The Argosy, Christmas 1912 — page 54: what you’re looking at

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

40 ‘Say, Dag,” he began, as soon as our shaving was finished, “I’ve got an idea.”’ “Hang on to it. enough to waste any.” “No, but really. You know how my sister hunts lions. The drawing- room kind I mean. What’s the matter with giving that addlepated crowd of hers a sensation? Why, all New York —TI mean her New York—would dance a jig.” | “Don’t stumble on it, but step light- What is it?” “We'll introduce Crusoe as_ the King of Orsgov.” “But nobody will know where Ors- gov is.” “Good Lord! You wouldn’t expect that bunch to know anything. Do they know where Sulu is? Did they know where Lilly Cane Annie held forth be- fore the revolution in Honolulu? Nix! The knowledge of foreign parts com- mon to the grizzled veterans of the velvet carpet and polished dancing- floor is limited. to the fact that Paris is in France and the British empire the suburbs of London. It’s a great idea.” “Rubbish!” “Dinner is ready,’”’ said Donaldson, coming to the door of the cave. There was a peculiar change in the fellow’s manner when we sat down on the benches. He seemed in some way abashed. I feared he had overheard the nonsense of Ordway and was of- fended. But it came out thus: “As you said, sir,” he spoke, look- ing at me, “ Mr. Donaldson taught me to read, and I read all the books. He told me there were many books in the world, more than I could ever read. But I’ve read about men and women. You say Iam nowaman. What does a woman look like?” You don't get ly. CHAPTER XX. THE SIGHT IN THE HEAVENS. Orpway nearly jabbed his fork in his eye. We had brought such things THE ARGOSY. as knives and forks and plates to the table, and explained their use to Don- aldson. He was clumsy with their use at first, but no more so than Ordway when Crusoe’s question was fired at me. “Why—” I was stuck for an an- swer. “A woman is a gentle, tender, loving person, the care of whom de- volves on the man who marries her.” “Wait till he gets up against the suffragette crowd. Then tell him that,” said Ordway. I gave him a withering look. “You have a picture of Queen Vic- toria,”’ I added to Donaldson, “ for you knew how she sat in a chair. Now, Queen Victoria was a woman of all women. That is how a woman looks. There are all kinds of women just as there are all kinds of men.” He was puzzled, but the impassivity of his face did not change. He kept on practising with his knife and fork, be- coming decently expert in the one meal. The next lesson he received was in the use of firearms. We waited a day or two, watching the rocks on the north, for something to shoot at. It would teach him nothing to make a noise, or even to fire at a target. We needed something to show the deadli- ness of a bullet. The opportunity came. One day we were all three prowling along the northern shore, and on a distant point of rock stood a great eagle. “Watch that eagle, Donaldson,” I said, and pulled the trigger. He stood spellbound. “Is he dead?” he asked. “We'll go and see.” We found the big bird killed. “ But nothing flew.” I then explained the cartridge. In three days that islander could shoot almost as well as Ordway, and he was a dead shot. Donaldson’s nerve was steady as an adamantine rock. His eye was clear, his sight superb. There was never so apt a student. Perhaps because there was,never a stu- dent so desirous of learnifg. CoOMmicbook CO