The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1936-08-20
avs Great Adventure Tale by Jules Verne
Long Lost Masterpiece
Of Boys Shipwrecked
On Primitive Island

, that none on board the steamer
felt the contact with the light
yacht which had not even been
seen in the dark. At any event,
carried off by the wind, the boys
must have thought themselves
lost.
When dawn arrived the seas i'm.
mensity was completely deserted.
Not a ship came within sight OF
the yacht.
Night came again and was still
worse than the previous one. II
the storm did quiet at times, the
wind did not cease to blow from
the west.
Briant and his comrades at
tempted in vain to maneuver the
Slough to return towards the
coast of New Zealand. 1t was in
those hard efforts that Briant
began to take command of his
comrades. Even Doniphan had to
submit. Briant at least main
tanned the yacht in a navigable
condition. He kept on the watch
night and day.
Meantime, the west wind pushed
the yacht without altering its
course or even slowing its speed.
One already knows what hap
pened. A few days after the
schooner had drifted out OF the
passes Of Hauraki Gulf, a storm
arose which ragged with extraor-
binary force for two weeks. Beaten
by the mountainous waves and
nearly smashed under titanic seas,
Of these young navigators, carried
the Slough was washed up on the
beach on an unknown island in
the south Pacific.
And now what would be the fate
of these young navigators, carried
more than 5000 miles from New
Zealand? From where would help
come?
Their families and others could
think they had persisted, carried
down by the sinking schooner.
This is what happened back home:
At Auckland, when the disap-
pearance of the Slough had been
discovered, during the night of
February 14-15. Captain Garrett
was Immediately called out and
the families OF those unhappy
children were all notified. The
alarming news caused general con-
Sternation. But many were hope
full. Perhaps the Slough had not
drifted outside the gulf? 1t might
be possible to find her, although
the west wind, gaining in strength,
gave ground for despair.
Therefore, without losing an in
slant, the harbor-master rushed
rescue efforts. Two small steamers
searched for several miles outside
of the Gulf of Hauraki during the
whole night. The next day when
they returned, it was to dispel any
hope that could have been left to
the families so deeply hit by this
terrible tragedy.
CHAPTER vi
The steamers had found only the
pieces of the Sloughi'S nameplate
which had fallen in the sea after
the collision with the Peruvian
steamer, Quito. It appeared, then.
likely that the yacht had been
broken up by heavy seas and, as
a result, was lost with all on
board about IL miles away from
New Zealand.
The shore of the unknown
island was deserted. An hour
had already elapsed since the
schooner had been washed up and
no natives had been seen. Neither
could one see either a hut or a
shelter. Not even the print of a
human foot was visible on the
surface of the sand. At the mouth
of the river no fishing vessel of
any kind-in fact, not even a
trace of curling smoke was to be
seen about the bay.
At first Briant and Gordon
thought Of going through the
wood to reach the top of the cliff,
if this was at all possible.
We'll, now! Here we are on
land! That is Something!" said
Gordon, "but wonder what they
call this place? Does anyone
live near here?"
Lets hope So" answered
Briant. 1--WE have provisions
enough to last for some time.
What we lack is a shelter of some
sort. and we must find one or
make one"
you're right" responded Cor
don.
LAS to learning where we are"
replied Briant, there will be time
to look after that when we have
attended to the most pressing
need. If this is continent, per-
haps there will be some chance Of
getting help. If it is an uninhab-
tied island, we'll, We'll see! Come
on, Gordon, let's see what we can
discover!"
Both rapidly moved to the trees
which came out slanting between
the cliff and the right side of
the river, three or four hundred
feet up from its mouth.
There was no trace whatever
that man had gone through this
dense wood. Not a trail, not a
glade. Old trunks of trees, fallen
through decay. were lying on the
ground, and GRANT and Gordon
were up to their knees in a thick
carpet of dead leaves. However,
birds flew as if fearful, which