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Show i if--'''--i: ; . . , . ... , ''ii i ' - p -p-., i eT I Written from the Motion Pictures S y, Helen Harrington . 1 j; CopyrigHted,I914' 3by' Warner's "Features ffi ' CHAPTER I. THE ISLAND OF MONKEYS "T Jnc day l',at llC "Dauphin" set sail from Mar-J Mar-J I J scilles there was much muttering and furtive whis-pering whis-pering amongst the sailors. It did not seem like the rumbling that usually comes before a mutiny, and, besides, the men were well paid and well treated. No 1 better captain ever commanded a sliip, nor held the hearts of his men by a stronger tic than did Captain j Barnnba Farandoul. As he walked the deck and bc-1 bc-1 came aware of the peculiar actions on the part of the ' sailors, he was troubled and perplexed. Being a wise inan, he sought out his wife, who always accompanied him on his trading voyages, to sec if she could help him fathom the mystery. As he entered the cabin where she sat nursing her fcaby, he was struck by a strange .look of uneasiness and apprehension in her face. N v "Have you noticed anything out of the way amongst ; " the men. Sophie?" he said. J "What is the trouble?" "The omen," she said. "A black cat has been discov-j discov-j crcd in the hold. No one knowshow it came there." t "What a heart for a sailor's wife!" he said. She was younger than he was, with dark, intense ' eyes, and a face capable of heroism. ' Again she looked down at her baby. "I do not fear for myself; itis for him," "I am afraid. Yesterday I was walking along the i slope that leads to my sister Maria's cottage, when a great hawk, sailing in the air above my head, threw i-- his black shadow across my path just where I was about F j i to step." j' "But I had a good omen," lie responded, trying to j J cheer her. "Yesterday, when I was walking on my way to the wharf, sonic lads near by were blowing" soap I bubbles, and a beautiful one floated before my face. In j it I saw reflected the sky and the clouds, waving trees, l a glimpse of the sen, the city, minarets and towers. For I a moment the small globe looked like the whole world. ; j Is not that a good omen for the boy?" L "I do not want him to go out in'thc world. I would t. I rathcr'havc him tend the olive trees in Italy." i j "What!" said her husband, with gentle banter for ! such a sturdy seafaring man, "grow up a mollycoddle? I was held down in my youth, tied to my mother's apron strings. Until I was man grown, all I had ever done , 1 was to kill a mouse and a spotted pig. My son shall command a bigger ship than this." j "Besides, have you forgotten about his birth?" , Her face brightened. "Ah, yes ! that is true, the caul." i Those who arc learned pay little attention to this ) curious phenomenon, or to the significance attached to it. Science has never explained it; but then there arc many things in heaven and earth that science has never I, explained. Every lowly mother knows (and, after all, X I the lowly arc the wise of the earth) that a child which j is born with a caul over its face is a special child of J destiny, that it is given powers beyond human belief, r 4 and that no harm can befall it. j; Some weeks later the "Dauphin" had entered that r. part of the Pacific Ocean known as "Oceania," and was - sailing due north from New Guinea. The fears of the ? men had been allayed and laughed away. The voyage had been a particularly prosperous one; the trade in j: palm oil and hemp had been brisk, and Captain Faran- t- doul's vessel was engaged in carrying and exchanging ) these products amongst the many small islands that dot fv the seas at this point. Some of these islands arc clus- I tcred so closely together, and the rocky reefs between f them arc so treacherous, as to make it impossible for j a large ship to enter, so that the trade- is left entirely to : f i the smaller vessels. Indeed, at times it was difficult !i steering for even so small a vessel as the "Dauphin." ' About the middle of the afternoon of an unusually ', ' hot day, for they were in the region of the equator, Captain Farandoul and his wife, Sophie, were sitting on I the deck together, planning for the future of their boy. This last voyage, he told her, had brought rich returns, -k-. 