Anenst 7, 1004.
TOE ILLUSTRATED BEE.
15
Mm, Bullitt," he commanded. "We'll take
him down an" tie him In his bunk an
we'll leave lm there until we're good an'
ready f'r him. See?"
O'Keefe did not resist They took him
down. . The mate produced soma heavy
rope and the captain Ued him with his own
hands. Then they left him. It wa about
dusk and the moon waa due In a couple of
hours. The captain and the mate then re
tired to the captain's room for supper.
Each ate and drank with a keen antici
patory relish of the coming affair.
Now, for the last few days both the mat
and the captain had been wining and din
Ins; to an extraordinary extent In honor of
their guest, whom they had supposed to
be Constitutional Smith. And, though In
toxicants Invariably arour- the captain's
pugilistic Instincts and put Into him the
strength and boldness of two men, they
dulled his caution with reference to other
things.
In his present condition he could fight
almost any man to finish, provided there
was a man to fight. But he ought not to
tiave attempted to tie rope. lis bad un
dertaken too nat a task when ho had
tried to bind O'Keefa.
O'Keefe lay In his bonk and submitted .
without a murmur to the binding; he had
dealt with drinking men before, and ho was
counting on a slip somewhere be knew
not where. But bo soon found out. lis
found that Jenks had been too overconfid
ent. Jenks had bound him, but he had not
bound him well enough. And he had not
left a man on guard.
While the captain and mate were feasting
up above, O'Keefa was struggling silently
In his bunk below. The rope was a new
and untried rope, and by dint of much
wriggling he succeeded la starting one of
the knots In It. Finally be was completely
successful. The rest was comparatively
easy work.
Finally BllUngtan O'Keefe crept from his
bunk and leaped silently upon the floor, a
free man, so far as the rope was concerned.
Ha climbed stealthily up the ladder knd
reached the floor above. There he found
a small piece- of lumber and with this In
hie hand, and his heart in his mouth. ' he
crept aft. He passed the captain's state
room and beard tbe hoarse shouts of laugh
ter that proclaimed that the captain was
Just getting into condition. Still traveling
toward the stern, be reached the deck.
The dusk bad deepened into darkness. OS
on the h orison the moon was Just begin
ning to make Itself visible.
Porwaid. here and there, b could dis
tinguish the figures of ene or two of the
crew. But aft. fortunately for himself,
ha waa alone. This was highly necessary
to his plan. Bl Kington OTteefe, from one
standpoint, was going to do a very foolish
thing. From bis owa standpoint ha was
doing the only thing that there was left
to do. He did not doubt for one Instant
that behind him was a man who. In bis
drunken frensy, would stop at nothing
short of murder. And ha did not relish
standing op to be made the victim of
another fierce onslaught lie was deter
mined to take his chances with old father
Neptune. He had gathereed on his way
one or two hard, moldy crusts of bread
and lie had saved up a Bmall store of pro
visions shortly after he had come aboard.
He had done this with the idea of ultimata
escape.
He reached the extreme stern. Out be
hind, over the water, there hung a fair
sized dingy. A pair of oars lay in It. Bil
llngton O'Keefe seised the ropo that held
, It In the davits and noiselessly released
It, band over hand. The boat gently low
ered itself to the surface of the ocean
and BUlington O'Keefe leaped over the
ta Trail and followed suit. He was no
sailor, but necessity, like experience, la .
a first-class teacher.
There was a strong breese and the
Ssrah Margaret was scudding along under
full sail.
Biltlngton O'Keefa reached his row boat,
east off tha blocks, seised the oars and
adjusted them in the oar locks. Then,
with a few strokes, he swung his boat
about. Then, half raising himself In his
eoat. ha turned and shook his fist vindic
tively In tha direction of the "Sarah Mar
garet" It was goodby forever, so he
hoped. He grasped his oars and rowed
for dear Ufa. Ha didn't know where or
how to go. But be knew one thing. The
"Sarah Margaret" was scudding away In
one direction and he was rowlug steadily
but surely la tbe other.
Bulow, tha captain had sent Bullitt on
dark to take a squint at tbe-moon. Bullitt
squinted. He saw more than one; be saw
a multitude of moons all of them was
fun. Just as ha was himself. Ha went back
and reported.
The captain poured out two more large
drinks. lie drained one himself and passed
the other over to Bullitt.
