The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1934-10-04
chapter %
ALMOST RESCUED

@1apl6E 20
ALMOST RESCUED
THE island looks Just as much
Ike q dog or . BEAR said IVY.
That's true too" said Bowers.
"but the important thing Is that the
island isn't all volcano. Were you
ever In TahIti?s
She shook her head, and Bowers
continued:
Az TAR as | can make ont on this
tiny scale. the arrangement Is some
thing the same. A central mountain
mass with sharp descending ridges
like spokes In a wheel. these divide
the fOreshore and all the fertile land
into valleys. Tiger island even has
iagoons and q barrier-reef. Do you
notice anything peculiar about the
reef?s
Except that there are breaks in
It." said Ivy.
Well" he said. each break
seems to be exactly opposite one of
the valleys. In Tahiti that would
mean rivers. Rivers mean brackish
water, and where the water is
braekish. coral won't grew.
-Why." he exclaimed. ..it,s a mag
nifcent island! l don't believe there
Is abetter island anywhere In the
world. It's near two main sealanes.
and we'll be able to signal a passing
ship. and they'll send in for us and
take rs away.
III l weren't such an improvident
fool" he went on. II would have pro
vided US with some kind OF q SAN.
Maybe one Of these deck planks
would do for mast and we could
make some kind of sail out of a
sheet"
With the aid Of the fireman's az
and the rope which be had brought,
Bowers succeeded In stepping a
whippy mast and setting a kind of
SAIL But 1t was long past noon when
he had accomplished these things.
and already thirst amounted to suf.
fering.
Helen was all for drinking sea
water. but Ivy would not let her. For
an hour after stepping the mast and
setting the sail no calm could have
been fiatter. The sea was of that
turquoise blue peculiar to the trop
les. but presently to the westward.
10 the direction OF Borneo. the color
darkened and this darkening spread
rapidly and came toward them.
Looks like a real breeze" said
Bowers. and as he spoke he was
careful to touch wood.
His guess was justified, and the
raft was presently moving forward
at such rate that there were delec.
table sounds of chuckling and slap
ping water. The breeze held. The
sun was now at their backs. and the
entire profile Of Tiger Island could
be seen.
Streaks OF white where the ocean
encountered the barrier-reef and be
yond. a low spreading mountain of
classic shape which appeared to rest
on a level plain. An hour later they
could see that the level plain was
forest and jungle. and that three
parts of the volcanoes graceful
slopes were covered with verdure
An hour later Bowers sprang to
bis feet with cheer. His sharp eyes
had distinguished among the tree
tops the unmistakable fronds of Co
conut trees.
THE breeze blew more strongly.
1 and they had reason to bless It.
Bowers had managed to shape the
RATS course for one Of the breaks
in the barrIer-reef. But with no
stronger motive power than one
broken oar. the, raft could never
have made head against the current
which flowed from the lagoon into
the ocean. and In sight Of plenty
they must have persisted.
Even with the sail drawing
strongly In the freshened breeze.
aud with Bowers steering and at the
same time scuIling furiously. It was
a battle. But inch by inch the raft
triumphed over the current. entered
the lagoon and was soon wholly be
yond It's influence.
The lagoon was the usual con-
glomeration Of deeps and shadows.
or Ianding-places there was an ind
mite choice. The foreshore was a sue
cession of points and bays Some OF
the points were wooded. Some were
Of raw coral There we're white
beaches of sea sand, and black
beaches OF volcanic sand
Some Of the ridges which swept
down from the volcano and divided
s-F F,4- uoll6Ht