The Sunday Oregonian., February 26, 1905, PART FOUR, Image 41

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THE. SUNDAY OREGONIAN, POETLANDr FEBRUA-BY. 26,, 1905..
The Race for Life With
THE GREAT Inland salt sea. of the
Great South Bay was frozen over
white and smooth from mainland to
bcaoh; but the south -winds had begun to
blow, and vague, ghostly noises stole over
the great expanse. Sometimes they
sounded like the wail of a far-away
.storm, but there was no storm; some
: times tliey sounded like cannon fired
miles away at sea, but there were no
xlilps oft shore tiring cannon; sometimes
they sounded like the peaceful, long
drawn sighs of a sleeper.
A stranger would have been puzzled
hopelessly to say what these strange
sounds were or meant; but the baymen
knew, and ail along the miles of shore
men hurried to drag boats as far up on
the land as they could, and to secure
houses and piers with chains, ropes and
spilos.
The Ice was getting ready to .move; that
is what the walling and the booming, and
the sighing meant. Deep under the silent,
motionless surface the tide" was loosen
ing the floes Inch by inch.
Standing on a point of the mainland
that jutted out into the bay, a boy of
about 13 years looked long and anxiously
toward a solitary shanty two miles from
land, perched on spiles In the very middle
of the white plain.
"Funny I can't see anything of him,"
said the boy to himself.
"Him" was his father. Captain Ruland.
Ho had gone to bis shanty, which stood,
on the marsh by his oyster grounds, to
look after things, and Jim knew that it
was high time for him to get back to
shore if he was to escape the ice-shove.
Captain Ituland knew It even better
than his son did, for from the shanty
could be seen a vast barrier of Ice piled
into hills 30 and 15 feet high by tide and
wind. Captain Ruland knew well that
when this mighty mass began to move,
as it might at any moment when the- tide
began to run strongly. It would make the
worst "ice-shove" of many years, and
that, strong as his shanty was, there was
ample reason to fear that It might be
crushed.
But he was helpless to escape, for a
beam had fallen on his leg and broken it
that morning.
He dragged himself into the shanty,
and now lay there so helpless that he
could not even hoist the flag at half-mast
to signal for help.
Luckily his son Jim, small as he was,
did not need any one to tell him that
something was wrong. He hurried along
shore to the little cove where he kept his
tiny scooter.
The scooter is the queerest boat in the
world. It is a little, flat-bottomed thing,
barely big enough to hold two men. and
Adventures
THERE could bo no doubt about the
presence of the ape on the island,
and the children folt that he must
he got rid of in some way as soon as
possible.
Charley had read of the monkey tribe
boing 'captured in tropical countries by
leaving strong drink where they could
get at It. and when he found the bottle
of brandy aboard the boat he determined
to follow the plan. The first thing was
to get a dish, and they returned to the
hut for that. Then a full pint of the
brandy was poured into about as much
fresh water and the dish left on the bank
near the boat.
The children had no doubt that the ape
was watching all they did from some near
by retreat, and that he would investigate
as soon a they had gone away.
'We will take a walk along the north
and west beaches and give him time,"
said Charlie, and a moment later they j
were among the trees and bushes. j
They walked the whole length of the I
west beach, stopping every few minuter
to give the sea a long look, but nothing
like a sail greoted their eyes. When they
had turned the north beach they nt once I
saw the smoke of a steamer and the glim
mer of two sail?, but all three craft were 1
far off and there was no hope of their j
coming nearer. J
Minnie began to weep after watching i
them for a few minutes, but Charlie
whistled as bravely as he could and re- j
fused to show any disappointment.
"We may sight 50 ships before one '
-comes near us," he said. "As there arc '
no people here and nothing to bring a (
large ship to the island, we must wait j
until a fisherman or shell-gatherer comes I
along. That may be tomorrow and it
may not ho for a month. If we can get
rid of the ape there will be nothing else
to make u afraid. I think It Is time to
go back and see If he' has fallen Into our
trap. Good gracious, what noise Is that!"