2nd they now had sufficient to take care of them in their I ! old age, and to start the boy out in life with a better v ! chance than his father had ever had. An old fishing i sloop was what he had first faced the sea in. '- A slight breeze sprang up suddenly, so soft at first j that it was difficult to tell what direction it came from. The captain wet his finger by putting it in his mouth, then held itup for a moment until the cool feeling on 1' ' one side of it indicated to him the direction from which V ' the wind was rising. Ijj. I "I did not think the wind would come from that V- ' quarter," he said, with a slight feeling of uneasiness, , for m these regions no seaman ignores the slightest ycering of the wind He started immediately for the front of the vessel to take a sweeping survey of the sea, but even as he reached it the breeze grew stronger, and a slight ripple came over the face of the waters that but a moment X I before had been as smooth as a rr.irror. Soon thcwind f i "was blowing in sharp, powerful gusts, and the ripples j changed into heavy waves. The vessel began to pitch and . labor fearfully, one moment ricir.g high. on the crest of ' a mountainous wave, the next struggling pitifully in JJ the trough of the: sea. J: ,Tnc captain, with a face that v5 calm, though very -white, made his way about the deck, directing the men ! as best he could, for consternation and fear was upon them, and he had to abandon ship discipline if he wished to control them at all. The sails were quicklv hauled in, hut there was little cessation from the frightful pitching cf the boat. "Cut away the mainmast." came the cry from the v men who were working in the hold. 1 The order did not come from the captain, however, ; and the men began to implore him. saying that it was their only hope now. What he had hoped was, that if they struck on the jutting rocks, which they could now ccc straight ahead o: them, there might Mill be grounding ground-ing underneath, so that the vessel might not entirely , sink, and by climbing to the top of the mast, some of ; them might be saved. Suddenly there was a shock, followed by a groaning j and straining of the timbers, and the brave little vessel j trembled like a human being in some great throe of : agony. By this time the sea was mountains high, and ; I as each wave broke, torrent after torrent of water came pouring down on the deck. j Two or three faithful ones who had still remained ; below came running up with the tidings that a rock had Cored the side of the ship, and the hold was fast filling ivith water. "To the pumps, to the pumps, for God's sakel" cried the captain, hoarsely, barely making his voice heard , above the awful clamor. All hope was now abandoned, and each man, as is the case with mortals when earthly things fail, turned his I heart to God and began to pray. 1 At the first lurch of the vessel. Sophie, whose mind was ever on her precious boy. had run hurriedly to the ; cabin where the child was sleeping. He was almost , naked, as it was her habit when the days were hot to ' strip him of his outer garments so that the fresh ozone ; from the sea might give him strength. As soon as the vessel struck against the rock( the poor, distracted mother knew that her ownhour had come, but with hope beyond hope, she resolved on one last !..'. ! effort that might still save the child. Calling to one of the men to bring her a heavy wooden box that had been used in the cabin, she hastily scribbled these lines with pencil : Date "10 parallel north, 150 longitude. Wc arc sinking. In a few minutes wc shall disappear. Wc trust to the Almighty, and to the waves, our dear child, Snturnin Farandoul. "Sophie Barnaba Farandoul, Captain of the 'Dauphin,' Sailing Ship from Marseilles." Placing this note in a bag which she had in the pocket of her dress, she quickly tied it around the baby's neck and set him in the box. In a last hope that the ship might still ground and not go down entirely, her husband hus-band callcdto her to climb the mainmast, where, perhaps, per-haps, she might cling until picked up by a passing vessel. She did as he bade ncr, climbed to the top of the mast, still holding the box in her hand. For one moment she swung out over the sea, looking like some fine bronze statue. In a last mighty, almost superhuman effort the father climbed the mast high enough to receive the box which was handed to him by the heroic mother, and again descending, de-scending, he set it afloat on the waves, after kissing the boy fervently, and with strong feeling that only the agony of such an hour can call up. As the box floated out beyond the reach of his yearning yearn-ing arms, he lifted his cap in a last farewell, then, tossing it into the water, knowing he would have no further use for it, he called: "Good bye, my son ; good bye forever 1" As the box floated out over the waves, both parents watched it with eager eyes, throwing fervent kisses to the tiny speck of humanity, and in their prayers to God for its safety forgot their own impending doom. The deck was now giving way beneath the captain's feet, and gradually his head sank beneath the water; as it disappeared, the last look in his dying eyes was directed toward the strange little bark floating further and further fur-ther into the distance. For still