Show THE SEA DEVIL ideran by co by LOWELL THOMAS A u aa A A A Luck luckner noir and six ix of his hi men inen is tart for the cook islands band in an open boat hoping to capture a vessel and return for their companion companions pan ions CHAPTER XIII continued 18 everywhere on the island were trees and fruits coconuts bananas man goes and oranges on the streets of 0 the village with its thatched huts were south sea beauties who wore wreaths of flowers and had dark chish ing pyos they gazed ith In interest teresa on the foreign sportsmen the sit sairy try of whose cruise on it a bet had bad spread among the natives we took aboard what lons we needed and set sail tor for AItu Altu tahl taki the weather readier turned miserable bi joe it rallied rained very overy day those drenching tropical downpours down pours out our sailcloth covering was as not tight enough to hold the water out the sea was wa heavy and continually washed into the bont boat often we bulled us as many as two hundred find fifty palls an hour everything not stowed in the side tanks got net when the rain stopped for a while the waves and spray kept things front drying we were soaked to the skin and never did get dry our blankets and mattresses were dripping wet wei when we lay in the sool dett bedding we were freezing cold and could steep sleep scarcely at nil fill often it was a relief to be called to go ou watch then at lea least t we could thresh our arms about and get warm boung coching was almost impossible now now and we seldom ever got coffee anything like hot hol once vt e saw a waterspout cormir forming 1 right before bufore our eyes A tine fine whirling drizzle close to the water attra attracted cled our eyes it revolved ever more rap idly seizing wider masses of water in the sky was a little black thunder cloud extending downward to lu flip shape of a funnel the harl of spray on the water ran up swiftly the cone of the thundercloud stretched down don to meet it IL they come came together ano and united A roaring and sound of bursting a tremendous suction of wa ter and sky and sea were connected connect ea by a whirling column gyrating anti swaying it moved in our direction our boat lay iny to la a ration calm not a breath of air around us will this wander ing n blaut strike us as and break upon us deluge and swamp us Auto automat inaL icalla Leude leudemann minn of at the rudder arlor trl to steer us without wind our boa cannot move much less steer but bin the roaring monster collapses with willi a 0 deafening clap its mass ol of water falls upon the sea and from it a cir eular cular swell spreads out we rock uncomfortably and thank heaven dur ing our voyages arming among the islands nuil we norro narrowly uty escaped several similar spouts after A tier three thice days we found ourselves steering our way nay through the of reefs very be dutiful but perilous that extend out tit in front of the lie lant landing ling place at again there here wast was it tin ship lo in sight but again one might hr be scheduled to arrine arrhe within sonie some rea rca time thai was our hope A crowd of oathes gathered to ante us couie come in also half a dozen white men among houi wits the airilin resident tie he was a tall all lanky fullre bellma alin lie wore glasses and ine looked hed a ver feet picture of president ideiil wilson we p found this resident to he full ol of mt ali sume some n unlike his colleague at aklu aatu lie fie wag in ID no wise lost in tropical ludolf uce hill but ans ns active mid and shrewd we euw su that tie entertained the livelle bt about us might we not nol be dering sir si r inane of ft course he could not no v vrn n ture lure any for forcible tible measures ax insures to gate our cne case EIKI us tie farthing par thIng our ui beill for it if he e really were germans we would s he browd to tia teeth and in that rube raw where oula he be he be ile he had tit 1111 force to niman ours we tried our level hent to tit inri hit hie suspicions by our natural we thou fil our voyage bud our si tor for a anith tit n we 1001 iii front froni the resident of at aatu attu enough li 11 WAS loo fit liin bad thlik wo wf cot use the other oilier tits veril licate but bul in it were written our su piloted diatel names avol now wp we were nir deglans the residual began b bv saying it in ii 11 that we would no be di d to meet a fellow j j man ot it stars mr this turned our aul to tit be jc a norwegian carpenter we surn alsed at once that hint he be had been ty ny the resident to talk willi us an and tree whether hether we were really Norvie gians my norwegian was lind bod but Kirc helit f spoke the language like a eulale I 1 kept severely of it the wnm and let ift Kirc Kirch heiss elss have a long fri friendly enily talk lalk with the carpenter Kirch elss eon con vinced bia man he wis was us as narae ira the vikings the wits dt lighted to tit meet a fellow country nion so bohil joi till ant find as retire settled so 80 wealthy ile he promptly ti ro re ported to HIP resident that anil wp we were the truest som nort nien alive unit und boum in no wise be s guiana ru iana the resident with aills his president wilsin fate face invited tire to wits ilia house hidu e tor for dinner johnner I 1 arce pled A british inert huni named low sity to 10 liln his house we ye sus aus y y y y y y WW V V peeled it nas a dodge to separate us seemingly the norwegians Norwegia ns assurance lind find out not fully alloyed allayed the mistrust mis nils trust of these uneasy britons Kirch elss and I 1 made eiery excuse we could to keep together but the I 1 lip hospitality was wag so pressing that we could not refuse am longer without practically ahing our selves away even if we tire apart I 1 sold said to ajr inelss tin in the lie side wo we have our oar pistols mid and hand gre nailes hy by joe we ve will leep keep our eyes olien inn end and we coo can take cure it i ourse ourselves hes it if anything looks lonks wrong we will fight figlia our nay kyto to the boat we dined enough the resident talked a lot although he lid did not to he be naturally a talkative kind he fie asked me ninni questions which I 1 answered cautiously A tin oa live ilie servant brought brou glit film a note and lie he scribbled a note in return after a few minutes the servant brought hini him another mes message meange and again he an it it tills this happened several times ont