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About The Loup City northwestern. (Loup City, Neb.) 189?-1917 | View Entire Issue (April 25, 1912)
IWt XOT tell 'bis r»ory be €■■ us* either 'be memory or («»*» relation of the events is gri« ASfBt to use. Indeed, it :» tile record of the most d.stre* ;ns and humiliating es; rrimrc in my life Hut 1 am im[<e!led to relate It as i proles' against tho prevalent idea that ti.e ex istence of a castaway on a tiupic island i* one of com parative comfort and ease. In my younger days I was *n i*w !.* ••■,*• „> 3 i,im ot mer. Hants at Apia. •'..i**o» at. bad established in busiaenn in the tltii,-• islands a jrituji t man of tlie name of r%i $a tots son of a »ei! n tuisstcnary. ills aendduarters were at Funafuti. and after sev ral I >*• it lie had pure based from *k ' K-: e of V_: .p<> th.» small. d< set ted d»a4 *f Nutrias a- •'Little I-anJ." It lies ,-.j- .me hundred ar.d fifty miles southeast of • i ul els' « itens’.V" short!*. Sr ■ ends ml. ■. a ia- to j - o;! • an ' r’nnt it. a d a i.ati-e •• 14 he ,ndi;< e to make his me tv re. tor tb- K' ce Islanders firmly be < ,*-4 Ue place . as I t.n'rd by evil spirits. s-4 i >ng after to:* S/wiids d!fd suddenly. Bad | MS* ev : Funafuti n the company's • ~.„ioer to itiat >11 a new manager, w.th in eirc-tion* 10 stop at V-ulakita on the home s ild % o age T e lit lie .'..mi and set a value on r as ?» asset of Svn> r.iis* estate. We left F»;u.<' I wob a south' <»t trade >. md " at «r> " :• av. -rt-i for ays we trifled over a cl as. y .... Ilwvlty. «e the las' day of Febroaiy. we roach*4 V -dak id sai’ed t *y nirre 'is raw at search'tin !■ r «r anchor . :.d land ng. m liBu- » e ftn:o !«» :tn< fior in fo'vn it a is !♦**■. •*. a rcir** place on th£ V of the : .n<l ere we er-M see an —a.• < thrisigh • • reef l'o ,r of the sl ip’s • • and l made an easy landing. but. flnditie tteus -lore rent ruttrtnc. we were ron , j t-, * r--.! r lit u;> <n 'He F inds, for I lc>* ;,4. <1 to *uV >• 1- ust t ao :• .* -s to inspect (Ue place The captain sdrtsed me to era urine the fitaie he Ttly for hi* bore* le'er w 1 i.:m •4 a • hat.ge tho* was 'mmrnen* • cd this was the fist'tw.- »* a in in tl: -se latitudes at. Ve the sird beach, where had for te r’.y to. n a -e'tlcrue! t. • few ja kfruit trees were gi. •. * r:,'lnc be inn overgrown with cllnsrire « •nd r' e* 'a: is'tes Here I discoV red * •*.>*' nv'ive sepulcher* which, beside a well 'hat ! local later on. were the only acual turms of man s hand'work upon the is'r.nd /■ r tail »'::ieh sc-'in- to delight in sterile f 1 ••*>d • op."sitIon to the elements, now (.*'■ n : sir*'Thing fcrtlt its weird bran -hes and star dine upon its singular stilt tike roots, an omen of desolation. Here r-.nd f ee ! penetrated the hush, observing the na I- e of t*w soft ari not’nr i» in my book i must bass tones nearly opposite where our v r-4 lay »’en I came to a beautiful la 4 w. «:th di.irmlng v'stas md lovely glades lead mg In virion* direc’ions. I * abr>u* To r.turn to the i.eacn ar.o cr.n i ■ : r <rr- it around • ** Island. when ! * i - * a rowsket shot—a «ignal for icy return. ; t. .» nkv had darkened :;nd I felt sure that tlM> gtaw had goac lower. I started directly for ! « Uoa'-lantinp T'-sard' the enter of the island the t-ees -new less vg-wottaly and were fewer In num ber. and many eld tr-nks lay prone on the earth The walking became exceedingly diffi cult for it w;.s bird to penetrate this broad 1-afet stoat-stemmed •. ir.ery. » had already had several nasty falls but bad estcdtwd actual Injury, until at last 1 »- on * bat appeared a sound tree-trunk »•«.- re a ' re --Tired cvssm and felt myself » -[•:•• ne- • r 1 r.e ;n*n spare, clutching wildly at the vines as 1 passed through them My Ik d Lav r.g come into \ olent contact wnh a JuMlag » oral. ! lay huddled and sense less at the bottom of a deep pit which In for n r yea-* had b ej< used as a well and now » .- partly fi". 1 by the action of *h» eVmenfs When l revved all was darkness, and rain was fall-re ,n • Trent* In fart, ii must have • He r d drenching 1 had had which h-tfueht me *o trv senses I ti ed to ra;-e my arms and found them (urt-mitslr uainjured. but one knee h..d been see* rely bruised and my bac k was badly »rer;.-hed *hiU* my head ached as If it were st»m:t to split in two, and a great lump ex |>itsned why I had wasted hours in this silua TV xgii It was v *ry dark, with occasional -’V. * of ’Ighming ! found no greo' difficulty, <vi.pt from my own injuries, in gottine up ward ss these native wells are so constructed th»* *he owners may walk down one- side to dip the water with their shells. When I ap rma n-d 'he mouth of the pit and thrust mv head through the sopping vines, it setred as If the world were at an end t could h°ar the •errsaunc wind rush through the now leaScss tirao- jew and great boughs and missiles of I; ny sorts were flying threw h tie- air. mak ing If lamdcras to rise above the level. 