another moment the mother, at the top of the mast swung high over the dashing sea ; then, as the vessel keeled over on its side, she fell with the mast, and the waters closed over her. The storm abated almost as suddenly as it had come, and in a few moments there was hardly a sign of the awful catastrophe; only here and there on the water, which was now calm as before, some floating piece of garment, or a sailor's cap. Trifles sometimes change the tide of destiny. The box in which the baby was placed was one made, purposely heavy to keep out the rats which infest every ship. Thick as it was, it had been gnawed through at one end, and only the day before had been repaired by a sailor with heavy pieces of zinc and rivets, which balanced the weight of the .baby at one end, and thus prevented it from tipping over. On, on, over the sunlit sea floated the strange bark and its strange cargo. Darkness fell over the deep, the stars came out, and still the box floated on. In Oceania, long ago, there was an island that had always been shunned by mariners. They had named it from afar the "Island of Pomotu," though no one had ever set foot on its shores. Across the bright sunlit sun-lit sea it loomed up large and black and ominous, and vessels skirting close to it. had brought strange reports of weird sights that had becu seen there. It was said that great, black, fantastic figures had been seen to swing out clear against the sky, looking like giants at play in mid-air. All this, however, has long since been proved to be only the foolish superstition of sailors. In reality the island is inhabited by a peaceful peace-ful tribe of monkeys, who all day long disport themselves them-selves by turning somersaults and leaping from limb to limb of the trees which shade the island, and keep it in perpetual Hwilight. ( It so happened that on the vcrv morning after the Dauphin was wrecked, a group o"f these monkeys had come down to the water's edge to bathe. Suddenly their attention was attracted by a sight that caused them to stop all chattering and gaze with keen interest, un the crest of the waves which the tide was bringing each moment nearer to the shore of their island was a wooden box, and in it, rocked by the gentle movement ot the waves, was a rosy sleeping baby Immediately tliere was much chattering and excitement. me?Vi"i ninkiys l!,Ilt inhabit this island arc of the most highly developed form of the simian tribe, and. S- a"' CCU1y Uc hihc5t flacc in the stale of nature. They arc marked by their short, flat faces, oblique nostrils and very long tails. They arc particularly partic-ularly intelligent and have the emotion of sympathy developed to a greater extent than any of the lower animals, and are noted for their tenderness in caring for the sick and their kindness to the weak and helpless. Without hesitation, some of the larger and abler members of the tribe waded out into the water and carried car-ried the box carefully to the shore. As the news of this strange discovery spread from tree to tree, large crowds gathered, and there was much conjecturing as to what the thing really was. The speech of the monkey is, in all essentials, formed like that of man, although it is almost impossible to make any direct translation of their utterance into any sounds .recognized by the human car. It will never be known just what was in their minds, but each monkey, as he came in sight of the queer little hairless thing, gave a sibilant sound followed by a quick gultcral, which, translated into human speech, would resemble the word "Zingo." 1 At first they thought it one of their own young, but were perplexed by finding that hc had neither hairs nor tail, and after a brief consultation it was decided that this was too grave a matter for the laity to decide, so iic was brought to one of the wise men of the tribe, who examined him with grave attention. This man shook his head sadly, when after lifting him up by one leg, as one would lift a fine, fat turkey, and examining him carefully, he was unable to discover any trace of a tail sprouting anywhere, and advised them to take him to the doctor. 