Show All S WILLIAMS eeN w. w N u. u ftH George McAusland was WAI 38 59 jean SUr old nhen henhe hen he sailed walled from America to under take his poet pott at II a missionary In the FIJI Islands A crime he had committed In a e HI fit of excitement had shattered chattered all his hia confidence In himself He e felt forced farced to avoid evoid pretty prellY Mary Doncaster who boarded board ed the ship at Honolulu She was WAI en route to visit her parents parent who were missionaries on GI cad Island Mary wee was II attracted by Georges George's attempts to avoid her CHAPTER Continued I I 2 2 So youre you're sorry for that poor young man John Gale asked Yes Yea said Mary Hed He'd be nice if he didn't think be he had to be so severe I And when I speak to him he jumps as though Id I'd tuck stuck a pin In hIm Mrs Gale says say he be wants to talk to me and doesn't know how Hed He'd feel so much better if he just did You think he does want to talk to you Of course coursel Why Wily shouldn't he Im I'm young and pretty and friendly and nice and hes he's not nearly as old as asbe ashe ashe he be thinks he is You watch him sometime when Im I'm talking with Joseph They heard a cry forward and Mary leaped past the old man to look George McAusland somehow had fallen off the stage had bad toppled into the sea He cant can't swim I Mary Doncaster Doncas Doneas ter exclaimed The old minister heard the hiss of torn tom garments and an instant later tater she stepped out of her skirts and petticoats and slim slim and white in less encumbering encumber encumber- ing tag apparel vaulted apparel vaulted easily over the rail into the sea The deck was a scurry of activity John Gale kept his eye fixed on these two dark spots that were heads In the vast waste of ocean hidden as 81 they dipped Into the trough between great swells lifting on the crests again Into his view CHAPTER H n HAt HAt nAt At the moment when Mary Doncaster Don Don- caster leaped overboard George was almost directly below her She jumped wide of the vessels vessel's side in order to clear him and when she came to the surface again the ship towering high was gliding smoothly away across the silent sea From her decks shouts came back to the girl and she saw the splash of a grating thrown overboard and knew help would come quickly But In the meantime this helpless George McAusland had sunk sucked under In the burble at the ships ship's stem stern Mary swam toward the spot where he had disappeared and saw his floundering arm break the sur sw- face He coughed and gasped and muttered something and she heard the words Into Thy hands She felt a hot impatience with him because he did not know how to swim and because he now surrendered surrendered I dered so supinely She cried Dont talk so silly siByl I Youre You're not going to drown I Youre You're all right Ive I've got you Lie still At Al her voice behind him George stiffened rigidly and a little tittle wave crest lapped across his face and Into his open mouth and he gagged and revolved In the water like a crocodile croco due dill twisting to tear off oft the gout of flesh esh In which its teeth are set He rolled over facing her and tried to clutch at her She dove instantly escaping his grasp and ruthlessly caught his foot toot and pulled him under under under un un- der water Then she slipped up past him clear of his hands that were like talons and from behind him caught his collar again and drew him to the surface She was on guard against any sudden sudden sud den movement by George but he now submitted rigid as an oar Yet he was heavy and end his clothes were heavy and the grating was farther away than she had thought Before she reached it she was tired her heart pounding The ship now was almost broadside to She hoped someone aboard had had the wit to keep an eye on them and then she saw a man in the rigging pointing in their direction and when the next swell lifted them she saw a boat Inthe in inthe inthe the water b between tween them and the ship the oars glinting in the sun racing this way like a spider She told George Hold on to the grating Dont Don't try to climb on It Just hold on Ills His fingers lingers clutched the edge and she released him and moved away out of his reach lie He said humbly I cant can't swim She laughed herself easier now I noticed that You'll learn Every Everyone one swims in the Islands 1 could swim before 1 I could walk I 1 think teeth were wert The boats boat's near Ills His chattering Youre not cold she said ald That just nerves Dont Don't worry we could float coat like this thi foi tot