The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1934-10-02
Chapter "A
PARTING


PARTING
IVY was for giving the tigers their
chance of life with the o.her ami,
mails. but Bowers was strongly CD.
posed.
i've got the raft overheard he
said. hui the only land we can &c,
10 Ii the volcano thing over there.
The breeze Is blowing in that d.
reetion. and wen have to go with It.
There Is no big land anywhere
around except Borneo. That vol
eano is probably part Of a NANCY
little islano. and il Is damned tool.
ishness 10 add tigers to all the nat.
ural normal difficulties Of being cast
away"
They're in my care" said Ivy,
"and Il they go down with the ship,
I go with them"
One look at her face told him that
nothing that he could say would
shake her in this resolve. He
shrugged his shoulders aud gave in.
AT least wait." be said. until |
get gan. in case they turn on you.
They're hot IN the mood to turn
on me NJ anything else" said Ivy
with sublime confidence. And with
nrm strong hands she unbolted the
door Of their cages
The male tiger himself opened his
with a leaping rush that almost
slammed 1t on its hinges. His ears
we're Isid cat back to his head. and
In his hurry to get TO the distant
shore his claws ripped grooves in
the deck.
But so eager was the female that
she overlook him. passed him and
was the first to plunge into the wa
ter.
That's how dangerous they are.
said Ivy in superior way.
ANY time you're ready" said
Bowers, well begin to think ABOUT
ourselves. The sceEe over the
tigers. sLort as It was, 1ad nettle1
him. for he knew that he had been
worsted when IN the right
"Can We still go Oelow?" she
asked.
Probably if we hurry. Get yozr
clothes together and I'll get my guns.
They are Important
With the fremen's ak Bowers had
soon chopped and smashed a way
into his cabin. To get his guns and
the ammunition. packed in neat
leather carrying cases. aboard the
raft neeessitated three trips. He
sould not have risked a fourth. The
eabin-deek was awash.
Ivy working at random, ha4
stuffed two suitcases and a small
vaIlse with belongings that would
come il hands and belongings that
would not She was little ratified.
The ship might stay up for hours
Il might go down at any rGment
Bowers had said sometime aboc.
water COMPRISING air agaInst the
andersI les OF deck and keeIIag yes
sells afloat longer tha n anyone
thought possible. PRt you couldn
count on taaL Ivy did not. howevIT-
forget her anima.-trainer's whip or
Helen's belt and chain.
BOWERS was long on guns and
~ ammunition. but he had also
salVaged some shirts and some
shorts OF rough brown linen. When
these things. together with Ivy's
belongings. had been loaded on the
raft and dashed in place. they
secured the ship for whatever might
be useful to the ship-wreeked-
They broke into a storeroom and
made a hasty collection OF timed
things. Tea. coffee. sugar. bag Of
salt. and half a gross of safety
matches in the original blue paper
package.
1t occurred to Bowers that they
would need bedding, and be sal
yaged the water-logged blankets that
they had had in the bows. They
made fine carriers for the timed
goods
Leaving Ivy to make up the two
parcels. he hurried to the bridge A
compass would be handy thing to
have. He remembered that there
was a small portable one In the
cbartroom. The chart which showed
their whereabouts would be an In
teresting thing to have. and he
might find other things which
would be useful to them.
Having secured the compass and
the chart. he pulled open drawers