1 As the doctor dwelt in a distant and exclusive part of the island, it was night, and a full moon was shining before they came to thd end of their journey. They found the doctor at home in his magnificent tepec made of cornstalks. After a brief examination, he informed them that the case was not hopeless but said that the palm tree bark, if rubbed with vitpr and great care on exactly the right spot, would, In time, produce a fine, long tail. These tidings were greeted by them with great joy, for they had already begun to love this small adventurer who had floated to them from foreign shores. Partially wrapping the boy in the skin of some small animal, they led him in triumph lo the village, at the head of an ever-increasing procession, where he was solemnly presented amid great feasting and rejoicing. Now,- this merrymaking was all very well, so far as it went, but there was a certain hollow feeling inside of the guest of honor, and he soon made known to them, in his own language, that not only raiment but food, was necessary for his complete happiness. Now, in onc of the upper apartments of a palm tree lived a sorrowing mother.. Her baby, in too great haste to prove his skill, had swung out to catch at the limb of a tree that was just beyond his reach, and fell to the ground. Being young and tender, he was instantly killed. As soon as the mother monkey saw Zingo, she reached out her arms for him. Perhaps, in her clouded mind, she believed that it was her own child returned to her slightly changed after the fall, or perhaps per-haps it was the mother instinct at any rate, his little paunch soon expanded pleasantly- with the warm, nourishing nour-ishing milk, he felt the comfort of her hairy arms around him, and fell into happy sleep. Never again during her life did she desert him, but on pleasant days wandered around amongst the plantains', plan-tains', hunting for nuts, with Zingo safely perched on her back, his hands clasped tightly around her neck, and his fat little legs lodged safely under her arms. Now, amongst monkeys, as amongst men, natures vary. Some of .these young bloods were very vainglorious vain-glorious and boastful, and often bragged, proudly exhibiting their tails, that it had never been necessary for them to apply palm tree bark, though it was a well known fact I hat those whose tails were a trifle scraggy were wont to steal off to apply it surreptitiously. In-! deed, in our own land, at the first approach of baldness,' who knows what secret and frantic. applications have been made of hair tonics. As Zingo grew and waxed strong, he "came to occupy a strange position on the island. It was true he had no tail, but he was still young, and there was always the hope that the palm tree bark, which his adopted mother never failed to apply when preparing him for his bed at night, would,' in time, produce the desired result. On the- othcr hand, the marvelous gray and striped purple bag which he always wore around his neck, gave him a peculiar distinction in their eyes. Monkeys have a simple code of ethics. They have a great respect for the private ownership of property. No monkey will ever allcmot to take a cocoanul which is the supreme test away from another, and when once a male monkey selects a mate, no comrade ever casts an amorous eye upon her. So, never once was Zingo molested on account of his treasure, and the bag was looked upon as his respected property. In spite of the fact that he had no tail his childhood was as happy and joyous as theirs, and he romped and somersaulted the whole day long. Nor was the striped bag the only thing that Zingo 'possessed with which to sustain his social position on the island. He had a certain accomplishment which filled his comrades with awe and admiration. He could swim 1 He had made the discovery one day when he had waded out too far after a glittering fish that had caught his eye and held his attention, until, in his eager pursuit, pur-suit, he had found that his feet were no longer touching the warm sands, nor yet the rocks. Unable to walk, unable to fly, and having no tail which he might fasten around a friendly rock, a hidden instinct asserted itself, and he swam back to the shore, i This exercise fascinated him, so that he went again and again into the water. Often, on warm, sunny days, the monkeys might be seen sitting on the edge of the islands, clasping their knees in their hands, watching in rapt admiration the glistening white body of Zingo as he sw.im round and round in the clear water. But such glory docs not come to anyone without bringing its corresponding sorrow. One fete day, while Zingo was giving an unusual exhibition of his prowess, one of the young ladies suddenly began to make little i squeaky sounds, puff the thin parts of her checks in and out rapidly, and make such demonstration of admiration ad-miration and enthusiasm that it produced in a love-sick monkey by the name of Kapo the lowest emotion of which a monkey is capable jealousy. From that moment a cloud fell on the bright happiness happi-ness of Zingo on the Island of Pomotu. After the swimming exhibition was over, all the monkeys, for this was their greatest holiday of the year, adjourned to the high part of the island and engaged en-gaged in climbing trees, leaping, somersaulting and entering into great gaiety of all kinds. Zingo, proud of his triumph of a few moments before, be-fore, and not yet being