"Now," roared Captain Jenks of the
"Sarah Margaret," "I feel as fit as a fiddle.
Iet's go and get that son of a seacook.
and Til knock him Into the middle of next
week In two shakes of a lamb's tall. By
George, I will."
They went below to find BlUinjrton
O'Keefe, Impostor. Naturally they did not
find him. The bird had flown. The cap
tain swore and yelled with disappointment.
He and Ballitt searched the ship without
success. Then they set tbe crew to work,
but without success.
Finally, one of the crew reported that
the boat was missing from the davits aft.
Then the captain roared again. He was
beside himself.
"Get a telescope!" ha yelled to Bullitt.
Together they scanned tha moonlit surface
of tha sea. But upon It there was no
small boat, no BUlington O'Keefe.
Captain Hold worthy Jenkins, baffled,
started In and licked every common sea
man In the crew. And he started In with
the man who had reported that the little
boat was missing. Like many other peo
ple, Captain Jenks had little use for tha
bearer of bad news.
CHAPTER VIIL
Tha Ir iartpellty f Swat.
Tha Island of Swat' Is one of tha many
unnoticed bits of land In tha Paciftc ocean,
and many Teasels have anchored there, but
for a short period of time, only to weigh
anchor and proceed.
An article on the Island of Swat may
be found In at least one of tbe late en
cyclopaedias, but the searcher after knowl
edge must be careful to distinguish this
Island of Swat from tha other principality
of Bwat, which is located la the ' north
western part of India. And, though both
of these principalities bear tha same name.
It Is doubtful whether In any sense they
have ever had any connection, the one
with tha other. It Is probable that tha
derivation of tha name In the one In
stance .was different from the derivation
of the name In the other. It is, of course,
possible that some of the inhabitants of
the island might harve drifted in ages past
into India, or vice versa. However, the
two countries are separated ha this sge not
only by distance, but by customs and
habits and other characteristics as W1L
Tha Inhabitants of Swat were well enojgh
in their way, and the majority of thorn
weighed enough, too; but they were 2.OJ0
odd years behind the tune. In appearance
they seemed to be a cross between the
African and the Mongol. Their men were
handsome and their women were beautiful;
but they were almost hopelessly stupid.
These people of Swat were not a war
like race, as savage races go, but they
had Ideas of their own and they were
stickler for those Ideaa.
Bat, as has been said, they were stupid.
This Is true of other races. The traveler
In Cairo or Alexandria may stt upon the
veraada of a modern hotel, equipped with
every modern eoavezriep.ee and luxury and
invention, In the midst of people who are
the foremost reprenentatrrea of the twen
tieth century, and ha may look over the
railing and oat upon the street and sea
myriads of men and women who dress and
act and talk as did their ancestors thou
sands of years ago. Tha natives appar
ently have not moved forward; civilisation
springs up about them, but they remain
the same.
Thus It waa with, the Inhabitants of
Swat. Each of them waa the same old
two-and-eixpeaee that be would have bean
centurtes ago. Each lived In the same old
way, plowed la the same old way. dug
houses In the same old way. lit fires la the
same old way and they were ail happy.
This sluggishness waa due In great part
to tbe fact that the Inhabitants of Bwat
constituted a very close corporation. They
were separated by many miles from any
other island, and they were Jealous of their
own right, to exclusiveness. They- did not
visit, and they did not Invite. It was due
further to the fact that they did not en
courage the encroachments of the whites.
At some period In their history the white
men had maltreated and abused them, and
they were through with white men for good
and all at least that Is what they hoped.
Vessels stopped there, it is true . Sometimes
the white men went ashore and attempted
to make a trade or two, but they were re
ceived with scant courtesy. although not
with active hostility. But the white men
cared but little for the place. For it waa
as uneventful and unproductive a place as
might well be Imagined. Upon tbe Island
of Swat there was positively "nothln
doln' at any season of the year. Other
Islands and other countries Invariably nave
some commodity or commodities desirable
or useful In some way to the Inhabitants of
civilised countries, bat not so the Island
of Swat. For Swat was sul generis one of
ita own kind.
From one standpoint the Island of Swat
would have been a study for those who are
interested In what are known as "com
munity interest" governments. For among
themselves the people lived a peaceable life;
strife was known only at the end of many
years; every man divided with his neigh
bor, and save for the Akoond and his im
mediate retinue which was, however,
small no man lived better than tha other.
