The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1936-08-22

7
the east.
Actually towards the north,
Briant could not see the extremity
of the coast which appeared to I'M
fold over a straight line of seven
or eight miles. Beyond that, an
elongated cape formed an i'm
mense sandy beach which gave
the impression of a vast desert.
Towards the south, the coast out
lined a vast marShy country.
Island or continent? Briant
could not say. In any case, If it
were an island it was a very large
one; that is all he could be sure Of.
He turned again towards the
west. The sea was respondent be-
meath the sun which was declining
slowly towards the horizon.
Suddenly Briant held the tele-
scope towards the extreme limit Of
the sea.
"ships!" he cried. passing
shipS!"
Indeed three black spots ap-
peared on the horizon OF these
Scintillating waters not less than
Is miles away.
What emotion seized Briant!
Was he the victim of an illusion?
Were there really three ships in
sight? Briant wiped the tele-
scope lens and looked again. Yes,
truly, those three points seemed
to be ships of which only the hulls
could be seen. One couldn't see
their riggings, and in any case
there was no smoke to indicate
that these were steamers.
If these were ships, thought
Briant, they were at too great a
distance for signals to be seen. AS
it was quite probably that his COM
rades had not seen these ships, the
best thing was to go back to the
Slough as quickly as possible,
light a big fire on the beach, and
then after sunset
While thinking this, Briant was
still observing the three black
points. What was his disappoint-
ment to notice that they did not
move?
He was not long in realizing
that these apparent ships were only
three little islands situated to the
west of the coast. The schooner
must have passed close to them
when driven by the storm towards
the shore: but they had remained
invisible in the mist.
His disappointment was great.
1t was 2 o'clock. The tide was
beginning to recede, leaving the
reefs dry on the side of the cliffs.
Briant, thinking it was time TO
return to the Slough, prepared TO
go down to the foot of the blut1.
Yet he tried once again to ex-
anime the eastern horizon. BY
reason of the more oblique posi-
ton of the sun, now in the west,
he might now see points of the
territory which he had not preV1-
ously been able to perceive.
Briant was not to regret having
taken this last precaution.
CHAPTER TX
Indeed, to the furthest point
which his eye could perceive, be-
yond the last curtain of foliage, ne
distinguished clearly a blue line
which stretched from north to
south for several miles, the two
extremities of which lost them
selves behind a confused mass OF
trees.
whatever it is?" he asked him
self. He looked again With re-
newed attention.
THE sea! Yes, 1t IS the
seal"
The telescope nearly fell from
his hands.
Since the sea stretched itself to-
wards the east there were no
doubts possible. 1t was not a con
tinent on which the Slough had
grounded, it was an island, an $50
lated island on the immensely OF
the Pacific, an island from which II
might be impossible to get away.
And then all the dangers pre-
sented themselves as in a rapid
vision to the mind of the young
boy. His heart shrank within him,
until he could no longer feel the
beating of it! But, Stiffening him
self against this involuntary mo,
ment of weakness, he understood
that he could not let himself be
beaten, however, disquieting the
future might be.
A quarter of an hour later Bril-
ant was down on the beach and
following the same road which he
had covered during the morning.
Before 5 o'clock he arrived at
the Slough, where his comrades
were impatiently awaiting his re-
turn.
That same evening, after supper.
Briant told the older boys the re-
suit of his exploration. The result
was this: In the east, beyond the
forest zone, he had seen a line OF
water stretching from north to
south. That this must be sea-
horizon did not seem to be doubt
full. Therefore, this was surely
an island.
No Time to Lose
The other boys received this in
formation with strong emotion.
They really were on an island, and
without any means to get out of it!
That plan which they had made to
60 towards the east, trying to find
a road to civilization, must be given
up! They were reduced to wait the