days She talked more and more swiftly fighting lighting to hold him up with words for under her eyes strength visibly flowed cowed out of him Yet he be must hold on a minute more a minute more The boat reached them The matt mate was in the stern item two sailors sailor at th oars Take him first lint Mr Chase she he said quietly lies Hes tiring They hauled George ft over the gunwale and he collapses in the bottom of the boat bet weer the oarsmen and the mate Ill IU come in over the bow she said IBid The mate swung the boat and she ilu caught the b bw w and with a deep KICK of her ber feet thrust herself upward upward up ward swung one leg over the gunwale gun lun wale clambered In The mate said Heres my coat Miss Doncaster When they came alongside the rail raU was lined above them A sailor gave Mary a hand up cupping her foot toot in his palm and Captain Keen reached down to help her On deck Mrs Gale had a long coat to put around the girl Mrs Gale said Run and change Mary But nut the girl stayed a moment moment mo mo- ment to be sure George was wu all right They were rigging a whip to hoist him aboard since he was still too weak from the shock of his immersion immersion im to help himself The mate and the sailors watched him gravely grave grave- ly Mary understanding that he would not want her to see him thus went below leaving him to other hands George even when he was sate safe on deck was barely able to stand John Gale said to him Well It Its It's lucky for you ou Miss Doncaster was aboard Yes Id I'd have drowned Where is she In her cabin changing I want to thank her Later The first thing is dry clothes for you ou and a noggin of r J i V l 1 tit r f fr r But Bu the girl stayed a moment to tobe tobe tobe I be sure lure George was wal all right rum Youre You're blue with cold Come along George followed obediently but buthe buthe he be refused the rum He shook with witha a teeth-chattering teeth chill till he had bad rubbed himself dry and glowing Then he lay down under blankets to warm warm himself and slept till tIU John Gale came to rouse him for supper upper All AU right the older man asked I 1 thought you were probably asleep needed sleep more than anything any any- thing Yes Im I'm fine Ill I'll be along But he was slow in dressing dreading the necessity of meeting Mary and of thanking her When he came out into the main cabin the others except John Gale and the Captain had finished supper and were already on deck Gone to watch the sunset the old minister explained It promised to be fine George was relieved at this postponement postponement post post- but when be he and John Gale presently went on deck the deck the sun n tn n nY one the tha h ate fading h ln f fast d w w ft v w. w Y w n nto to the deep blue of he night night he faced his duty Mary was in the waist with Mrs Gale He went toward them and they saw him coming and Mrs Gale asked All AU right now Fine he told her She said some approving word and went aft alt leaving him alone with Mary He wished to ask Mrs Gale to stay Itay turned to face Mary reluctantly She smiled understanding and said quickly Its all right You needn't thank me I want to he told her blurting out the words and then he spoke the phrase he had decided was most suitable I owe you more than I Ican Ican Ican can ever pay Mary smiled Im glad you feel so to much in debt to me It will be fun to have you try to pay Be De Bevery Bevery Devery very nice flied to me wont won't you But Dut then Ihen she relented seeing his embarrassment em and said sold quickly It IOU wasn't an anything thing really I could have kept you afloat all day Im sorry you had to He fie hesitated Well I 1 mean Well I 1 know how brave you were how hard it was to do what you did Mary frowned a little puzzled and then suddenly understanding Oh you mean because I took oft off a afew afew afew few petticoats He lie insisted stubbornly I know what hat It must have meant to you you She touched his hand Youre sweet but honestly I didn't mind I didn't even think of it Naturally I couldn't swim In a lot Jot of petticoats And she said faintly amused You know Mr Me McAusland you'll have to learn to look at so 10 many things thing differently on the Islands to learn new waY ways I 1 hope instead of of learning learning their ways I can teach them ours Do Po you remember a lot about your childhood down here She looked locked at him in a quick sobs Otis faction I 1 think that's that the first fir question I ever heard you ou ask she he declared Yes Yu of course I do After all III Ive I've only been away eight or nine years ears