Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, February 14, 1904, Page 15, Image 35

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    February 14, 1004.
THE ILLUSTRATED TEE.
15
much reflection brought Into his fingers'
an almost uncontrollable tendency to loose
their hold on the frail support which was
within their grasp.
There were moments when he felt con
vinced that this would not lie so bad a
plan; but before he yielded to their tempta
tion, he invariably considered the old man
who was hound there upon the grating
and who was certain to perish In his help
lessness if he, r.irton, did not keep cour
age. The fact that that same loss of cour
age would bring bis own death did not
seem Important to him.
He loosened one set of stiffened fingers
after the other and gazed with salt-blurred
eyes at them.
His hands were wrinkled by the sea as a
laundress' are wrinkled by her suds.
Then, suddenly, he realized that he was
thirsty.
Ho had been attacked by the worst of nil
the many enemies that might seek to de
stroy him there at sea.
The fatigue which made his every bone
and muscle cry out with pain for a repose
which he knew was utterly Impossible was
nothing. The continually Increasing cold
which was creeping upward from his feet
was nothing. The dangers that the winds
might rise and that the swells on which ha
rose and fell so easily would be capped
by overwhelming, beating, stifling crests of
broken sea and foam were nothing.
The danger that he might lose conscious
ness and fall to keep his lungs sufficiently
filled with air to support his dangling
body was nothing. The Indefinite longing
In his stomach for Bolld food was nothing.
Rut the thirst for fresh water as he
floated there In that vast. Illimitable liquid
wilderness of salt was everything!
He tried to thrust the thought of thirst
away; but could not. From time to time
traces of ocean brine found their way
Into his mouth, no matter how he tried to
keep It tightly closed. In all his life he
bad never known so maddening a sensa
tion. Its agonies Increased with sickening
rapidity. It was hard for him even to
guess at the hour from his rare and Meet
ing glimpses of the sinking sun. Hut he
knew from the fading daylight that night
would soon be on him night when, even If
some ship .should pass close to him, there
would lie almost no possibility that he
would be discovered and picked up.
His Increasing weariness and weakness
were lecomlng so great that he had small
hope of being able to support himself until
daylight should come again. He consid
ered the idea of lashing himself to the
grating which supported the captain, but,
testing it, he found that a very little
further pressure would submerge It and
that thus neither would be saved.
He felt no hesitation in arriving at his
resolution to hang on ns long as he could
without jeopardizing the captain's support,
and then to let go and slip down Into -the
deep as quietly as he could. He wondered
If he would struggle when the time came
for this final cessation of lesistunce against
the fate that pursued him with such ap
parent relentlessness.
Brownie and the Bolo
(Continued from Page Four.)
weight when lifted by one end or the mid
dle. Thus treated, the strip is used for
weaving In the basic plan of the roof. A
lattice of these strip Is laid on the un
shaven bamboo poles as supports, the poles
themselves being fastened to the sills and
comb by strings made of a native trass or
rattan cord. Am a matter of fact these
poles are sewed down, the needle being
made out of a piece of bamboo. In some
Instances the bamboo "nail" la used, being
driven into a hole cut in the bamloo pole.
The lattice work completed, then comes
the nipa. The Filipino puts on layer after
layer of these broad, tough leaves, similar
to the palm from which fans are made.
"With his hand-made needle and his natural
thread sometimes It also is hand-made,
being shaved down from bamboo strips he
sews the thick thatch securely together.
Does It turn water? Shingle roofs some
times leak, the nlpa roof never, provided
It is properly put on, after the most ap
proved manner of the Filipino carpenter.
It is rather slow work, but It Is sure. The
native stands on scaffolding made entirely
of bamboo, tied with bamboo strings. If
lie happens to tear his trousers he patches
the garment with his. bamboo needle and
bamboo thread. Nature is kind to the
Filipino. What more could any man avk
than his house building material, his
furniture stock and hl clothes repairing
apparatus right at his elbow?
burins the snow blizzard in latter
Januury the Filipino at the World s fair
kept indoors most of the lime. Hume of
He did not feel at all certain that he
would be able to resist the impulse to fight
d.'ath In case there remained in him
strength enough to make it possible.