A noise as of a man shouting came to
their cars from the direction of the boat,
and believing that men might have land
ed at the mouth of the creek while they
were in the woods the children made
haute.
When they broke out of the bushes close
to the boat they expected to see another
craft there, but there was none. What
they saw was a monstrous big ape stag
goring about like a drunken man. In
fact, the animal was drunk. He had
swigged down every drop of the brandy
and wator and it had acted on him the
same as on a human boing.
Thoy were In plain view of him and
not over 30 feet away, but yet he did
not seem to see them. While they stood
lhorehegrabbed hold of a bush to steady
- . ' j I
j HE TORE THE BOAT'S TAIXTER LOOSE.
I ; I
SHE SLID PROM
It carries a great mainsail and a Jib. On
its bottom are metaL runners, one along
each side of the keel. Where the ice Is
strong and smooth the scooter skates
along exactly like an Iceboat, except that
it steers altogether with the sails, because
it has no rudder. But when the scooter
approaches open water or wide cracks In
the ice or very thin spots that cannot
support Its weight. It does not have to
of the Crusoe Children
himself and uttered three or four whoops
and then staggered down to the boaU
"He will get Into the "boat and go to
sleep' whispered Charlie, "and then we
must get ropes and tie him fast."
But the ape had other plans. He tore
the boat's painter loose and gave the
beat a shove as he sprang into her. She
was carried 15 feet from the bank, and
THE FLUSTERED BUSTARD.
"My wife." paid a fussy old Bustard.
"Has blundered again with my custard.
She must know that, of course,
I have grounds for divorce.
When she flavors my cuatard with mustard!"
as the tide was running out she began
to drift down toward the sea.
The boy could make no use of the boat,
not being strong enough to handle the
heavy ores, and knowing nothing about
sailing her, and she was therefore of no
more benefit to them than a plank. The
idea of .losing her, however, alarmed him,
and he rushed forward and shouted at the
ape.
The animal sat down on one of the
thwarts and winked and blinked in the
most solemn manner. He was too drunk
to do any more yelling. In five minutes
the tide had taken the boat out of the
an Ice-Shove
ICE TO WATER.
sheer oil like the ordinary Iceboat, but
heads at It and dives straight Into the
water.
It goes with a mighty splash, but
skims along if It is handled right, sails
across the open water and slides up on
the Ice again on the other side, for it can
sail Just as well on the water as on ice.
Fast as Jim worked, thctlde was faster.
When he had his sail up and slipped out
creek and In ten she was floating out to
sea. The ape might have been fright
ened had he been sober, but as It was. he
finally fell down on the botton to take a
long nap.
"Well, wc are rid of him." said Charlie,
when the boat was a mile away. "He may
reach sdme other island or the coast of
Venezuela, but he will bother us no more.
I am sure there is not another living
thing on the Island except tho birds, and.
now we can go and come and have noth
ing to fear. I was thinking of making
a flag out of the boat's sail as a signal,
but now we will have to do without."
There was still thrpc hours before twi
light, and the children spent them In
walking about and across the Island.
Every thicket was explored, and when
they had finished they were satisfied that
they were aldnc.
Then followed supper, and as both were
tired and sleepy they were oarly to bed.
Neither of them awoke before sunrise
next morning.
Now their real Crusoe life began. In
going around the Island Charlie had no
ticed that there was only one safe, landing-place
for a boat. That was at tho
mouth of the creek where thoy had been
driven ashore. In most other places there
was a rocky reef oft the shore.
If fishermen or others landed at all It
would be at the creek. If watch" was kept
on that particular point they need not
concern themselves about others. The
thing to do, as both children agreed, was
to set up some sort of signal at the creek
to let people know that there were two
castaways on the Island, and on the day
after the ape voyaged away this was done.
A pole was set up firmly in the ground
and some of the empty meat cans hung
to It with strings. As they had neither
pencil nor paper, they could leave no
message in a can. but with a charred
slick and a piece of board Charlie wrote
the word "Help" In large letters and fas
tened the sign to the same tree.. Any one
landing must see the things at once.