1 thought of our brigantine anJ hoped she had r ’ away without losing l r anchors At that »■ m- • • though the tempest r< r d 1 did no' fear 'or her safely, for from the direct!, n of t e wind I was sure she had not been blown ah-ire Such a gale would inevitably drive ' er ^ar away to westward, and her return to this r- :■ t. of frequent calms was n-iite sure • o lw ti v and tedious And boro I was. all unprovided for and destined to pass some days in otter loneliness In time they would come ba« k again, and I must contrive to exist till they iti-ne-J tip This would be an adventure to recount to my < hildren as they gathered rout d me in the evening. How was I tic n to know that this raging cyrb-ne had utterly destroyed our ship, and that w'ill- 1 sat s -ver-ng in mv hole, m:. brate c.r n us wor - in their watery graves? V. .. r a word was er heard from them a* n »r : no rra nc- nt of cur poor vessel was flu owed to mark her loss V. h -. *: i:rl:‘ i -turned the sun was not vtj t»‘. tr '.sj t -.ife to fr.- ke my exit vet. but. 5 -rk God' I liad my i ip- aad tobacco wt'h me. and t- me matches that were not yet Waited 9*0 ol that I was. I wasted several of those precious tr.at.hes before 1 lighted my damp tobacco. It was well on in the afternoon when the panes of hunger drove me forth to seek provender of some sort. Though the forre of the gale was Quite strong enough to im ; t-Je rn greatly, I managed to struggle through the torn hrubberv and tangled vines until I once mor-' pained the open beach, and stood arpalled before the ocean’s sublime fury. Great seas hurled themselves at the trifling island, and actually threatened to engulf it. cording to niv calculation I had now been ab. * for y hours without food. Worn out by the wretched weather, and quite famished. 1 grasped a stick to aid my injured leg. and set out to dis.-over food and shelter. After a pa nful effort 1 came to the second patch of < ocoanuts. and was not disappointed, for m* of the fruit lay scattered on the ground shaken down by the storm. After a bit of 1 ard work in removing the outer husk, I reg:'• 1 r. yself upon a ripe cocoanut and Its firmer nd more matured flesh, and this had to > r\o ii;e. for I saw nothing else that was entail!- a; this time. Nigh: cau.o on while I still painfully wan dered :n search of shelter, and I would have h on glad to occupy the pit again had the dif fi iliy of returning there been less formidable. The r.ight proved a wild one, and I lay stretched out to leeward of a giant tree, whose out-o'' ; round roots and buttresses gave me jus" i:‘ le protection from the chilling blast. Here n this miserable situation I passed the tedieu. V ours till day appeared. V> injured lec had grown worse and swell ed tn a considerable size, throbbing and alarr. me thoroughly. Hunger and thirst once re assailed me, and painfully I drag ged tr.y? If forward in the hope of finding .-ome f >rt of sustenance. If the brigantine had been 'ost in the hurricane there was very lit tle chance of another vessel's coming to Nuula i "a for months ami months. Possibly It uiipl ' be yea 's before the place was visiied. S h despairing thoughts as these produced a snr’ of sinking of 'he soul, an apathetic sad ness Why struggle farther? Put still I wri. -rled forward over the soft sands, which see.. 1 barren enough. A soldier crab cross* • d my path, and I devoured him raw without a qualm liven at this early stage of my imprisonment T n :st have been a b.t d.elirious. for 1 began to imagine 1 heard voices calling me. and at h -• !: I '’ancied I saw people quickly flitting ab' t as if to avoid my vision. The pain in my wounded log was very gr a', hut I sometimes forgot this because of mental tortures far more acute. Another hcr r ! melt, and another boisterous day without the lie.