OBTAIN. ee
SUSAN DREW
Jack London
I lustrations by
John O.Todaml
SINSKT OF pi! and blue and rose
palpitated on the horizon. A tapestry
of misty rain, draping downward
from indefinite clouds, obscured t lie
eastern line of sea and sky. Midway
between, slightly nearer to the rain, a
painted rainbow reached almost to the zenith. So
lofty was its arch that the ends seemed to curve in
ward to the ocean in a vain attempt to complete the
perfect circle. Into this triumphal arch, toward the
blue twilight beyond, sailed an open boat.
Nor did ever more strangely freighted boat lloat
on the Pacific. In the sternslieets, on the weather
side, a stupid-looking Norwegian sailor, in uniform
of a quartermaster, steered with one hand, while with
the other he held the sheet of the spritsail. From a
holster, belted about bis waist, peeped the butt of a
business-like revolver. His cap lay on his knees, re
moved for the sake of coolness; and his short llaxen
hair was prodigiously ridged over a bruise of recent
origin.
Meside the sailor sat two
women. The nearer one was
comfortably stout and ma
tronly, with large, dark eyes
full, direct, human. Her
shoulders were protected
against sunburn by a man's
light overcoat. Because of the
heat, this was open ami un
buttoned, revealing the decol
lete and rich materials of din
ner dress. Jewels glinted in
the hair, at the neck, and on
he fingers. Meside her was a
oung woman oi two or three
find twenty, likewise decollete,
sun-shielded by a strip of
stained oilskin. Her eyes, as
well as the straight fine nose
and the line of the red curve
of the not too passionate
mouth, advertised the closest
relationship with the first
woman. In the opposite stern
sheet and on the first cross
sent, lolled three men in black
trousers and dinner jackets.
Their heads were protected by
small squares of stained oil
skin similar to that which lay
across the young woman's
shoulders. One. a youngster
of eighteen, wore an expres
sion of deepest yearning; the
second, half as old again,
talked with the daughter; the
third, middle-aged and com
placent, devoted himself to the
mother.
Amidships, on the bottom
alongside tlio centerboard ease,
sat two dark-eyed women, as
evidently maids as their na
tionality was, respectively, the
one Spanish and the other
Italian. On the other side of
the. centerboard, very straight
backed and erect, was an un
mistakable Knglish valet, with
gaze always set on the middle
aged gentleman to anticipate
any want or order. For'ard of
the centerbonrd and just aft
the mast-step, crouched two
hard-featured Chinese, both
with broken bends swathed in
bloodv swent-cloths, both clad
in dungaree garments, grimed anil blackened with oil
and eoaldusl.
When it is considered that hundreds of weary
-en leagues intervened between the open boat and
the nearest land, the inappropriatencss of costume
of half of its occupants may be appreciated.
"Well, brother Willie, what would you rather have
or go swimming?" teased the young wo-iian.
"A cigarette, if Harrison were n't such a pincher,''
the youth answered bitterly.
"I've only four left," Harrison said. "You've
smoked the whole ease. 1 've had only two."
Temple Harrison was a joker. He winked privily
at Patty Clifford, drew a curved silver case from his
hip pocket, anil carefully counted the four cigarettes.
Willie Gifi'ord watched with so ferocious infatuation
that his sister cried out :
"M-r-r! Stop it ! You make mo shiver. You look
positively cannibalistic."
"That 's all right for you," was the brother's retort.
"You don't know what tobacco means, or vou 1 look
The (kipper again caught tight of handt and tried to (ling them from him,
camnlmlMic yourself. You will, any way," he con
cluded ominously, "after a couple of days more. I
noticed you were n't a bit shy of Inking a bigger cup
of water than the rest when Harrison passed it
around. 1 was n't asleep."
Patty Hushed guiltily.
"It was only a sip," she leaded.
Harrison took out one cigarette, handed it over,
and snapped the ease shut.
"Mlackniailor !" he hissed.
Put Willie (lill'oiil was oblivious. Already, with
trembling lingers, he had lighted a match and was
drawing the first inhalation deep into bis lungs. On
his face wns n vacuous ecstasy.
"Kverything will come out all right," Mrs. Clifford
was saying to Sedley Mrown, who sat opposite her in
the sternslieets.
"Certainly; after thu miracle of Inst night, being
saved by some passing ship is the merest bagatelle,"
ho agreed. "It m a miracle. 1 can not understand
now how our party remained intact ami got away in
the one bont. And if it had n't
been for the purser, Peyton
would n't have been saved, nor
your maids."
"Nor would we, if it had n't
been for dear, brave Captain
Ashley," Mrs. (JitVord took up.
"It was he. ami the first offi
cer." "They were heroes," Sedley
Mrown praised warmly. "Put
still, there could have been so
few saved, I don't see . . ."
"I don't see why you don't
see, with you and Mother the
lieaxiost stockholders in the
line." Willie Clifford dashed
in. "Why should n't they have
made a special effort 7 It was
up to them."
Temple Harrison smiled to
himself. Petweeu them, Mrs.
(lill'ord and Sedley Mrown
owned the majority of the
slock of the Asiatic Mail
the nourishing steamship line
that old Silas Clifford had
built for the purpose of feed
ing his railroad with through
freight from China and .Inpan.
Mrs. (iilVoril bad married his
sou, Seth, and the stock at the
same time.
"I am sure, Willie, we were
given no unfair considera
tion." Mrs. (liU'onl repriced.
"Of course, shipwrecks aie at
tended by confusion and dis
order, and strong measures are
necessary to stay a panic. We
were very fortunate, that is
all."
"I wasn't asleep," Willie
replied. "And all I 've got to
say is, it 's up to you to make
the hoard of directors pro
mole Captain Ashley to be
Commodore; that is, if he ain't
dead and gone, which I guess
he is."
"As I was saying," Mrs.
Clifford addressed Sedley
Mrown, "the worst is past. It
is scarcely a matter of hard
ship ere we shall he rescued.
The weather is delight fill, and
the nights are not the slightest