He tried to summon vitality enough to
enable him to rise in the water suffi
ciently to peer Into the face of the silent
sailor, but found It impossible. Even
when he tried to shout to him he had
a strangely sentimental desire to bid the
old man farewell he had to give the
eff irt over.
His breath was coming In short, quick
gasps. It had been a long time since he
had been able to really llll bis lungs with
satisfying inspiration. His lips began to
crack from the action of the salt water
and the fever of the excitement into
which the events of the day had plunged
him. He knew, too, thnt his fever was In
creasing, for he continually felt warmer,
whereas not long before he had been op
pressed by a constantly Increasing chilli
ness. That the end of his endurance could not
be far away he wan convinced, liecnuse of
several symptoms which he definitely felt,
but still could scarcely recognize as per
sonal. His hands had become so stiffened
that when there was a slight additional
strain brought upon him by the heaving
of a wave he felt his set fingers slip, each
time a little nearer to the corner of the
grating, and there was no power In them
to unloose and take a new and firmer hold.
He felt, too, that his mind was wander
ing. Another attempt to rouse the cap
tain with a shout resulted In the emission
of nothing louder than a husky whisper.
His consciousness, he reflected, did not
seem to be slipping from him. but be felt
certain that It was becoming deranged.
He hovered curiously In a strange bor
derland between sanity and delirium, lie
knew that many of the thoughts which
flitted through his throbbing bniln were
vagaries, but It was at times difficult to
tell which were facts and which were
fancies.
Once or twice he caught himself trying
to force what seemed to lo a secondary
mind to believe that he was again lying
out upon the veldt In Africa and that the
ocean and the horrors which had recently
occurred upon It were the dream: only, a
moment later, to believe that he was really
on the sea and that the undulating plain
lie saw before him was the dream.
He did not realize that one of the looped
lines with which the captain had been tied
upon the raft had been loosened nnd
drifted Iwtekward in a noose which had
caught him around the shoulders and
was helping to support him that be had
been unconsciously nnd loosely lashed to
to the Improvised raft In such a way that
the additional strain of his weight was as
cunningly swung from Its middle as if the
ropes had been Ingeniously adjusted for the
purpose.
As he turned his face was less frequently
wetted by the waves. He did not liecome
wholly unconscious, but he must have been
near to It.
For a time he dimly knew that he was
triem were very much alarmed because
the snow continued to fall for nearly two
days. Tbey were afraid that they would
lie snowed In so that communication with
the city and necessary supplies would be
cut off. But as. the islanders never saw
any snow until they came to St. Louis their
fears can be forgiven them.
One of the large buildings already com
pleted on tha Filipino tract Is the Urand
restaurant. In front of this building a
Filipino band of forty pieces will play
during the fair. The roof U of bamboo and
nipa. The interior finish is in native
Filipino woods, some of them of extreme
hardness and splendid gloss.
The "Intramuros," or walled city of old
Manila, accurately reproduced, is also com
pleted. Visitors entering the Filipino
reservation from the main part of the ex
position will cross a heavy, solid looking
bridge that spans the Iagnna de Hay. This
is reproduced from the celebrated I'uente
de Kspana, crossing the Pnsig river at
Manila. The substantial masonry Is ex
cellently counterfeited In staff and wood.
There are two other bridges across the
Iaguna de Buy, 'built of bamboo. In the
waters near by are little huts made entirely
of native materials, thatched with nipa
gras;i, both roof and side walls. In the
trees not far away are queer-looking
houses, where the fee-dwebing FUlpIn wl 1
have Ids habitat.
The walled city is 2Sux3' feet in dimen
sions. The Agriculture building, in which
will be a wonderful display of resources of
the Island soil, is L'lii feet long and 75 leet
wide. The forestry of the I'hhipplnes
wonderful mahoganies, tuufcli bunava and
floating almost flat upon his bark nnd he
vaguely wondered why his hand still '
clusped the grating. In reality It had be
come wedged lienrath the ropes, nnd his
wrist had dislocated as his body had been
swung over by the action of the waves.