-: comfort, left me s'ill more help less Reason I believe, was on the verge of 'iapse. when my remaining physical strength sud ;iiy ga e way. Sleep, delirium, or prob a': > prolonged unconsciousness, at length re liev d me I '.v a honed at last to behold "the splendors of a tropi ■ sunrise, the great orb soon, shining directly in my face. My leg was much better for "he enforced rest it had had. and. strang est of all. I was not so hungry as I had been. M ’ ncholy forebodings *hat perhaps I was f . cd to die there 111;e a dog and lie unburied, a tea ‘ f r crabs and noxious vermin, spurred me to further effort. Pride and every primal instinct urued me forward, and at length, ex hausted w: h fatigue and in great pain. I reached the region of the fallen eocoanuts and after resting sufficiently, food and drink were again my portion, and later in the day I was enabled to stagaer along the deserted bea h upon a rude crutch which I had im provised Onward, painfuly onward. I went, craving satisfying food and rest. Eventually I passed a sandy place n arked all about by turtles’ t!i; j*rs—a depression where eggs had surely been dc; osited. More than a hundred eggs were in the nest, all closely packed together and covered from marauders. Gathering seme d.' wood and bark. I built a little rile and drew forth my treasured matches. V ha* an appalling disappointment I was to suffer! The be* in which they were contained was crushed quite fist, and the matches them selves were loose in my pocket. Some, being wet. had lost their black heads. I must dry the matches carefullj before-x>ne of, them should be risk d. I did not dare to take any chances of failure, and always afterward I would have to keep a smoldering fire or lose this great necessity. A fiat coral stone ex posed to the <un was selected, and niv treas - . y ;,c spread out in the genial warmth. The ;g; iti n papers from the dilapidated box were •i.H.i i turned until quite crisp, while each individual match was given careful attention. When a:l was ready I tried to'strike a light— tried and tried again until the whole stock was done, and this with never a glimmer of success! Raw turtle eggs are not to be commended as a steady diet, but they will serve a turn. In due course 1 was able to get to the rookery, hut most of the birds were gone, dispersed no doubt by the violence of the gale. None of their eegs that I could fir.d were eatable. I n 'w tried Ineffectually to produce fire by rubbing two sticks together as I had often seen the Pamcan natives do. No. I could not do the trick. I began "o think of preparing myself some sort cf shelter—at least a lodgment where I might sleep in comparative comfort. My ear liest effort produced a kind of windbreak only. Raw turtle eggs when steadily adhered to become absolutely disgusting as a diet, and on the recovery of my leg 1 sought many ex pedients that might serve my turn. Raw un salted meat I could not abide, even when 1 knew that it v.-ns sweet and wholesome. So now when I caught a bird or turtle. I cut the fiesh into thin strips and hung them in the sun. r,r plac; d them on heated rocks until they received a sort of natural cooking. Dressed n a worn-out suit of thin pajamas, my only other pcssessions were a pocket knife, a notebook and pencil, and a useless pipe, for the small fragment of tobacco I had b«-n possessed of had been nibbled away as a makeshift stimulant. A spell of wet weather set before me urgently the problem of constructing a thatched house. After manj- fail ures I at length owned a weather proof roof, and was much pleas ed with my per formance. Salt, in small quantities and mixed with sand, I found in sev eral spots, and the need of this mineral seemed so great that I set about its manufacture from sea-water, by evaporation. In this work I was fairly successful, but even this could not make me content with the raw food I was compelled to eat. Now strongly suspecting the fate of our ship. I might have des paired, but a new idea entered my uiam Huu lu. some time claimed my careful attention. Many young gannets were by this time occupying nests by the iagoon shore, and I decided to adopt several of these, bringing thehm up by hand, and afterward emploj thehm to carry away letters describing ray deplorable situation and praying for relief. But my first efforts were unsuccessful, and ail three of my adoptions were dead birds within a few days. This set rae to thinking that per haps the food I was providing was unsuited to their immature digestions—that raw turtle meat, which they ate with avidity, was a dan gerous diet. I now enlisted another family of birds, ar.d by stoning up several small basins near the reef at high water. I was enabled to catch a small supply of little fish, when the tides had fallen and the water had drained away into the sea. With a supply of what appeared a suitable food, I was at length able to bring up a brood of promising birds, who were taught by me to rest on the usual sort of perch provided at the other islands. When my proteges had grown, they were not long in learning to provide for themselves. The hopelessness of my situation and mt constant longing to be with my family often quite unnerved me, and surely left me less thankful than 1 should have been for benefits received and unacknowledged. My mind, at times thoroughly discouraged, recoiled before such an existence. Several