iness nies ases sages I 1 asked oh no he replied hastily they are front from my friend low ile he wants to arrange to have us all take coffee of al his bungalow bunn low it was very queer I 1 wits was prepared though and thanked my stars for tho the pistol find and hand grenade nide in fit my pockets I 1 learned later inter that their scheme was pas in fact to question Kirch elss and me separately rhe purpose of the n notes ts was to 0 o arrange e questions to be asked of us so that they might check up op our separate answers to the same questions these answers it happened had jibed fairly well although not well enough to disarm suspicion altogether the time lime for leaving come came the resident told me that it if we would re turu turn oi od the fol following louing day he would give us the certificate we desired that in the he course of our sporting voyage voynne we hird had called at the island ol of Altula Altu lil the delay about the certificate was of course to detain us a iny longer away from boiu this unsatisfactory litter inter i view lew vie ne encountered the norwegian carpenter who nuo informed that the natives believed we were ger mans the british had been recruiting soldiery among them for serece sen ice in france and for the purpose of get ting ling recruits n had bad stirred them up with a bit of war i or fever the islanders therefore hoped that we e were ere one ene so they could seize us its they planned to get our boat ashore onil and capture it upon hearing of this I 1 ordered that two men be on watch all the time ready to repel any attack the following day provided us with plenty it if thrills when KI and I 1 went to the residents house crowds of natives followed us the resident greeted us with a worried expression but bill came straight to the point 11 1 shall have to examine your boat and papers he be said sternly how so said L the natives think you are ger titans mans I 1 know you are not but I 1 must inspect your boat to them tie lie vacillated between the desire ol of nut not letting us ns get away and the fear eat of a feighl ouline the Ioline were gath ering from ull oil quarters they made madea a nien oving ugly lily looking moh mob hand in hohet I 1 attached a carbine carl iloe nova to the fuse of the grenade with that mob of he athens oo on the rampage there was no use in trying to carry ilu deception any further lier it Is true I 1 said to the he gesiot rif we vve are Cern germans ians but dont you thillia it would lie be better if we remained fi lends we are white men I 1 a am 11 with you yoo ID front of these thebe natives act thi the IIII I that will impress chein come orne and examine out our hout very well uell lie he replied growing pale but you BODI take me will you ao ano upon my word no when ue ne stepped out on the porch the islanders ralser a howl I 1 never thought there were so many in the world I 1 had never dever before stood in the face of a mob sailors sailor or soldiers would not have made nr 1114 so afraid dont doni be a toward coward I 1 said bald to myself on by joe on Kirch elss and I 1 staved close together the resident led us through throng h the flie mob which was overawed over awed by III bla 3 presence we wel were wele e halfway to the boat when a native in colonial uniform stepped up op ile he had seen service with tire the in france ne BC were afterward told shall I 1 arrest them sir he be asked arrest what I 1 shouted shut your trap why should a fool like you try to arrest norwegians Norwegia ns then I 1 muttered to the resident if that fellow makes any fuss ill shoot him dead dont talk that way he be replied nervously and waved the native soldier away the crowd followed us to the land ing A small rowboat picked us up op you wont keep me with you the resident asked again Cas I 1 assured him that we would not 1301 so we rowed over and climbed into my boat impelled less by his own desire than ilion by the attitude of the natives here Is the log Kirch elss with an impassive face handed banded him a log we had taken from one of our captured ships he perfunctorily turned the pages and come came upon a diary we kept in the book boob above was stamped in fat type MARINE the resident raised a tarpaulin but dropped it quickly ile he bad seen rifles ile de raised another there were neat rows of hand grenades us a easy to pick ill up is apples I 1 keep those covered be exclaimed as pale as ashes well I 1 asked how bow do you find everything quite nil all right quite all right tie he smiled a very acid smile wont you tell your people here that everything Is all right I 1 suggested ile he turned to the crowd on OD the pier everything Is in order he be called these gentlemen are norwegian sportsmen as they say and now the certificate I 1 reminded him ile he wrote a note jut just as the resident tit at altu had bad done you dont intend to take me with you he repeated no I 1 responded but I 1 should like to have your company until we can get some fruit and tobacco tul mcco 1 I stood chatting with him on the pier ter while Kirc heiss went to procure the ruit fruit and tobacco we better take the island and wait for a ship instead of sailing off I 1 debated the question with myself and then decided we lind find better go the dinst scene of this little drama was played as the resident and I 1 shook hands and bode bade each other oilier an apper antly cordial farewell lie ile was a tit de cent fellow even if lie he had been sus licious pl pi cious and I 1 lind had eaten an excellent dinner at his house bouse I 1 was glad that thai w we e I 1 have to humiliate him before bew the natives a dreadful fate for or an englishman As we hoisted anchor and raised still a cheer went up from the natives lined along the shore they were try ing to male make amends for having treated us so shabbily and tor for having taken us for Gerina nsf cut but there at Altu taki I 1 had bad made the great mistake of our cruise we have captured that island three days later a schooner arrived we could have taken it rejoined our comrades and continued our raids In instead stend the resident told the officers the story of our visit the schooner sailed he fie next day and to in a little while met mei a steamer to which it trans furred the news about us the steamer in turn I 1 urn radioed a warning to the vilroy a hole south seas so we were now to in tm fat a warm welcome TO BE CONTINUED |