There was nothing to fight for. There was
little or no fighting over the women, for
the women considerably outnumbered tha
men, and each rarin had his quota of wives.
And even if one man happened to fancy
the wife of another and win her, the latter
seldom made a fuss. A wife more or less,
what did It matter? And so they lived
their inoffensive lives in the same manner
and with the name aids nnd utensils and
devices as did their forefathers in the year
one.
And the akoond? Well, after the man
ner of all nations, ancient and modern, tlie
akoond was cl.osen from among the 'rest
by reason of Just - one quality which ho
alone enjoyed. The akoond Invariably waa
the strongest man, and because of that be
was the csar, the sultan, the absolute ruler.
His word was law. Is it not so cvorywheraT
Are not the leaders chosen In monarchy or
democracy for their strength and that
alone? It may be financial strength. In
telligent strength or the strength and abil
ity to Influence men, but It Is always for
strength that men are selected, from the
ward leader up to the president of the
United States. And when all Is said and
done the selection and election of rulers Is
always a lottery, and It may be just as
well to choose leaders for their physical
strength as for ability la any other direc
tion. At any rate. Just so long as tha akoond
could bold his own he maintained his su
premacy; but the office, like the prise ring
championship, was always open to new
comers. Tha husky youngsters of Swat
were told time and again by their parents
that some day, who knows, they might be
future akoonds or Swat. And tie few or
the youth wbo had ambition Immediately
went Into training from the day almost
that they were able to walk. But the
akoond himself, a huge black man, with
rather a sinister countenance tha others
as a rule were brown and pleasant of face
generally was able to hold his own. for
there were many claimants of the crown,
and tbe onslaughts ef these claimants con
stantly kept him In very fit condition. At
one time he came very nearly going under,
for. by virtue of a happy thought of one
of the young men, a syndicate or claim
ants was formed, which agreed not to dis
turb the akoond for at least a year or two,
during which time 1t was quite evident he
would become somewhat fat and unwieldy.
At the appointed ttmo the members of the
syndicate, by a process of elimination and
preliminary triala chose their best man.
and he met the akoond. But the akoond
Was a man of too large experience and he
knew too many tricks, and the great heir
presumptive syndicate of Swat, like many
another trust, failed signally,
nh e.n hlsow selff hrd etoo eU eteolnnn
It has been said tluU the inhabitants of
Swat had no love for the white man. This
is literally true. But every rule is known
by its exception The Inhabitants were
deeply religious and supers titious, as was
natural and to be supposed. They believed
in divinities and Bigna Ih fact, it was be
cause their ancestors bad believed white
men to be divinities, and because the di
vinities had taken them in .la a dastardly
way, that they tabooed all white men as a
class.
One day, however, a few of the natives
were siting in a group upon the beach.
They were there not -without a purpose.
For far out, a mere speck upon the ex
panse of ocean, was an infinitesimal object
slowly moving In upon them.
From a mere atom upon the face of the
water this thing became an aggregation
of atoms. When It came into full view It
turned out to be a man a white man,
bared to the waist, and rowing steadily
bat feebly In a small dory. From time
to time he turned and looked toward the
shore. Then he turned and rowed again.
The group of natives finally rose to Its
feet nnd stood In expectant attitudes upon
the shore at the very water's edge. The
white man was very near. Suddenly he
summoned all his strength, pulled a mighty
stroke upon his oars, and as the boat,
under Its Influence, shot ahead, he dropped
back into it, completely fagged ouL Ha
had fainted from exhaustion.
The black men gathered round about
him and pulled him from his boat, whkh
had been buttered by tbe waves, and luld
him flat upon the shore. They gated upon
lilm for an Instant Then a wild hubub
rose among them. For one man, an old
one, was pointing with long, lean finger
to the middle of the white man's bared
breast.
The other yelled with excitement. Then
one man ran to a low shed some distance
away and fetched a gourd. Its contents
he hurriedly poured down the white man's
throat.
The white man coughed and spluttered
and revived. Then two or three of the
group, still pointing excitedly to the whit
man's chest, lifted him and carried him
through the constantly Increasing crowd
far up Into the grove of trees. There they
set up a series of howls and brought forth
first, another retinue of men, and last,
but not least, a black man of gigantic pro
portions. The excitement heightened. The black
man stepped into the center of tbe group.