months had elapsed and my situation was still unpromising. The feeding of my pets had provided a cer tain amount of occupation, and as the birds rapidly approached maturity. I noted approv ingly their greater proficiency in flight. At last all of them were able to make extended excur sions. I easily taught them to return at the call of the flag My tattered pajama coat an swered as a signal. One day while experimenting with my own birds, I called from the skies an utter stranger, who calmly perched himself and squawked loudly for attention With avidity I searched him for communications, but evidently the animal was off on leave, for he bore no let ters. I fed him slowly, and between whiles I wrote what I thought would have been any where construed as a touching appeal for as sistance. Tearing the leaf out of my note-book l fastened the missive so that it laid flatly underneath the feathers of the back. For several days the new bird continued to resort to my perch, always returning with my message, and it was not until I refused him food continuously that I was able to get rid of him. Then, some days later, having fastened missives to all three of my birds, I took down the perch and refused to notice them at ail—a treatment they could not understand, for from their earliest recollections I had been their only parent Within a week after the birds had deserted the island, I re-erected the perch, and thence forth every afternoon I waved my rotting gar ment, hoping that some intelligible answer would reach me. Put days and weeks passed without any sign whatever and I again grew utterly despondent. The turtle season had come and gone, and the extent of my depredations had so alarmed the island birds that I was now forced to trap those which I would use for provender, or climb the trees at night and secure my victims quietly. One day, observing a troop of newly-hatched turtles painfully dragging themselves towards the salt water, it occurred to me that if I were to place these in the lagoon and feed them, a plentiful brood could he raised, and turtles would ever after be obtainable at all seasons. Once more I decided to entice the distant birds to a renewed perch, and they returned upon my signals of a welcome. At last I found a bird with a letter written in the Samoan tongue and addressed to one of the teachers Though I could not write grammatically and with precision in the native language. I was able to r-;ad sufficiently well. After divesting the missive of its religious commonplaces, which begin and end every native communica tion in these latitudes. I saw that the writer, living on a distant island, had no knowledge or care for me. for b* addressed a fellow worker in the mission field on topics of mutual in terest. Detaining the bird for some time by such entertainment as was sure to please him and his comrades, I now prepared several messages in such Samoan as I could muster, and then, having neglected the animals to induce them to set out. I once more resumed work upon a construction somewhat resembling a monstrous top. which I proposed should spin continuously in a groove of soft dry wood until ignition would follow. It must not be supposed that this was my first effort in this line, for I can recol lect at least four other constructions which were wholly useless By my repeated failures I had at least acquired some experience. This time success crowned my efforts. From this moment I date a comfortable change of diet, and I may say that in the com pletion of this labor and a contemplation of its results to me I was happier—at any rate calmer —than 1 had been since my arrival on the island. My misery wa*.soon deepened, aye, made in supportable, by tlie loss of my precious knife, the one invaluable treasure that yet remained. As I was stooping over my turtle cage to ob serve the welfare of its occupants it slipped from my pocket and dropped into the water. For some time I had been of opinion that the bad weather would soon have its ending. | and that probably a gale of wind would mark its exit. The accuracy of my calculations was j Justified, for after several days of great heat and unexampled calm, one of those sudden con- ■ vuisions of tropic violence assailed the island j with cyclonic force. My frail hut was bodily lifted by the blast as if it were a feather’s , weight, and no portion of it or its conteats ever : met my eye again. Torrential rain in blinding i sheets, almost suffocating in its profus’on. ut terly drenched me, and the great oceaa. lashed , into a wild fury, seemed bent on submerging the little island, as it had done on previous oe casions. From the ending of this storm, my days j were spent in searching for food and