Evening star., 1936-03-29

IHOSe StOf les.
One of the men was Tontine, the tall,
monkshly severe medico-scientist who had
Just run to earth the germ of deadly fever.
He was on his way to his San Francisco labo-
, ratores to put the finishing touches to an
antitoxin The other man was Batter, the
~Dull-big Island millionaire, who carried the
prosperity of tens of thousands in his shrewd
hands.
The girl was just called Milly. She did not
matter any more than that. She was plump,
pretty, fiirtatious fapper, of no brain, occu-
patton or any account in the world.
The island was no more romantic. 1t was
rough, bare broken tooth of rock sticking out
of blank sea- A few small coarse bushes
managed to cling to it, but there was not even
one coconut tree of song and story in sight.
The rock felt like the top of an oven to their
bare feet.
Tontine looked at the bushes and muttered
through salt trimmed lips: mo food there -
plenty of shell fish though"
"Food!" croaked Batter. ITS drink I'd
sell my soul for. wonder where the blazes
we are''
the St. Swithun's Rock was the only land for
hundreds Of miles. giggled the girl.
The two men looked sharply at each other.
realizing the worst. The St. Swithun's Rock
was reputed waterless. They explored the
whole of the islet 1T took them thirty eight
minutes - and found that its reputation was
justified. There was just one tiny pool, or
fhovx x,,,lllo rf tor II ut2c q
shaped depression over pocket of gritty
earth in a crack of the rocks. and it held two
inches of clearish fluid.
Batter, with his bull-thirst could - and
wanted to - suck it up in single guzzle
Tontine's coldly disciplined mind stopped
him. He found shallow shell and they drank
two scoopfuls of the shell each; it emptied the
depression.
Tontine was of the opinion that the water
was percolation from the rocks beneath. He
was right The depression filled up with water
again, but it took number of hours to do so.
BY that time the torrid heat from the shade
less rock and the salt from the shell fish they
had to eat to live made their thirst madness.
The small amount of water became merely
dill duoCO utCIit, uOt oil ooouoSShNhS.
When they had drunk their ration, Ton
tine drew Batter away from the girl to the
other end of the rock and said in his passion
less scientists voice:
We've got to face facts squarely, Batter.
What do you think of our prospects of being
rescued?"
Pretty good" Batter spoke carefully, for
his cracked lips were hurting. 1.-THE inter-
island packets always make point of sailing
close to this rock We're bound to be picked
up presently"
What do you mean by presently1"
"Six - eight weeks" said the millionaire.
Their regular sailing can't be before that"
That s how worked it out" ," said Tontine
"And We'll all be dead in four to five weeks
under these conditions and with this water
supply"
r Batter had only to look at the calmly intelli-
gent face of the scientist to know that was
right. He shivered. Tontine went on in precise
tones:
"I'm speaking as medical man and a
scientist. That S our limit of life - with three
of us sharing the water"
But bigger chance for one - or two?"
Batter said hoarsely.
Enough water to save two." Tontine
replied.
Batter looked across the islet at the girl,