The days came and went, and one eve
ning as they sat at the door of the hut
talking they were surprised to find that
they had been on the island three weeks.
During tills time they had lived fairly
well, had both been In the best of health
and had suffered no hardships from the
weather. But things they could not fore
see were going to take place soon.
(To be continued.)
Mysteries of Steel and Iron.
Although the steel and Iron Industry Is
Written and Illustrated by Sarah Noble-Ives.
Jlnsy was fishing. So were Alf and
Donald, but that was another matter, for
Alf and Donald were bigger, and they had
truly fish poles and reels and A No. 1 lines.
I incj- naa gorgeous met, ioo. wnicn uiey
I called "Parrnacbinl Bel Its." "Sliver Doc-
tors" and other queer names.
I It stood to reason that the boys would
catch some fish. They had paddled out on
4 the pond, and were after trout.
J Jlnsy wanted to nth for trout, too, but
f she had been turned down as too small.
! She would be In the way, and they would
J get their hooks caught In her hair, and girls
I" didn't know how to fish, anyway.
I So Jlny sit on the end of the little dock-
1 on-sUlts. and the boys whipped their lines
I all over the pond In grand style,
f' But never C trout rose to the entlclnc
.
of the cove, he found a great and alarm
ing change in the fields of Ice. Great
cracks had opened In many directions;
the wailing and booming sounds came
more and more often, and with each one
a new crack would open. Here and there
whole floes moved slowly. Toward the In
let the white field was undulating. Jim
knew that it was a race for life then. He
could have turned back to shore easily,
but the thought, never entered his head.
He trimmed In his sheet and sped straight
for the little black shanty.
Over and over again he struck mush
ice that made a half-solid, half-liquid
mixture, through which even the wonder
ful scooter hardly could go. Once a big
floe broke away with a crash and a roar
just as the boat was on It. and the tre
mendous dip and roll, like that of a fall-'
ing Iceberg, nearly overwhelmed the tiny
craft. But Jim was a sailor boy, and he
reached the shanty at last, soaked to the
skin, but safe.
"Just in time, Jim, good boy." said his
father. "We haven't a minute to spare.
The shove is on, and the shanty Is going
to go. Hurry and help me crawl to the
boat."
They did hurry, but even as the scooter
got under way again there came a dull
rumble, like that of a long, heavy fraight
train going over a wooden bridge. Jim
looked over his shoulder and saw the
great Ice barrier moving down after
them.
The hills of Ice tossed and came down
In ruins. Other hills arose at once In their
places, forced up by the mighty pressure
underneath. Great cakes of ice. four feet
thick and a hundred feet across, heaved
themselves on end. shone green In the
sun and fell with thunder. The ebb tide
pushed behind 20 square miles of water
striving to get out to sea
Fast as the scooter sailed, the baymen
knew that the Ice-shove was moving
faster. Before they had sailed a thousand
feet, the ice was beginning to writhe and
billow under them. There was only one
hope, and "that was to sail straight for the
mainland without turning aside for any
thing. The least bUpf luffing or casing
oft would make the boat lose way enough
so that (he thousands of tons of ice that
were tumbling and crashing behind them
would catch them; and that would mean
the instant end of .the scooter.
So Jim sailed smack into air-holes,
drove headlong at great hummocks,
wrestled through mush Ice by helping the
boat along with hls,.plke-poIe. and darted
over drifting floes as If the boat were a
seal.
Just as he touched the mainland, he
could hear the roar of the "shove" al
most In his ears, but he did. not turn to
look. Quickly he gave a hand to his
father and helped him up the beach to
high land. When he turned the scooter
was gone. For an Instant he saw Its
mast toss in the Ice. That was the last
he ever saw of it.
Farther out. toward the Inlet, were some
black specks on the plunging floes. Thev
were the ruins of the shanty. Jim Ruland
had been Just In time.
one of the mightiest of the world, and
offer such rewards that some of the
greatest chemists and other scientists
study nothing else, there arc lots of ap
parently simple puzzles about it that no
one has been able to solve yet. The man
who discovers the right answer to one or
more of them may make a million dollars
out of It.