Gradually he felt that some strange
change must be coming In the old man's
condition, for he could hear his heart beat.
That seemed most, extraordinary, and he
tried to Hcak to him, but could not. That
strange beating of the captain's heart grew
louder He felt a mild wonder at this
pathological marvel, but could not tlx his
mind on it.
Then he heard Norah's voice. It wns not
quite as musical and pleasant ns It had
been In the house at Kusxelt Hquarc, but
he was Mire It wm her voice. Also It called
hint "I'arton" ninny times, and he won
dered at her omission of the "Mister." It
was pleasant to hare her leave It out, but
It would have been pleasantrr If she would
have called him by bis first name.
Again the waves slowly shifted his posi
tion and her face became more ckarly out
lined to his fancy. She was singing In a
loud, somewhat harsh, monotone, which
rose and fell strangely and was very pene
trating. The whole air seemed to vibrate
with the greatness of the sound. As he
Idly gazed at her lietween the waves for
now every moment or two a wave seemed
to rise between her face and his she
seemed to become strangely swart, and her
face gtew very large.
Larger and larger grew that face and
there was a strange change about the eyes.
One of them altered from the heiiu'ilful
gray blue, which he so will remembered,
and became a vivid, brilliant green. The
other changed to gleaming red. and they
rose, slowly, as if they had been some dis
tance off from him and were now approach
ing swiftly.
lie heard hi r speak. II was not her
Voice that came from her, but many voices,
and there oimijd to be a strange confusion
of tongues.
Her face loomed larger on the water
grew tcrrifylngly, overwhelmingly large
and the many voices assailed his ears
with sound, which wan strangely and al
most stupel'yingly Interrupted by three
loud, quick, hoarse screams, such as be
could not remember ever having heard a
human being emit before.
It pubsed him with" a tremendous rush
of waters and a strange hissing as of
steam, and then a wave washed quite over
him, and for a second brought him back
to sense again. His conscious moment was
not long; but It was not too brief for him
to realize that the face had been n great
steamer's bow which had swept past him,
that the eyes had lioen her port and star
board lights, that the great voice had lieen
her siren whistle, that the lesser inurmur
ings had been shoutings from it deck.
How long . afterwards it was that he
felt strong arms reach under him and lift
him lute a ship's boat which floated by
him on th" water, while others cut the
captain loose and took him in, he never
felt certain from his own impressions.
The people on the ship who had seen tho
manave, and many other woods of high
commercial value will be shown In a
building 150x100 feet. Ethnology has a
structure 150x75 feet. Education occupies
a building 150x50 feet. The Filipino Gov
ernment building is 150x100 feet, and the
native dwellings about the central plaza
occupy lOOxlOt) feet. There is to be a market
place, where the natives will buy their
provisions, sell their wares, loaf and swap
Jokes just as they do at home.
Kvery tribe will lie represented. The non
christlan tribes of the wild interior will be
seen. The dainty, dandy Filipino of the
metropolis, Manila, will be there In his
gladdest garh. Bewitching beuulies of
dusky hue will promenade the plaza, doubt
less casting roguish "glances do the Fillpln' s
flirt? at the American gallants who pass
along.
The I'nlted Htates government Is back
of this Filipino exhibit. Huch Is the
magnitude of the thing that it Is called,
with excellent reason, an exposition within
an exposition. UOItKHTl'S l)VK.
Glimpse Into Mythylogy
Cadmus had completed the ulphutct.
"It will do very well for the rank nnd
file," observed a friend, "hut you ought to
add a few b iters for the upper i rust."
Anxious to please, thi learned Phoenician
Jotted down the characters, "It. H, V, I'."
One of the centaurs had Just broken the
mil- trot ting i eenrd.
"I certainly went n.rni !" he declared,
"ami think how much better I ould have
done had I used a wind shield!"