You seem leem glad to come back Of course coursel Im I'm coming back to tomy tomy tomy my home to my father and moth erl ert This is II where I J live really I 1 just went away to school you know I J lived with my aunt In New Bed ford Aun Aunt Patty Hanline Uncle Tom was away all the time Ume only came home twice lies Ire mate on the Corr's Corr whaler haler George echoed A whaler He Ire said with a strong distaste Corkran Cork rans ran's told me stories about the whalers the They've ruined these Islands Island Whalers arent aren't so bad New Bedford's full of them The Ven tuner Is a fine ship I know Corr His Wa sons Ions are mates aboard her I knew them both in New Bedford Bed Bed- ford Peter was In the same school with me and Richard too loo for a awhile awhile while years ago He went to eaas sea ea as cabin boy first and then then came home and came to school for two years and then went fourth mate with his father again Her eyes were dancing amused at his ex ex- I thought Richard was pretty wonderful and Peter too of course coure Richard was so shy he hardly hard ly looked at me but I 1 worshiped him You know how little tittle girls are Im afraid I 1 dont don't know much about little tittle girls She smiled Or big ones either do you Mr McAusland she challenged challenged chal and then she told him quickly quick Quick- ly But maybe you'll see lee them Richard and Peter I 1 mean Corr promised to put in at Gilead to see lee my father and mother on this voyage Mothers Mother's Uncle Toms Tom's slater sister Maybe well we'll find them at Gilead when we get there I hope so 10 I He asked In curiously thick tones I Why Because you want to see your uncle again I want to see them all of course she said He said after a moment moment almost wistfully Ive never known young men My brothers were a 8 lot older than I. I I know she assented softly You haven't known young women either have you No She said laid smiling in the darkness as though he were a child I knew knew you wanted to be friendly with me but you didn't quite know how I want to be friendly with every every- everyone one ones onel But specially with me a little dont don't you she urged Only youre you're sort of afraid I dont don't think so sol he protested half Oh but you are she insisted Youre afraid to do the things you want to do He swung toward her as though startled but someone spoke poke behind them Suddenly George sneezed better go below hadn't you she suggested Youve taken cold He blew his nose Im afraid I have They went aft together Mrs Gale prescribed hot lemonade but George protested that he be was aU all allright right till he sneezed again Then I he consented to go below During the days that followed I John Gale was pleased to see that having taken the plunge George no I longer avoided Mary They were much together as often forward as ason ason ason on the after deck Under Corkran's Corkran instructions they practiced rope work and listened to his tall taU tales Mary led him to talk of whaling and sometimes Corkran told of bloody battles with Leviathan that made Georges George's pulse pound and sometimes he be made them laugh together together to to- together gether in a gleeful incredulity They sighted lighted the tip of Gilead's Gilead highest peak one da day as the sea cut the suns sun's disk in half At dawn they were close aboard or seemed to be although still ten or twelve miles distant Mary was with Captain Keen and George joined them and asked a question and Mary said Well come to a big bay presently present ly Iy with room for a hundred ships It runs deep into the Island over two miles and theres there's a small Is Island Is land in the mouth of the bay so there are really two ways in The bay narrows all the way to the beach at the inner end You'll seel reel lice Her eyes were happy with anticipation Father and Mother will come out to meet us she pre pre- dieted Will they be keeping a lookout Oh no but someone will see us She pointed ahead Tha the entrance en trance Keen You cant can't see It it yet but that rock that looks like Uke a ahill hill with no trees on it Is II the island bland blandIn in the mouth of the bay The Captain asked We go in to south of It it dont don't we weT easiest according to the wind Theres There's deep water everywhere ev even close in to shore chore The best beat holding ground is about a amile amile amile mile this side of the beach Captain Keen nodded Mary went forward George with her tier and the she pointed out to him things familiar to o her eyes ejes which his could not yet yei perceive TO fO LIE OF TI |