Everyone who handles steel- knows that
It gets "tired" at times. After a piece of
steel has been subjected to severe strain
for a certain period. It may suddenly show
a decided weakness. Then the experts sav
that it is tired, and so it is, for if it Is
allowed to rest awhile. It regains its old
strength.
Recently It has been found that a steel
beam can be made stronger by increasing
pie load on it gradually in other words,
by exercising It just as a man exercises
his muscles when he wishes to make
them stronger.
Very often new steel will not pass, tests
that it should pass,, but after a few weeks
it is found that it ha grown better and
passes the test beautifully. Then, again,
stoel that was perfect when it wns tested
often gets "sicje." . It cracks or becomes
brittle, although other steel may at the
same time In the same way remain per
fectly sound. No man knows today why
these things happen, but lots of people
are trying to find out.
Vast Travels of Drlftvood.
All Arctic travelers have spoken with
surprise of the vast quantities of drift
wood that arc to be found In the Polar
Seas. -Recently a Swedish botanist went
to the Polar regions for the solo purpose
of studying this, and "he found that most
of the wood In the Icy seas comes from
the forests of Siberia, and its drift seems
to show that there Is a current that ap
parently Is an arm of the Gulf Stream,
which flows along the .Artie shores of Si
beria. However, he found woods from
nearly all the rest of the world. There
were woods from trees from the West
Indies, plenty of, timber from the forests
of the United States, and some that came
even from Hawaii and as far away as
the coast of Lower California and the
Pacific coast of Mexico.
Dorothy Wondere.
I wonder what you think, dolly.
I wonder what you think.
When you stare out through the window
And never even blink.
I bonder If you wonder
Why you're different from me; '
I wonder do you over wish
A-human girl to b?.
Some ways It's better, dolly.
To be a doll like you. -J .
Because you Have no lessens
Or other things to do.' v
But then in other ways, dear,
. .I'd rather be like me.
For I can run and play. dear.
And grow up, don't you see!
HOW JINSY GOT THE FISH A
"LOOK, BOYS," SHE CRIED. "I CATCHED THEM ALL
flies. Jlnsy sdt patiently In one spot, and
dangled a bent pin from the end ot a pleco
of black linen thread. There was a tat
worm on tho pin. That was her whole stock
of bait.
Just as Jlnsy was beginning to feet a bit
noddy in the heat of the afternoon sen, she
aw & little ripple down along the bank a.
little way.
It kept moving nearer and nearer. It
spread out Into dozens of tiny ripples. Now
she" could see a flash of silver here and
there; then, as It came nearer, a great
many flaehe?. Jlnay nt up, still as & rook,
with her eyes like saucers. She was wide
awake now.
Then there came a. tus at her line. She
Jerked it up with a quick flop, and there
lay a fine perch on the dock. She threaded
It on her .forked twig and Inspected her bait.
dThe Birthday Marshmallows j
EC "VAS riARgHTTALLW A
6iM ARSHMAX.LOW." called papa.
jL.itiie Jiarsnmauow, cauea
mamma.
"Dear little Marshmallow," called
Sister Sue.
"What can have become of our little
girl?" said papa.
"I have not seen her for over an
hour." said mamma.
"She had on her hat and coat and
smiled a wise little smile as she went
out of the door." said Sister Sue.
No one would think that the name
of Marshmallow wns that of a little
girl, but it was and of a very dear
little girl who lived withher papa and
mamma and big Sister Susan not far
from the ocean.
It was because of the place where
she lived that the little girl was called
by the name which maco people atare
hard when they first heard it. Be
tween the big ocean and the little
house, with its pretty green blinds and
green yard, with a whlto fence, which
S
OMB years ago there lived in the
forest of Jloyama a large fox, named
Osan, who was noted for playing
mischievous pranks. Often IlghtinL her
Jack-o'-lantcrn, which the country people
called the "fox light," she led the belated
traveler into swamp and morass".
