Jasper County Democrat, Volume 7, Number 50, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 18 March 1905 — The Wings of the Morning [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

The Wings of the Morning

By LOUIS TRACY

SYNOPSIS. Chapter I—The Sirdar, having among her passengers Iris Deane, daughter of the owner of the ship, and Robert Jeuks, who is working as a waiter, is wrecked. ll—All are lost save Miss Deane and Jenks, who are cast ashore on an islet in the Pacific. Jenkins recovers stores and weapons from the wrecked vessel. He arose and shook himself like a dog. There was much to be done. He gathered the clothes and other articles into a heap and placed portions of shattered packing cases near to mislead Iris. While thus engaged he kicked up out of the sand a rusty creese, or Malay sword. The presence of this implement startled him. He examined it slowly and thrust it out of sight. Then he went back to her, after donning his stockings and boots, now thoroughly dry. “Are you ready now, Miss Deane?” he sang out cheerily. “Ready? I have been waiting for you.” Jenks chuckled quietly. “I must guard my tongue. It betrays me,” he said to himself. Iris joined him. By some mysterious means she had effected great improvement in her appearance. Y’et there were manifest gaps. “If only I had a needle and thread”— she began. “If that is all,” said the sailor, fumbling in his pockets. He produced a shabby little hussif containing a thimble, scissors, needles and some skeins of unbleached thread. Case and contents were sodden or rusted with salt water, but the girl fastened upon this treasure With a sigh of deep content. “Now, please,” she cried, “I want a telegraph office and a ship.” When they reached the sands she caught sight of t'je pile of clothes and the broken woodwork, with the small heaps of valuables methodically arranged. The harmless subterfuge did not deceive her. She darted a quick look of gratitude at her companion. How thoughtful-he was! After a fearful glance around she was reassured, though she wondered what had become of—them. “I see you have been busy,” she said, nodding toward the clothes and boots. "Yes,” be replied simply. “Lucky find, wasn't it?” “Most fortunate. When they are quite dry I will replenish thy wardrobe. What is the first thing to be done?” “Well, Miss Deane, I think our programme is. In the first place, to examine the articles thrown ashore and see if any of the oases contain food. Secondly, we should haul high and dry everything that may be of use to us, lest the weather should break again and the next tide sweep away the spoil. Thirdly, we should eat and rest, and, finally, we must explore the island before the light fails. lam convinced we are alone here. It is a small place at the best, and if any Chinamen were ashore they would have put in an appearance long since.” “Do you think, then, that we may remain here long?” “It is impossible to form an opinion on that point. Help may come in a day. On the other hand”— “Yes ?” “It is a wise thing. Miss Deane, to prepare for other contingencies.” “Do you mean,” she said slowly, “that we may be imprisoned here for weeks, perhaps months?” “If you c ist your mind back a few hours you will perhaps admit that we are very fortunate to be here at all.” She whisked round upon him. “Do not fence with my question, Mr. Jenks. Answer me!” He bowed. There was a perceptible return of his stubborn cynicism when he spoke. “The facts are obvious. Miss Deane. The loss of the Sirdar will not be definitely known for many days. It will be assumed that she has broken down. The agents in Singapore will await cabled tidings of her whereabouts. She might have drifted anywhere in that typhoon. Ultimately they will send out a vessel to search, impelled to that course n little earlier by your father's anxiety. Pardon me. I did not intend to pain you. I am speaking my mind.” “Go on,” said Iris bravely. “The relief ship must search the entire China sea. The gale might have driven a disabled steamer north, south, east or west. A typhoon travels in a whirling spiral, you see. and the direction of a drifting ship depends wholly upon the locality where she sustained damage. The coasts of China, Java, Borneo and the Philippines are not equipped with lighthouses on every headland and cordoned with telegraph wires. There are river pirates and savage races to be reckoned with. Casting aside all other possibilities and assuming that a prompt search is made to the south of our course, this part of the® ocean is full of reefs and small islands, some inhabited permanently, others visited occasionally by fishermen.” He was about to add something, but checked himself. “To sum up.” he continued hurriedly, “we may have to remain here for many days, even months. There is always a chance of speedy help. We must act, however, on the basis of detention for an indefinite period. I am discussing appearances as they are. A survey of the island may change all these views.”

