The Argosy, Vol. XXIV, No. 3 — page 50: what you’re looking at

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

434 A SECRET OF THE SOUTH PACIFIC. fearful of losing all its prey, put forth added effort and Sydney was torn from his weakened grasp. He struggled out upon the rock and strove to pierce the blackness with his eyes, uttering shout after shout of despair. But only the mournful echo of his own voice came back to him through the awful gloom. CHAPTER XIII.—Fors In ADVERSITY. In a hollow between two heaps of sheltering rock a little fire of driftwood was burning. ‘These rocks and the towering gray cliff sheltered the place on three sides. Before the seaward side two boats were drawn up on the sand— the cutter and long boat of the Naida. ‘ There were two groups of men near the fire. The larger consisted of Atwell and nine of the sailors. At the other side of the blaze an old, gray haired man sat upon the ground, his elbows on his knees, his face resting in his hands. It was Captain Latimer, and with him was Mr. Sessions, Mr. Pepper, and the mulatto cook, ’Tonio. I said there were two groups. ‘There were three, for Jessop and Tom Shields occupied a position between the other two. They were still ‘‘ neutral,’’ and claimed fellowship with both—or neither. The entire party had just breakfasted from the stores that had been brought in the cutter. The sailors were too terror stricken to think of food when they left the brig. ‘See here, sir,’’ Pepper was saying, with his hand on the captain’s shoul- der, ‘‘ she can’t have been drowned. She’s just got lost along the shore here. Tonio and I’ll go up the coast an’ see if she’s beyond that inlet.’’ ‘“Tt’s no use, Pepper,’’ responded the old man sorrowfully. ‘‘ I’ve been tramping these sands an’ callin’ on her all night. She’d ha’ heard me if she had been above board.’’ ‘‘ Mebbe she’s found Mr. Thorne, an’ they’re together somewhere.”’ But Captain Latimer shook his head. ‘“Poor Thorne,’’ he said. ‘‘ He never got away from the brig. That villain Atwell told me he was in the long boat, an’ I believed him. I might ha’ known he’d get square with the poor lad if he once got the chance. I saw ‘Thorne in the cabin as I was comin’ out and I don’t believe he ever got on deck again.’’ | ‘Well, 7 won’t believe either he or Miss Sydney’s gone below till I find their bodies on the shore yonder,’’ declared Pepper. ‘‘ Where’s Monckton ?”’ ‘‘He’s been out searching for them, too, ’most all night,’’ replied the captain. ‘“A lot he cares about finding Thorne,’’ muttered Sessions in the third mate’s ear. ‘‘I guesshe’s a good deal cut up about the girl, though.”’ ‘“Come on, Tonio, let’s we see if we can cross that inlet,’’ suggested Pepper. ‘‘Vou’d better wait a bit, sir,’’ said Jessop, looking up. ‘* How’s that ?’’ ‘““Vou can’t cross that inlet while the tide’s runnin’ like a millrace. The only time when it’s safe to do it is when she’s just on the turn.’’ eonniclooolks 3