She also delighted In changing herself
Into a human being. Covering her body
with, green loaves and binding a wisp
of straw around her head, she turned
three somersaults and, landing on her
feet, she Immediately took the form she
desired.
Sometimes It was that of a traveler
who hired horses, paying for them in
glittering gold pieces, which, on his de
parture, changed Into withered leaves.
But the form In which the Osan most
delighted was that of a beautiful wo
man. In this 'guise she often concealed
herself near a certain bridge and way
laid any one who carried eatables.
One evening as Osan stood in this
form of a woman beind a clump of
trees, she saw a man carrying a basket
of fish and a bottle, which her keen
scent told her was full of oil. Osan
was particularly fond of oil. so she
stepped forward and begged him to show
her the way through the forest.
After they were some distance from
the road, the crafty fox-woman hinted
that sh'e was tired and hungry. Charmed
by her beauty, the unsuspecting man set
down tho basket and together they
feasted until an unaccountable drowsiness
overpowered him, and, forgetting every
thing, ho slept until morning.
When he awoke he found himself under
a tree in the mountain, with no trace
of his provisions remaining. Then he
knew that he had been deluded by the
treacherous fox Osan; and as he limped
home, stiff and sore from the night's
exposure, he vowed vengeance upon all
the foxes.
So cunning and wily, however, was
Osan that It was almost impossible to
jcatch her. At last one man, more cou
rageous than the others, went one even-
FISH STORY
MYSELF.'
And now she could see the water all
around her thrashed In beads of foam by a.
thousand flshca. Down went the pin and
up. came another fish. Again, again and
again, till there were seven beauties on her
twig. The seventh got the worm, and that
was the end ot Jlnsy'a fishing. Then the
school of fish moved on up the pond.
The boys at the other end of the pond
were moving discontentedly from place to
place, when they heard Jlnsy call to them.
"What's Jinny up to; aid Alf.
"Dunno. Let's go and see."
As they drew near, she held up her tig,
excitedly.
"Look, boys!" she cried. "I catched 'em
all myself."
"Gee. Jlnsy. How did you do itf
"I think." said Jlnsy, "I got Into a a
college of 'cm."
The Story of Osan, the Strange Fox-Woman
HEED. VET "LITTLE GIRL.
was little Marshmallow's home, was a
big salt marsh which was filled In Sum
mer with soft pink blossoms, those of
the rose mallow. They were just the
color of her cheeks.
Everyone semcd to have forgotten
that the little girl's really, truly name
was Margaret. No one called her any
thing but sweet little Marshmallow.
It may have been for this reason that
every time Uncle George came out from
the city there would come a box from
one of his coat pockets which always
made the little girl clap her hands with
delight.
"Marshmallows"" she would cry, and
Uncle George would toss her high in
the air and kiss her on each little pink
marshmallow cheek. Then the box
of candy marshmallows would be
opened, and If there was a fire little
Marshmallow and Uncle Georgo
would sit down before it and toast one
for mamma, one for papa and a great
many for Sister Sue. Uncle George and
Marshmallow herself.
Ing to the forest of Jloyama and sat
down with his pipe under a tree.
Osan detected the fumes of the
smoke, and, hastily changing herself into
a beautiful woman, hurried to the spot,
and begged the man to show her the
way across the river.
So porfect was her disguise that tho
brave man hesitated a moment; then,
fearing that he was yielding to her
Influence, he drew his sword and cut
her in two. As she fell dead upon the
ground he expected to see her body turn
into that of a fox; but to his horror
there was no change, and fearing Chat he
had murdered a real woman he fled from
the forest and to his home, where he
passed, a sleepless night.
As soon as It was light he hastened
back to the spot, but tho body of a wo
man still lay on the ground, half hidden
by the brushwood. So the poor man
knew that he must flee the country im
mediately, before he should be arrested
as a murderer.
His preparations were soon made, and
bidding his wife and children farewell
he started on his lonely life of exile.
