a particle of the shore
line, and it had happened that the
preceding night had brought them
off the very beach where lay the
little camp they sought.
The signal guns of the afternoon
before had not been heard by those
on shore, it was presumed, becauee
they had doubtless been IN the thick
Of the jungle searching for Jane
Porter. where the noise of their own
crashing through the underbrush
would have drowned the report of
a far distant gun.
By the time the two parties had
narrated their several adventures.
the cruisers boat had returned with
supplies and arms for the expedition.
Within a few minutes the little
body of sailors and the two French
officers. together with Professor Por-
ter and Clayton. set OF upon their
hopeless and Inflated quest into the
untracked Jungle