Throwing out hla chest, he went home to
floating gratings and their human freight
told him later that It was not more than
a few moments. He lost ronsclousncs
even that distorted, scml-dellrious con
sciousness whlrli had changed vivid ai tu. li
ttles Into puzzling npparlttons.
When lie awoke the sun was shining Into
a snug slate room on the strnnu'hip Kast
ernland. He was comfortably settled In
a wide berth with ilcliclotisly clean, whito
blankets wrapped around him. Standing
tit his side was the ship's doctor In his
natty uniform, and his eyes gradually grew
to look intelligently upon the scene and
his brain slowly awoke to the conscious
ness that he hud been picked up by l
steamship.
He gazed Inquiringly at the doctor, who
returned his earnest stare with a good
natured grin and a picas tnt but somewhat
dls-'oncertljig order not to tire himself by
trying to talk. Then, as lie looked Into
his eyes, he saw them shift quickly toward
the foot of the lerth In which he was lying
and caught a fleeting glimpse of a grsce
ful, skirted figure which had been standing
there, but which quickly dlspeai'cd
through the cabin door.
He made no attempt to comment on it,
but turned over and closed his eyes with
that pleasant sensaMon which comes to all
of us when we ore conscious that we aia
about to fall Into restful slumber.
He had small curiosity about anything
Just then. He could feel that bis right
arm was In splints, but It did not interest
him particularly. He only wished to go to
sleep.
He heard some one say to him thai Cap
lain Burger was better, and be was very
glad to know It; but he did not feel it neces
sary to make the effort which an answer
would require.
The last dim impression I hat fell unim
portantly upon bis mind was thai soma
one hail stuck a red bead Into the stale
room door and said In a loud wlilsp r:
"The captain's compliments, sir; and
would you step on dick, sir?"
Then he felt a delicious thrill of rest ful
ness spread through his body. It almost
sen.ed as If the ship must share It, for as it
stole over him there came that Indescrib
able Sensation which thrills every part ef a
steamship when Its engines are reduced In
siocd. He dreamily realized thnt ths
throhhlngs of the screw became less fre
quent and finally stopped. Then be went
to sleep, to dream pleasant dreams about
the girl he loved, In which the nlghtmarn
of his flight from loiulon. of his struggles
with the mnte on the l.ydl.i Hkolfeld. of the
wreck of that gallant barken time and his
subsequent escape with Its helpless cap
tain, played no xirt. but through which
there ran in stead a delirious monotone
as of her voice; In which there were ilim,
dream-built and delightful visions of her
face, and through which and in which
there was no hint of unpleasantness op
pain, but peace and Joy and rest fulness
and -Her!
(To He Continued.)
dreas for the horse show.
Dlomedea waa boasting of hla great war
record during the siege of Troy.
"Hush!" said a comrade. "If you are not
careful you will be boomed for president
on the democratic ticket!"
Koellzing tha Impending danger, Dlo
medeo closed his fflce forthwith.
Hebe, while serving Jupiter and a party
of friends with Manhattan cocktails, fell
and spilled the liquor on her Worth gown.
"How careless of you!" exclaimed Jupi
ter. "Never mind," was tho ulry answer, "tha
drinks are on me!"
Knraged by this sally her mnster told
her to go to the cashier and get her time.-
Milwaukee Kentlnel.
Beveridgc on Struggle
(Continued from I'age Twelve.)
ness and lielter liquor and at tho pama
time the profits are enormous. lurlng 11)03
they amounted to more than the total ex
penscs of the army and navy, or to a sum
equal to about one-fourth of nil It costs
to run our government for a year. I do
not ay (his Is right; I merely give the re
suits. "There is i.nw talk of taking over tha
tea busiuc-s in the same way. The Itu-s-siaris
are the grcut'.st tea drink is on
earth, not excepting the Chinese, mid th
revenue from the lu'.e of tea wuu'd sp ed ly
wis oat any debt which might arise from
a war with Japan."
FIlANK tl. CAKl'KNTliH.