aware of the fierce passion of jealousy which he had aroused, was the gayest of the gay. He could lcap and somersault with the best of them, and was jumping with unusual glee when Kapo crept up behind him, looked at him closely for a moment, mo-ment, then went off and. made somc remarks to others of his comrades. They followed his action, while he went forth amongst the crowd, giving that strange kissing sound which monkeys use in calling each other's attention to objects of unusual interest. In a little while the hero of but an hour before found himself lonely and deserted, and could hear in the distance dis-tance the jeering shouts of his playmates. His poor mind was confused. What had he done? He had always loved them as brothers, and never had he been guil.y of an unkind thought toward any one of them. Finally he became aware of what they were saying. Translated into human speech, it meant : "Look behind 1" He looked and was instantly reminded of his frightful fright-ful affliction. He had no taill All the joy faded out of his face. What was the use of living, now that he was reminded of his great lack. What was the use of jumping nimbly from tree to tree, when no beautiful, undulating tail floated behind him in the breeze? Slowly the awful realization came over him, arid he covered his face with his hands and wept bitterly. Sad and dejected, he walked slowly down to the water's edge and seated himself on a rock. White clouds were sailing in the blue sky above his head, but he noted them not. Some racial memory stirred within him. He began to dream in a vague, half-formed way, 'of lands beyond the horizon. Vaguely he connected them with the great white things which he had seen in the distance on the blue sea, and which he and all his comrades had supposed were great white-winged birds, floating with their breasts to the wave. While he sat there, with hitherto unknown longings stirring within him, caused partly by the humiliation he had suffered, and partly; by the call of destiny, there came floating toward him a cocoanut log which had been uprooted by some recent storm. Was it instinct or thought that moved him to action, or was it the great, silent force behind all things, that impelled him ' ' . - - - to dash back for a long pole that lay near by, wait for I jjlj the log, and mount it astride, just as it passed by the j IKE spot where he had been sitting. He propelled his im- WE proviscd boat by means of the pole, using the ends of I Wk it alternately, as a canoe is propelled by alternate paddles. Wk Just at the moment that Zingo put out from the K shore, one of the younger monkeys, prompted by re- ji mk morse, had stolen back to ask his forgiveness, for they 1? gS arc really of a most lovable nature. y. m When he saw the strange thing that Zingo was doing, I 9H he became filled with consternation, and, rushing up the 96g bank, gave the alarm sound. Down came the mon- j MT keys in crowds, and, as they quickly realized what 1 tM their unkindncss had driven their beloved comrade to, in I jig agony they bent their heads to the ground, slightly pro- ' K truding the tongue to one side, which is their deepest ffi expression of remorse and appeal for forgiveness. L wt Proud, indeed, would Zingo haite felt if he could have seen himself, for from the distance at which the 9 monkeys were watching him, the waving branches of ra the cocoanut tree looked like a huge, fluffy tail, and : gl as he sped proudly over" the sea each monkey said ! IS within his own heart that never had he beheld a thing H so beautiful. Their own tails now seemed to them 9 but limp, miserable strings, compared with the beauty S He was vindicated 9S The "Pretty Lcocadia" had the reputation of having' H the neatest deck, the happiest crew, the staunchest mate! . H and the most gallant young captain of any sailing vcs-J B scl that ever ventured into Oceania. H Late one afternoon of a glorious day the captain and W mate were standing togetner on tnc deck, lncy were i sailing in thc vicinity of about 10 degrees north, ISO i longitude, which is a dangerous spot in bad weather, Ki but the sea was calm, and things were going easily, so i the mate was telling the captain the story of a mermaid J: that his father had once encountered hereabouts. The M captain was indifferently surveying the sea with his R glasses, when suddenly he leaned forward and said; - 1 i If "That's peculiar 1" f; pi "What is it?" v jli ' "Do you sec that black thing just out thcrct"o the" ' Be left?" j "Damme, I dol" said Ben Heydcckcr, the sturdy mate.' j B? "It can't be a whale ; a whale wouldn't float with so (' 3 much of its surface to the water." said the captain. ' K The mate raised his glasses, studied the object care-' u fully for a moment and exploded: ' li "Well, shiver my timbers, but it beats mcl There arc W strange things in the deep besides whales," he said, with a touch of superstition. ' Hi After another survey of the object, the captain blew' i' K his whistle, in response to which the tars came running l S like cockroaches from all sorts of unexpected places, M until the deck was alive with them. The object could 1 ' K now be seen indistinctly with the naked eye, and as they W watched it, into the minds of every mother's son of !. W( them came the superstition that will not be downed m, L It was a mermaid ! - JiB As the thing came nearer, however, they looked in" i ft vain for the soft swelling of the breasts and the in- .M( ward curving at the waist, for mermaids arc noted ! K throughout the land for their beautiful figures. This M. creature had broad, square shoulders and hard muscles. R "It's a man at sea," said the captain. "Rescue him, m lads!; B A lifeboat was quickly; manned, and as they put to the , K' oars, they called cheerily: 1 "Steady, comrade, we're coming." j S "Paddle this way." j K "Don't get excited, we'll get you, all right, old man," ' R they called. ' But as they drew nearer, to their amazement and ! consternation he began paddling fiercely, and with the. i II dexterity of a water fowl, steered his bark in the oppo- 81 site direction. 1 W They succeeded at last in getting hold of him. Two 1 1 of the men took him by the arms and drew him back-1 . ward over the side of the boat. As they had him almost landed, like a fish he slid oilt of their grasp, and sprang , back into the sea, but was caught just as he touched the 1 water. With much labor they managed to get him on to . thc vessel, which was anchored, and dragged him by ok main force to the center of the deck, so that the captain 1 1 and mate might question him. ' l The mate, with friendly sympathy tried to question . him, but falling in all his efforts, and becoming more ; l and more puzzled, being a devout man, he turned aside, i g" made the: sign of the ccoss, and sent up a silent prayer J w for help in this strange situation. ' S Silently the captain also turned, for one moment, his j g eyes toward heaven, and prayed that light might be ; given him as to how to deal with this poor, benighted e creature that had come into his care. 1; je Gradually his gentleness began to have a quieting ' S3 effect on the poor creature. In a caressing way he jS went to place his hand on the boy's shoulder, and in 1 1. doing: so noticed the little bag of striped gray and a purple which hung around his neck. He quickly ex- amined it, and inside he found a piece of yellow and : I weather-worn paper on which were the words : "10th parallel north, 150 longitude. We are sinking. In a few minutes we shall disappear. We trust to the Almighty, and to the waves, our dear child, Saturnin Farandoul, pi "Sophie Barnaba Farandoul, Captain of the ; 'f'fi 'Dauphin,' Sailing Ship, from Marseilles." j "! The waves had driven him back almost to the very spot where, so many years before, his father's vessel had sunk. '1 Captain Lombrico at last succeeded in getting him to i; I come with him to the cabin. Immediately on entering ' U it, he became frightened again, and sprang on to the I back of a chair as he would on to the limb of a tree. ; PI The captain blew his whistle, and the men who were 'I waiting at the head of the stairs with proper clothes ! 1 with which to cover him came down, and the captain, i : I by gentle gestures, persuaded him to allow them to put f tncin on. For a moment he partly yielded, but when : ': 1 he felt the captivity of the s,hirt binding his frc ? I muscles, he became terrified again, and once more ' ' I dashed wildly up the stairs, and once more he was , 1 dragged back, , , I One of the sailors handed him a cap to see if he ':. J would know what to do with it. Some ancient blood ; $i of an ancestor must have stirred in him, for to their - 1 delight and amusement, without hesitation he placed 5 it on his head. i . M 1 "Poi0 m?dm-an v sa5l one of the sailors. "Better i J have left him in the sea He'll never be any good on J f land and -here he puffed his chest slightly-"a man ' must have a natural talent to be a sailor " I .The captain commanded the men to stand away from I fl !'nCllIcTf,or on? moment he looked scarchingly into : H his face. The lad returned his look, and gradually a S new expression came into his wild face. Suddenly. : '.f tha? has a Cl'ild' ,0r ,of some wild Sg r I that has at last been tamed, he sprang forward, - 1 nfftCd JhC ye.captain affectionately bo! t the V 1 41 mJ85?Sdna h,m- wiUi a look of wniplete trust! .-J Inc men did not quite understand this, but what the ' - V S soul SCC" WaS thC firSt faint Summer of a dawn! ( K fConllDued Next Saturday) f I l r I "5 |