“In what way?” He turned and pointed to the summit of the tree covered hill behind them. “From that point,” he said, “we may see other and larger islands. If so, they will certainly be Inhabited. I am surprised tills one Is not.” He ended abruptly. They were losing time. Before Iris could join him he was already hauling a large undamaged case out of the water. He laughed unmirthfully. “Champagne!” he said. “A good brand too!” This man was certainly an enigma. Iris wrinkled her pretty forehead in the effort to place him In a fitting category. Ills words and accent were those of an educated gentleman, yet his aeti<)Rß and manners were studiously unccmtfi when lie thought she was observing him. The veneer of roughness puzzled her. That he was naturally of refined temperament she knew quite well, not alone by perception. but by the plain evidence of his earlier dealings with her. To the best of her ability she silently helped in the work of salvage. They made a queer collection. A case of champagne and another of brandy, a box of books, a pair of niglit glasses, a compass, several boxes of ship’s biscuits, coated with salt, but saved by their hardness, liaviug been immersed but a few seconds; two large cases of hams in equally good condition, some huge disli covers, a bit of twisted ironwork and a great quantity of cordage and timber. There was one very heavy package, which their united strength could not lift. The sailor searched around until lie found an iron liar that coqld be wrenched from its socket. With this he pried open the strong outer cover and revealed the contents —regulation boxes of ammunition, each containing 500 rounds. “Ah!” he cried. „ ‘<Now we want some .rifles.” “What good would they be?” inquired Iris. He softly denounced himself as a fool, but lie answered at once: “To shoot birds, of course. Miss Deane. There are plenty here, nud many of them are edible.” They worked in silence for another hour. The sun was nearing the zenith. They were distressed with the increasing heat of the day. Jenks secured a ham and some biscuits, some pieces of driftwood and the binoculars and iuvited Miss Deane to accompany him to the grove. She Obeyed without a word, though she wondered how he proposed to light a fire. To contribute something toward the expected feast she picked up a dish cover and a bottle of champagne. The sailor eyed the concluding item with disfavor. “Not while the sun is up,” lie said. “Iu the evening, yes.” “It was for you.” explained Iris coldly. “I do not drink wine.” “You must break the pledge while you are here. Miss Deane. It is often

very cold at night in this latitude. A chill would mean fever and perhaps death.” She covertly watched his preparations. He tore a dry leaf from a notebook and broke the bullet out of a cartridge, damping the powder with water from a pitcher plant. Smearing the composition on the paper, he placed it in the sun, where it dried at once. “He gathered a small bundle of withered spines from the palms and arranged tiie driftwood on top, choosing a place for his bonfire Just within the shade. Then inserting the touch paper among the spines he unscrewed one of the lenses of the binoculars, converted it into a burning glass and had a fine blaze roaring merrily in a few minutes. With the aid of pointed ■ticks be grilled some slices of ham, cut with his clasp knife, which he first carefully cleaned in the earth. The biscuits, were of, the variety that,be-