praying i to the fiend, and my nights were troubled with such realistic dreams and phantoms—if such they were—as wholly to wreck my reason. Naked and unkempt, I roamed over the lim ited extent the land afforded; attached now to no particular place, and heedless of any at tempts at rescue, I no longer kept a lookout, j I.ike a wild man that I was. I gleaned such food as the place afforded, untroubled by. qualms of any sort. One day while drowsily musing, new sounds assailed my ears—more intelligible, more bar monious they seemed, than the others I had been accustomed to. Though they evidently came from behind, I expected the new breed of infernals to deploy suddenly In front, as thehir predecessors had always done, there fore I did not turn until one of them laid a rough hand on me. This was a new experi enee. for till now the busy imps had unde* close inspection seemed intangible. Turning to the touch, a number of figures i in white garb met my astonished gaze. and though their countenances seemed pitying and beneficent, I knew them for their deceitful worth, and cursed their uncalled-for interfer ence. I would have chased them from the island. Till now all goblins and little inquisi tive imps had fled before my rage, but these new-comers closed in around me. seizing my weapon and overpowering my fiercest efforts until I lay fast in bonds, and quite insensible The end had come. I had been rescued by an adventurous and devoted party of Samoar missionaries and their Ellice Island followers Strange to say. nearly if not all of my mes sages had safely reached some inhabited island, but unfortunate^ none could read ar.c' understand the English words. Paulo, the teacher on Xanomea, sent mes sage after message through the group, and these timely explanations came to the south ern teachers, enlightening them as to the real meaning of my misspelled and almost un intelligible Samoan notes which they had been getting from time to time by bird post — a letter-delivery service which was soon ac tively employed in my behalf. As soon as the defective system would al low, the teachers consulted, and one bole spirit, an aged man, brave old Alamoa—jour neyed from Xicutao to Yaitupu. and on tr Funafuti, in an open boat, to give directior to the work of rescue. As an example of infinite unselfishness, oi noble devotion to high convictions of duty, 1 think that the work of my difficult rescue car be favorably compared with many other shin ing records of Christian endeavor. The original party "f thirteen adventurers set out from Funafuti In an ordinary open boat, three oars on a side, ard using a bat tered compass as their only guide. After r rest of several days on Xukulailai. and with in creased stores of food and water, the perilous journey to Xuulakita was successfully at tempted. Who can with pen or type recount the rap tures of a return such as mine turned out tc be? By kindness and generosity, my employers sought to reward the good teachers and the workers who had saved me from a living death , at the imminent risk of their own lives, and my good wife and children set down in feeling terms the heavy obligations under which they lay; but I, who more immediately knew the i case, felt that a long life of thankfulness to and respect for the good people of the Ellice Group no more than paid my score. Was Fully Equal to the Occasion )ome Guests Would Have Submitted to Inccti.en enet. But Not for This Youth! “it la funny." said a well known so Hetjr woman, "how diff* rent people wet wider embajTamain* circumstances You will notice that some people gtara wser and stutter and act like fools. while others will act as composed as ft BOUtlPS biA-hanren. d. "I never see anyone embarrassed that I do not think of what happened at my home one evening when I was giving a dinner party. “We had almost reached the final course when hot chocolate was served my guests. It was steaming hot, but the whipped cream gave it a different appearance. The young man of whom . I am speaking was engrossed in cop versatlon with one of the debutantes and did not notice the chocolate teas hot. He took one gulp, and then what happened I will never forget. “He merely turned his head to one j side and spat the chocolate on the new wall paper. Not in the least em- j barrassed he turned to the guests and remarked: “ ‘Now, don’t you know that some ■ fools would have swallowed it.’ It was so funny that we were all forced to laugh." Comprehensive Census. A blank crop report was sent out by a Cleveland paper for the farmers to fill out, and the other day one of them came back with the following written on the blank side in pencil: "All we’ve got in this neighborhood is three widders, two school ma'ams, a patch of wheat, the hog cholera, too much rain, about fifty acres of ’taters. and a durn fool who married a cross eyed gal because she owns eighty sheep and a mule, which the same is me, and no more, at present. " Causes Havoc. "A great many men of genius make a sad mistake.” “And that is?” “They frequently get the idea that alcohol and the ‘divine afflatus’ are identical.” i Fear. “Have rivalries arisen among the suffragettes?” “Some,” replied Mrs. Baring-Ban ners. “I fear we may yet develop the 1 hat pin that knows no sister.” XX Love’s Border * * * By JEAN DICKERSON (CopsrU’ht. 1912. by Associated Literary Press.) a Converse was out with a scouting party when he came upon the little thatched hut half hidden in the chap arral. In the light of a full moon sift ing down through the foliage he was inclined to believe that the hut was a creation of his fancy and the white gowned form that vanished at his ap proach was of the same illusive mate rial. "\Vliat's that?” muttered Murphy at his side. “Thought I saw a hut—or is it this confounded moonlight that's deceiving me?” He peered toward the hut with his near-sighted eyes. What was it that prompted Con verse to deny the presence of the hut? Heretofore he had been most zealous and untiring in his search for Mexi can sharpshooters on the border. Something held his tongue front ad mitting that he, too, had seen the hut, and more. "You’re seeing double tonight, Mur phy," he laitghed. “Move along to the east and let us thrash out that thicket." "Then you better duck if you see me shootin'!" retorted the Irishman grimly. "With these deceivin’ eyes of mine I'll be takin' myself for one of them lit tie w oolly burros and commit suicide!" "I’ll take the risk," assured Con verse leading the way in the opposite direction. Together they moved noiselessly through the mesquite growth, pushing aside the shrubs with hands wary of the long thorns that scraped skin and clothing and retarded their progress at every step. When the two men returned to the American camp the moon was still bright. Between them they escorted a prisoner, a surly, half-breed Mexican who had leaped at them from behind a tree only to fall a victim to their superior numbers and swiftly moving arms. After this bloodless skirmish their thorough search of the hill was ended and so they returned to camp. Instead of seeking the rest his weary body demanded, Blake Converse waited until the confusion incident upon their arrival had died away and when the sentry's steps had dimin ished to a distant shuffle the young scout quietly rolled under a loose flap of canvas beside his bed and disap His Hand Closed on the Warm Round ness of Her Arm. ~ peared In the dense shadow cast by the adjacent hill. Now he was impatient of the detain ing fingers put forth by the mesquite thicket. More than once he heard the ripping of flannel as he pulled his arms free. At last he stood forth in a little open space that seemed familiar. Strong contrasts of moonlight and black shadows produced grotesque effects. What he had supposed to be the mysterious hut for which he was searching proved to be a huge rock patched with moonlight and when he proceeded to touch the white surface it moved and shrank away from him. He rubbed his eyes and looked closely. The rock was there immov able. Against its surface and blend ing with the moonlight cowered the form of a woman dressed in white. When he spoke her face turned to ward him and the light fell full upon it revealing her to be young and beau tiful. In that swift glance he saw that her hair was bfack as the deep est shadows and that her eyes were dusky pools set in the marble pale ness of her face. “Who is there?” he asked sharply. A quick drawn breath and a fright ened sob instantly suppressed, an swered him. Then the white gown moved away from the rock as if to escape him. Converse followed swift ly and overtook her at the door of the. hut. His hand closed on the warm roundness of her arm. "I am sorry, but you must tell me who you are and what you are doing here,” he said in a firm tone. She surprised him by replying In his own language. “I have a right here!” she breathed in his ear. “A better right than you have!” “I hope so," he said fervently; "but you know the American troops are. camped below here on the plain?” “Ah!” she cried bitterly, "do I not know? Have I not been avoiding their prowling bands for three days.” "You are Mexican?” asked Con verse. "And if I am,” "If you are Mexican you are in a dangerous situation here on the bor ders where there is continual figbt-i ing. You are not alone?” He spoke in a brisk, matter-of-fact way, with an undertone of kindness. "Xo. I am not alone.” she answered calmly. “My