The storyteller. A MAN IN A MILLION

Waikato Argus, Volume IV, Issue 303, 18 June 1898, Page 1 (Supplement)

The storyteller. A MAN IN A MILLION

CHAPTER IX. Every week during his long imprisonment on the haunted island, Irvine committed two of those little sherbet bottles to the care of the ocean. Some one of them, surely, he thought, would be picked up by a passing vessel, and help be thus secured.

Wandering inland one day, Irvine saw a huge bird hovering in the air. He took careful aim—for every grain of powder and every pellet of shot were now of infinite value to him —and succeeded in killing it. It fell fluttering into a clump of trees about seventy yards away, and Monday, who on these sporting trips did duty as a retriever, was sent to find it. A few minutes afterwards Irvine heard a scream, and looking in the direction whence it came, beheld Monday running towards him. So quickly did he speed along, that he looked all legs, like the figure on a Manx penny. He could hardly describe what he had seen, but it must have been something strange and fearsome to cause such terror. Irvine did not hesitate a moment. He loaded his gun, this time with a ball cartridge, and advanced cautiously towards the thicket, Monday walking fearfully on tip-toe. Among the trees he came to an open glade, and in the centre thereof a post with a rusty chain attached and beneath, on the ground, a pile of human bones! Doubtless this spot had been the Bcene of some terrible tragedy in what are called " the brave days of old." This was a sight to appal a stouter heart than poor Monday's, aad one that made even Irvine shudder.

•' Oh come quick, master ! Don't you go to sit here, sah." But Irvine had already seated himself on the ground. He did not hear his servant's voice then, nor even notice his frightened, superstitious lookß. He was thinking of the long-forgotten past. The scene, or one something like it. which had been enacted in this glade, was conjured up before his mind's eye as he gazed on those terrible relics. The landing of the boats on the white coral shore; the two prisoners in chains, the pirate chief himself stern and fierce the arrival at the glade; the pitiful looks of the victims as they were being chained to a tree ; their unheeded appeals for mercy; their hopeless looks as they were left; and—but I dare not pursue the picture further, nor think of the broiling aun beating mercilessly downward on the wretches' heads, nor of the birds of prey hovering near, as the one Irvine had just shot had hovered; let us hope that their sufferings were brief, and be thankful to Heaven we live in happier times than those. Irvine rose slowly at last, and was about to follow Monday, who was nervously beckoning him on, and away from this ugly glade, when his eyes fell upon the figure of an X rudely carved with axe or sword on a tree opposite. Behind him, also on a tree, he found another X. A line drawn from cross to cross would pass close by the spot where the male factors had been hung in chains. The discovery struck Irvine as very strange. Those marks had been put there with a purpose. There could be no doubt of that. He went back now to his hut near the sea-beach, but in spite of Monday's terrified remonstrances, returned again soon, with some rude wooden tools. A line was marked out between the crosses, and both Monday and he commenced to dig along it. It was no very difficult task, for the ground was soft and sandy. Suddenly Monday shouted aloud—

' Come quick" sah. I not dig mo. Here is one coffin-lid !' It was no coffin-lid, however, but a trap-door, evidently the hatch-cover of some small ship. Irvine prized it open, and 10, here was the entrance to an underground cave or vault. Before it could be explored, another visit to the hut was necessary, for the cave was very dark. Fire was procured, and a torch made, and then Irvine cautiously lowered himself down. The sight he saw made him almost shout aloud for joy. Why, here in this cellar, was piled as much ivory, in the form of elephant's tusks, as would fill a large dhow, while, on a stone shelf in one corner, a bag of some kind stood. He kicked it with his foot, and it burst open, permitting a shower of golden coins to fall to the ground. Then came the saddening, sobering thought that all this buried wealth was of less value to him than firewood bo long as he remained a prisoner on tho island.

Never mind, while there is youth there is hopp, It took him three hours to unearth the store of ivory, and count the number of tusks, and the gold coins that fell from the bag. These latter were mostly Indian and Spanish, and he had therefore no means of telling their value ; but between them Monday and he counted three hundred and twenty splendid ivory tusks. Indeed, they seemed to have been a picked lot; there was not one of them in all the atack that would not have fetched

fcixty guineas in the market at Zan zibar.

Having placed them all back in the cave, they replaced the hatch, and once more covered the whole with mould.

gjAfter this strange incident the time seemed to drag past more slowly than ever. He could not keep his eyes off the sea. He never cared to be far from the beach. He felt nervous now, ill almost, and trembled in every limb when he attempted to walk any distance, while his sleep at night b'egan to be haunted by the most frightful dreams.

Was he going to be ill in earnest ? He feared so, and when one morning he. could barely stagger down to the sea-beach, where Monday was cooking the meagre apology for breakfast, then indeed he knew that the worst was come.

Poor simple Monday looked at his master, scared at first, and finally burst into tears. He took Irvine's hand, and, holding it affectionately to his brow, patted it as a child might have done.