come soft when toasted, and so he balanced a few by stones near the fire. Iris forgot her annoyance in her interest. A most appetizing smell filled the air. They were having a picnic amidst delightful surroundings. Yesterday at this time— She almost yielded to a rush of sentiment, but forced it back with instant determination. Tears were a poor resource, unmindful of God’s goodness to herself and her companion. Without the sailor, what would have become of . her, even were she thrown ashore while still living? She knew none of the expedients which seemed to be at his command. “Can I do nothing to help?” she exclaimed. So contrite was her tone that Jenks was astonished. “Yes,” he said, pointing to the dish cover. “If you polisli the top of that with your sleeve it will serve ns a plate. Luncheon is ready.” He neatly dished up two slices of ham on a couple of biscuits and handed them to her with the clasp kulfe. “I can depend on my fingers,” he explained. “It will not be the first time.” “Have you led an adventurous life?” she asked, by way of polite conversation. “No,” he growled. “I only thought so because you appear to know all sorts of dodges for prolonging existence—things I never heard of. “Broiled ham—and biscuits —for instance?” At another time Iris would have snapped at him for the retort. Still humbly regretful for her previous attitude. she nnswered meekly: “Yes, in this manner of cooking them, I mean. But there are other items—methods of lighting fires, finding water, knowing wfiat fruits and other articles may be found on a desert island, such ns plantains and coeoanuts and certain sorts of birds.” When the meal was ended Jenks sprang lightly to his feet. Rest and food had restored his faculties. The girl thought dreamily, as lie stood there in his rough attire, that she had never seen a finer man. He was tall, sinewy and well formed. In repose his face was pleasant, if masterful. Its somewhat sullen, self contained expression was occasional and acquired. She womlereil how lie could lie so energetic. Personally she was consumed with sleepiness. He produced a revol’ er. “Do you mind if I fi - e a shot to test these cartridges?” lie inquired, "The powder is all right, but the fulminate in the caps may be damaged.” She agreed promptly. He pointed the weapon at a cluster of coeoanuts, and there was a loud report. Two nuts fell to the ground, and the air was filled with shrill screams and the flapping of innumerable wings. Iris was momentarily dismayed, but her senses confirmed the sailor's explanation “Sea birds.” “Gan you use a revolver?” he asked. “My father taught me. He thinks every woman should know how to defend herself if need lie.” “Excellent. Well, Miss Deane, you must try to sleep for a couple of hours. I purpose examining the coast for some distance on eacli side. Should you want me, a shot will be the best sort of signal.” . « “I am very tired,” she admitted. “But you?" “Oh. I am all right! I feel restless—that is, I mean I will not be able to sleep until night comes, and before we climb the hill to survey our domain 1 want to find better quarters than we now possess.” Perhaps were she less fatigued she would have caught the vague anxiety, the note of distrust, in his voice. But the carpet of sand and leaves on which she lay was very seductive. Her eyes closed. She nestled into a comfortable position and slept. The man moved the revolver out of harm's way to a spot where she must see it instantly, pulled his sou’wester well over his eyes and walked off quietly. They were flung ashore on the northwest side of the island. Except for the cove formed by the coral reef. With its mysterious palm tree growing apparently in the midst of the waves, the shape of the coast was roughly that of the concave side of a b ow > the two visible extremities being about threequarters of a mile apart. He guessed by tlie way in which the sea raced past these points that the land did not extend beyond them. Behind him it rose steeply to a considerable height, 150 or 200 feet. In the cen ter was the tallest hill, which seemed *> end abruptly toward the southwest. On the northeast side it was connected with a rocky promontory by a ridge of easy grade. The sailor turned to the southwest as offering the most likely direction for rapid survey. He was not surprised to find that the hill terminated in a sheer wall of rock, which stood ont, ominous and massive, from the wealth of verdure clothing the remainder of the ridge. Facing the precipice and separated from it by a strip of ground not twen ty feet above the sea level in the highest part was another rock built eminence quite bare of trees, blackened by the weather and scarred in a manner that attested the attacks of lightning. The intervening belt was sparsely dotted with trees, casuarinas, poon and other woods he did not know, resembling ebony and cedar. A number of stumps showed that the nx had been at work, but not recently. He passed into the cleft and climbed a tree that offered easy access. As he expected, after rising a few feet from the ground his eyes encountered the solemn blue line of the sea. not half a mile distant. He descended and commenced a systematic search. Men had been here. Was there a house? Would he suddenly encounter some hermit Malay or Chinaman? At the foot of the main cliff was a cluster of fruit bearing trees—plantains, areca nuts and cocoa palms. A couple of caught his eye. In

one spot the undergrowth was rank and vividly green. The cassava, or tapioca plunt, reared its high passion flower leaves above the grass, and some sago palms thrust aloft their thick stemmed trunks. “Here is a change of menu, at any rate,” he communed. Breaking a thick branch off a poon tree, he whittled away the minor stems. A strong stick was needful to explore that leafy fastness thoroughly. A few cautious strides and vigorous whacks with the stick laid bare the cause of such prodigality in a soil covered with drifted sand and lumps of black and white speckled coral. The trees and bushes inclosed a well—safeguarded, in fact, from being choked with sand during the first gale that blew. [to be continued ]

The bodies were shot into the lagoon.