The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1936-08-18

041OACs
"Why waltz" asked Doniphan.
eyes. .why?" queried Wilcox,
who was about IL years old. "Doni
phan Is right. why waltz"
Because the sea is too rough
yet, and we would be thrown on
the rocks
"And If the ship Is broken up?"
said Webb who was about the same
age as Wilcox.
II don't think it is possible, at
least as long as the tide is going
out" replied Briant. when the
tide has gone back as far as the
wind will allow it, we will look
after the salvage"
Briant was right. Although the
tides are relatively small in the
Pacific Ocean, they can produce
an important difference of level
between the high and low water
lines. It would be better then to
wait a few hours, especially as
there was hope that the wind
would leave the reefs high and
dry. It would be less dangerous
to leave the schooner then and
easier to get over the quarter Of
a mile to the shore.
But Doniphan and two or three
others did not seem disposed to
follow this reasonable advice. They
gathered together in the bow of
the ship and began to whisper.
Ammo ronf1U TNYinhoY HTTi1Pnv
Webb and Cross did not seem 70
be in a mood for listening to Bri-
ant. During the long trip of the
Slough. if they had consented to
obey him, it was because Briant
had some knowledge of navigation.
But they had always had the idea
that, as soon as they landed, they
would reaSsert their liberty Of
action -. especially Doniphan
who, in education and intelligence,
thought himself superior to Briant
as well as to the others. AS it was,
this jealousy of Doniphan towards
Briant dated quite way back.
Meantime Doniphan, lcoX,
Cross and webb were looking 20
this mass of foam, full of whirlS
and eddies, and furrowed by cur
rents which seemed terribly dan
gerouS to cross. The strongest
swimmer could not resist the surf
of the receding tide which the
wind was catching and driving
backward. The advice to wait
few hours was we'll justified. Doni-
phan and his comrades were
obliged to accept the evidence of
their own common sense and
finally returned to the stern,
where the young ones huddled.
CHAPTER III
Briant, was saying to Gordon
and to some of the others around
him: cat all cost we must not sep
arate- Let's keep together or we
are lost!"
"You don't expect to dictate to
us what we have to do" objected
Doniphan.
II do not expect anything, re-
piled Briant, "but that we must
act together for the safety of ALI"
"Briant is right" added Cor
don, a calm and serious boy who
never spoke without thoughtful
consideration.
Eyes! Yes!" cried two or three
of the little ones.
Doniphan did not answer, but
his comrades kept themselves
apart while waiting for the time
to salvage the wreck.
And now what was this land?
Did it belong to some Of the Pa
cific Islands or to some continent?
This question could not be an
swered, since the Slough was
much too close to the coast to per.
init them to observe 1t within a
sufficient radius. It's concavity,
forming a large bay, was termi-
mated by two promontories, one
quite high and sharply cut to the
north, the other thinning to a
point towards the south. But be-
yond these two capes, did the sea
round itself sufficiently to battle
the outline of an island? That was
what Briant was vainly trying to
discover with the aid of a tele-
scope.
What could his thoughts be? In
case this land was an island, how
would they ever be able to leave
it? If it proved impossible to re-
float the schooner before the ris-
ing tide would break it up by
pounding it on the reefs, and If
this was a deserted island-there
are some in the Pacific seas-how
would these children, left to them
selves, and having only what they
could salvage from the provisions
of the yacht, be able to face the
necessities of existence?
On a continent, the chances of
preservation and rescue would
have been notably increased, since
this continent could only be South
America. There, across the terri
tories of Chile or Bolivia, one
could find some assistance. 1t is
true, on this shore, so close to the
pampas, many evil happenings
were to be feared. But for the
moment the most vital problem
was to reach the land.
The weather was sufficiently
clear now to enable one to see all
the details. In the foreground
one could clearly distinguish the
beach, then the cliffs which
framed it at the back, and far
ther still, the mass of trees which
were grouped on the right side