'Oh, master, master,' he cried, 'de end is coining fo' true ! Wot shall Monday do when po' master go way to de land ob de Great Spirit V Gently nursed by the kindly negro, Irvine lay all day now in the soft warm sand at the mouth of the cave —seldom caring to move —his oyes bent ever, ever on the sea. One night while lying awake—as he thought—in his hammock, Irvine saw a figure in a dress of white and blue, with a gentle girlish face, and long flowing locks of brown hair, walking along the silver sand by the sea. It was Hilda. She entered the hut, and approached the hammock, but when, with a fond cry, ho stretched out his arms towards her, the vision fled.

It was but a happy dream. Yet all medical experience proves that happy dreams are the heralds of returning health. Next day, Monday found a hive of wild black bees in a small limetree, and joyfully brought the honey as an offering to his sick master. Day after day, Irvine partook of that honey, and day after day he gained in strength and spirits, and was soon able to sit up, though not to walk.

Monday's jov now knew no bounds, 'De honey hab done it,' he shouted, ( and de Good Spirit send de honey fo' true !' Irvine was lying as usual upon the saud one afternoon. He had been watching the sea so intently that his eyes felt tired and painful, and he had closed them at last, and slept. Monday was away looking after more hives; but, .hearing a distant shout, Irvine sat up. Yonder came his faithful servant, sure enough, reminding his master once more of the image on the Manx penny.

But the news he brought was startling in i ; s joy fulness. A dhow had cast anchor at the other side of the island, and a boat was speeding towards the shore. Irvine staggered to his feet, but tottered and fell again. ' Hurry, hurry, Monday !' he cried. ' See who they are. But, friends or foes, bring them here." * * * * *

Oh, the joy of that meeting ! An hour ago Irvine lay alone among the sand, ill and in despair ; now, his sister Flora was pressed to his heart and yonder stood Hilda, looking more beautiful than ever he had seen her, and smiling through her tears. Dear old McGregor was there too, and even Clements. 4 Don't all go and leave me. Oh, don't go !' It was Irvine's voice, the tones wore peevish, pleading, plaintive. " What d'ye mean, dear boy 1 We have come for you—come to take you away home.'

" No, no, no ! I've had visions like this before. This will fade and fly like the Test." And it was long hours before Irvine could really be convinced that those he saw around him were creatures of flesh and blood, and not the baseless fabric of a dream.

The boat had gone back to McGregor's dhow-yacht for provisions, and in a short time Irvine began tobear a slight resemblance to his own happy self again. The dhow lay at anchor off Hooma-Hooraa for two weeks, by which time Irvine was almost completely restored to health. He was well enough now for embarkation, and he heard Hilda's story from McGregor's own lips ; that after she had consented at last to wed Clements she was taken suddenly ill, and that on recovery she was ordered to the Cape. The dhow was on its way thither when little 'Tinka one day, during a calm, clapped her hands and pointed to a bottle that was floating past. The note therein told Irvine's story ; his prayer had been heard, and the sea had faithfully delivered its message. They were alone, McGregor, Hilda, and Irvine, when the former told all this.

" And now," he added, ,( I am not going to war against Providence any longer. I prefer poverty and my child's happiness, to a success in life which I cannot secure without selling her to the highest bidder. Hilda go and speak to Douglas ; I am off for a walk on the beautiful beach.'

He lit a cigar and strode away

into the moonlight, leaving the lovers to themselves. Just a quarter of an hour after this they presented themselves before him. They were hand in hand Hilda's eyes were cast down, but Douglas Irvine looked manfully in McGregor's eyes. " Wo have made itall up, father, he said. But next day came the grand surprise, which till now Irvine had held back. He took McGregor and Clements inland, with Monday carrying spade and axe, and great was the merchants' astonishment indeed, when the vault was opened discovering the store of wealth beneath. For a few minutes Clements looked dumbfounded. His heart was still on Hilda, and he had hoped against hope to the last. But now, why he simply behaved like a leal-hearted Englishman. " Give me your hand, young Irvine,' he said ; " and I wish you all the joy and happiness you deserve in life." Then they shook hands all round. " Ah, partner !" said McGregor, " I knew all along you had a right true heart within that breast of yours." The treasure was loaded up that very day, and the return voyage to Zanzibar commenced. They had a duty to preform. The dhow-yacht reached port safe and sound within a week, and when in company with his friends, Douglas Irvine, alive and well stood before the Sultan, then even Zanzibar justice could no longer hesitate to set poor Yacoob free. There was great rejoicing at Glengyle House when Yacoob came home. Poor little Mrs Yacoob went into hysterics with joy to see her " good-for-nuffin' bamboo " once more before her. There was greater rejoicing still, however, and Glengyle House, at 800-boo-boo, was dressed in flags from roof to basement, when one morning the " Wasp's " cutter pulled round the corner, and from it landed the clergyman-who was to marry Hilda and Douglas Irvine. And the dhow-yacht was all ready and waiting to take the happy couple away to the Cape. A honeymoon at sea ! How delightful it sounds ! [The End].