grandfather is within—• he is sick, perhaps dying. When they shelled the city our home w'as de stroyed and we fled. We hoped to cross the river into the states. We have relatives in El Paso, but we have had to avoid the rebels as well as tho American troops. We lost our way and have hidden in this ruined hut since yesterday morning. My grand-, father has had little to eat—I cams out now to seek something. There( that is all!” She threw out her hand with a defiant gesture. "Do what you will!” “The first thing to do is to get some thing to eat,” said Converse decisive ly. “After that, if you will trust to my guidance 1 will escort you into the American camp and see that you reach El Paso at once.” "You are very kind, sir,” said the girl brokenly. “I am afraid I am severe—rude—but we have been alarmed and harassed and earlier this evening our retreat was almost dis covered.” i rtiia tut; uur w uu siai ucu ,* wu then—that is why I came back again," said Converse in awkward explana tion. “How did you know—how did you guess that we were not sharpshoot-. ers?" she asked, surprised. “Why did you not investigate?” "I don't know!" he replied slowly. “It is well for us that you waited! until you were alone,” she said in low thrilling tones that stirred him strangely. “Another might not have been so kind as you have 6hown your self to be.” “It is nothing,” declared Converse brusklv. “May I see your grandfa ther?” “Certainly—he is within, very sick.” She led the way to the tiny hut whose roof was half torn away. Through this great aperture the moonlight flowed brightly, lighting up a grass bed on the ground whereon an old man lay covered carefully with sev eral blankets. Converse bent over the old man and addressed him in halting Spanish. To his surprise the refugee answered him in fluent English and in a few words substantiated the words of his granddaughter and added a brief ex planation. His name was Juan Barros, a re tired merchant of Juarez. He was a widower with this one granddaughter who had been educated in the United States. They had lived happily to gether until the revolution had' brought hostilities to their doors. The loss of their home followed aud now he was on his way to El Paso where he had a brother; once there he would make a Siptne for himself and Almeda. If the kindly Americano would help them—the old man's voice had failed here. Blake Converse did help them across the border and delivered them into the hands of an escort which would see that they reached El Paso It was not surprising that the young soldier should obtain leavo of absence and hurry to El Paso to make a ceremonious inquiry concerning the health of Almeda's grandfather, and such was Blake's solicitude for the old Mexican and so warm were the greetings that he received from both the refugees that he was encouraged to repeat these calls until old Juan Barros smiled into his beard and was ready with his blessing upon them long before Blake found courage to ask it Body Cells and Foods “The cells of our body never learn what the character of the food which we eat really is." With this sentence, delivered at a recent meeting of Swiss men of science. Prof. Emil Abderhal den has concisely defined a modem viewpoint of nutrition which is rapid ly becoming prominent Before they ’cave the alimentary tract the food stuffs which we eat are broken up into fragments that serve as the real food of the body. Complex carbohydrates are resolved into sugar; fats are split into glycerol and fatty acids; proteins yield an aggregation of characteristic substances. Indeed, the main function of digestion Is to put these compara tively simple “building stones” at the disposal of the internal tissue cells so that they can select or further re arrange them as the special functions require. Whether it is meat or cereals that we eat is. after all, largely a mat ter of indifference, for they all furnish similar digestion fragments, so long as the digestive processes perform their duty—Journal or the American Medical Association. Not an Absolute Embargo. The expert burglar, disdaining the j use of explosives, had attacked the ! itself. “This may be a combina ; tion somewhat In restraint of my trade," he muttered, turning the knob ! slowly to the right again and listen ing intently, "but you couldn’t call it a case of unreasonable restraint" Apparently his view was correct, for presently he was engaged in the un restricted pursuit of his trade, and reaping large profits. Unclassed. Visitor—Now, Willie^ let’s see how much you know of the physiology you are studying. What part of the ani ! mal kingdom do I belong to? Willie—1 don’t know. Pop 8ays ; you’re an old hen and mom says ! you’re an old cat