The Frontier, May 1926 — page 24: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

14 —yes, three years. | Another three years, or so, and he shall have a ship. Glad he likes Donovan—he can learn something from him, I have no doubt.” Meantime the Anthony Wayne sailed like a witch, answering the helm like a mettlesome horse responding to the spur; and at last, after a long voyage in which nothing untoward occurred, we were brought out on deck one clear, sunny day by the cheery cry from the lookout aloft: “Land, ho!” S WE came in closer, from north- ward, and the sun- kissed hills rose above the horizon, we were given a rather unfavorable impression of the island. hill, with Kidd’s Mauley, the next highest, were first to be sighted. Lon- don Tower rose clear above the trees upon its lower slopes, a great spire of jagged, naked, white and yellow rock. Kidd’s Mauley seemed to have no veg- etation whatever, save in isolated patches, around the base, and was an ugly mass of corrugated granite slabs, resembling a clenched fist holding aloft the broken blade of a dagger. But Execution Knob, Binnacle Hill and Bowsprit Bluff were surmounted with tall, stately pines; and when we came closer still and steered a course which took us past Dead Man’s Locker and down the eastern coast of the penin- sula, Blackbeard’s Boot, we were transported with delight. Never have I looked on a more en- trancing terrain. The broad, low, gently-sloping sandy beach beyond the white coral reefs looked like a boule- vard paved with gold. Millions of highly-colored sea-shells lay in a long, sinuous ridge at the last high-tide mark, and the smooth wet strip be- tween this ridge and the water was peppered with them. Long-legged cranes, with bright, green feathers, and great red bills, hopped here and there, looking at us curiously, or un- concernedly digging for clams; while at other places we saw great mons- trous turtles waddling awkwardly down to the sea. At the inner edge of the beach there rose a fringe of coco- nut palms, sometimes thinning out to a single row, sometimes thickening into compact groves. Interstudded with them were mango trees, and short, dwarfed, gnarled yellow oaks; and be- hind them, on the footslopes, were thick growths of palms, mahogany, London Tower, the highest . FHE FRONTIER ebony, and other trees, with thick moss hanging from them, and a profligate growth of foliage displaying every color in the rainbow. I had never seen such brilliant reds, such flashing tints of green, such glar- ing patches of yellow, nor such deep shades of purple. Kissed by the golden sunlight, the whole shore line made a delightful picture for men long at sea to look upon; while the high undulat- ing ridge behind this wondrous growth was thickly overgrown with stately pines. “The Devil’s Caldron?” cried my uncle. “Why, had those pirates none but sinister thought on all occasions? The place might well have been called Paradise Island,” Old Barnaby, who overheard this, cackled hoarsely. He had only rec- ently emerged from the brig, after draining the alcohol from some shel- lac. “T’ll tell better after I’m ashore,” he remarked, sotto voce. “Tf the sap’s runnin’ good in them coconut trees, I knows a way to get good liquor. You cuts the shoots, hangs a bucket under, and let’s the sap ferment three days.” CHAPTER VII UNBURIED BONES HE light breeze holding, we rounded the southern end of Blackbeard’s Boot, and stood in_be- tween it and Kidd’s Mauley for the an- chorage to north- ward. Everywhere we found the chart to be accurate; though, for that mat- ter, there was scarce need for the lead. It was like sailing on air, the water was so smooth and transparent, and, though the bottom lay at over twenty- five fathoms in many places, we could always see it as clearly as though looking down at it through a clean skylight. The anchorage was even more charming than the country on the east- ern slopes of Blackbeard’s Boot. There were broad, gently sloping strips of sand on either side, with an even more abundant growth of beautiful palms and foliage beyond them, and all tinted with gaudy colors. The western slope of Blackbeard’s Boot was more preci- pitate than that on the opposite side; but, save for one knoll, the mainland skirting Drake’s Bay rose very grad- ually to the foot of the big plateau. There were many open places in the terrain in that part of the island. Some resembled the green meadows of the colonies, while others were covered with a thick growth of tough, yellow grass. But the growth of trees pre- dominated here, as it did on the steep slopes of the plateau. The air was filled with the fragrant odors from the foliage; and, though it was after four o'clock, or eight belis, when we dropped anchor, my uncle delighted me by announcing that he would take the cabin party ashore to “stretch a leg,” as he put it. Then, as he saw the men looking longingly shoreward, he looked appealingly at Captain Van Tassel. “We can’t start out ship-shape for the treasure until tomorrow morning —or at any rate, there’s no need to,” said Uncle George. “So, if it won't interfere with discipline——” “Ve let °em go ashore to sphend the night, vot?” said the captain, grinning a little. “All, say, but maype two, vor a vatch.” “Right,” said my uncle. “Let ’em have three kegs of ale, and a lunch.” The men were piped up at once, and they received the news with a cheer. It required no prodding to set them bustling in preparation for the picnic, Meantime, as our own gig was low- ered away, I caught a glimpse of the mate, Jenkins. He was looking rather pale and worried. “What's the matter, are you sick?” I asked. He seemed to start a little as I spoke, and avoided my eyes. But at once he pointed down over the rail into the water. Following his pointing finger, I saw a great green shark swimming lazily within a few feet of the sur- face. Smaller fishes were scurrying away from him; but, farther down, where long seaweeds, with fat, yellow, circular stems and bulbs like gourds on the end, were wafting about on the bottom, I saw an octopus. And near him I discerned three skeletons. “Human!” said Jenkins, “They give me a kind of a turn.” “The niggers!’ I exclaimed—and called my uncle’s attention to them. Now, at the time, I thought little of Jenkins’ statement, since matty a more hardened man than he has been af- fected by similar sights. It was only later that I remembered a little look that Donovan gave him. My uncle tak- ing Donovan’s arm and beckoning me to follow, I forgot about the matter al- most at once. “You are coming with us, aren’t you, Captain?” said my uncle. Conniclooolks COlM