Once more they pointed to tha whit man'
breast. The black man took one look and
then, without hesitation, be made a low
obeisance to tbe white man, and especially
to the white man's breast.
There was nothing which would have
been ordinarily remarkable about the white
man's breast except that upon It, tattooed
la a variety of colors, was the figure of
a snake, colled and Just ready to strike.
Bat the black man, grasping the white
man's hand In his own and touchlug him
upon the breaBt, suddenly raised his bead
and looked Into tbe air.
In front of the group stood a grotesque
building' of a crude manufacture and from
the welter of tin; b:.-ildlng a Jong, strong
pole ri&rftU lacXt toward the sky. And upon
the top of this pole there was perched
something that at first the white man
could not make out. Finally, however,
he discovered what it was. It was nothing
more or less than a crudu image of a
serpent. This serpent was coiled and Its
head was pulsed Just ready to strike. It
waa the counterfeit presentment of tha
tattooed figure on the breast of the white
man. Then the while man understood.
The snake was the god. the guiding spirit
of the men alnuit him. And he, the white
man, hud upon his breast none other than
the holy mark. He was a mnn among
men, this white man. lie understood that
at once. The black man, of course, was the
Akoond or Swat. The white man was
none other than BUlington O'Keefe.
(To be continued.)
An Easily Won Race
Dr. James M. Anders, or Philadelphia,
who believes that violent athletic xer
ctaes have a harmful effect on the art-iiu
of the young, sold the other day:
"1 should like to see all tho more vio
lent forms of athletics reduced to the mod
eration that a fat friend of mine advo
cates. "My friend is six feet ta'l and ho wtlgha
290 pounda On day a slim youth said
to him:
" 'You, I fancy, can't do much In tho way
of running.
" "Oh. I don't know,' my friend replied.
'Would you like to race tne for a din
ner?' " 'Indeed r woukl,' said tha other, and be
gave a loud, mocking laugh.
" 'Well,' said my friend, 'I carry about
one hundred and fifty pounds more weight
than you, and that, in a hundred yard
dash, ought to entitle me to five yards
handicap.'
"I'll give you five yards handicap,' said
the slim youth.
" 'And will you let ma choose my,
ground?
" 'Gladly.'
"The two, with a half dnsen witnesses,
started forth at once for the race. My
friend led the crowd onward till he came
to a very long and narrow alley. He
walked Into It for a distance of five yards.
Then he halted. He blocked the alley up
comp:etely; between tho tall brick wills
there was Just room for his burly should
ers, and no mora.
'Take your place five yards behind me.'
he said to his opponent, 'and when I count
three start But you can take your tuna.
I am going to take mlna' "New York
Tribune.
Lessening Temptation
WeU, Caesar," said Colonel Kaintuok,
"I hear you've Joined the church?"
"Yes. sah," the old darky replied. "I
sho' has."
"That means you've reformed, of coarse."
"Oh, yes, suh, co'se it do."
"Well, now let's see how yoa'd 'asd
temptation. .Let's suppose a case. Sup
pose you were coming across my property,
Caesar."
"Yea suh."
"And you saw some object that belonged
to me. Suppose you saw a great big,
fat, juicy watermelon. You wouldn't steal
it, would you?"
Caesar shifted uneasily from one foot t
the other.
"Look yere. Kernel," be blurted finally,
"kynnt you make dot objack sotnepln elsa
besides er watermlllyn. suh?" Pittsburg
Post
rBAKER03ROSl
ENGRAVING C.
B. .-Jf.-, ---'V J.W.t . iUfcf
04O.OO A WEEK.
. lUllabU waa m ma
1 awon pjnlf wm man,f
point wmB ii hm.
i4m VaavstMOtUM
bun ma. HMifl Ja
A 1 . ii. i i iffi m
foil aa from karoMn f tnlat-rr mm a-rk iuu.
(till t-MiiiMa immmm Sar m
ofcl. wlinf Ofc ig. in. a-X. ImL
tl mttmr 4mm aTii. UuUiwFm WrtwUl.,
V art Mr, tfe. frSt Vf rt4 ilVtlMtNtji
------ -fpr
1 1
jv --" a