He could not forebear, however, to gaze
once more upon the body of his victim;
but to his great relief he saw, wheTn be
uncovered It, that It had changed - into
the body of th fox Osan. Taking it
upon his shoulders he bore it in triumph
to the town, where he received the thanks
of the whole community, and his daring
achievement was celebrated with feasting
and mirth.
Skin
Babylonian
Boats Still Used.
and "Egyptian sculptures
show goat and cow skins, roughly made
Into boat shape, and used for river craft.
It Is likely that this is the oldest and
most primitive form of vessel In the
world, and that It came into use as man
had advanced beyond the stage of ferry
ing himself across waterways on tree
trunks.
In .King Solomon's day the Rivers Eu
phrates and Tigris' were navigated almost
entirely by means of such craft.
SHE HASTILY CHANGED HERSELF INTO A BEAUTIFUL WOMAN.
Little Marshmallow had grown to be
quite a bljf girl 5 yeara old tomorrow.
There was to be a birthday party, with
many little boys and girls; Uucle
George was coming, of course, and they
were to have a. big marshmallow roast.
But where was little Marshmallow
hr,self?
It was beginning to grow dark, and
papa and mamma and Sister Sue ran
through the, house, through the yard,
through the barn, but there was no lit
tle girl to be seen, and no answer to
their calls.
"Perhaps she went to the swamp for
marshmallows." said Sister Sue.
'"But the blossoms are all gone,''
said mamma, growing very white.
"We must hurry and see," said papa,
with a little catch in his voice.
How cold the wind seemed, and how
strange and white the moon looked
rising from- the sea as they ran down
the road thinking of poor little Marsh
mallow. with her pink cheeks, who
might be lost in the wet marsh! Juat
then there was the sound of a pitiful
little cry.
"Mamma! Papa! Sister Sue!" '
It was Marshmallow. a tired, wet lit
the girl, with no pretty pink In her
cheeks this time, with no hat and
trembling with the cold.
How quickly papa picked her up in
his arms and ran home with her; how
mamma put her into a warm bath,
wrapped her in a big flannel blanket
and made her drink something very,
very hot.
"I'm so sorry, mamma," sobbed little
Marshmallow, who began to look again
like a sweet, pink little marshmallow
blossom; "but Uncle Oeorge said p'r'aps
there might be some real marshmal
lows growing after the pretty flowers
had gone, and I wanted so to s'prise
you."
Mamma looked, oh. so reproachfully,
at Uncle George; Uncle George had
such a bad cough that he had to turn
away, but when he came back he was
looking sorry and smiling all at once,
as he showed little Marshmallow the
very biggest candy box she had ever
seen. It was filled with big, plump
marshmallows the real kind. Then
Uncle George took the UttlKgirl, blan
ket and all, in his arms and would let
no one else carry her upstairs to bed.
And the party! The little girls and
boys who were there should tell about
that. They said that they had never
had such a good time in all their lives.
Each had a big knitting needle with a
marshmallow on the end, and they took
turns in sitting around the grate with
the open coals to toast them, while
Uncle George superintended.
How nice and brown they grew!
What funny little puffs came out on
tho sides! How they had to be turned
and turned! And then how soft thoy
were and how good eaten from the end
of the long needle!
Littl eMarshmallow looked on be
cause it was her party, and she had
toasted marshmallows many times be
fore. She was very happy, with not
even a wee bit of a cold after her trip
to the marsh, but she had promised
mamma never to go for marshmallows
I again except In the shops with Uncle
George.
Old as thl3 form of water transportation
is, it has not disappeared by any means.
Bible land still Is full of inland sailors
who paddle skin boats that are not a bit
different from those that were used in
the time of the Jewish Kings. The river
front of Bagdad today harbors great
fleets of exactly the same kind of skip,
and rattan boats that used to ply there la
the days of Haroun Al Raschid.
Even In Europe there are races that
still use boats made of skins. These races
live In Albania and other parts' of the
Balkan Peninsula. The natives tie three
or more goat skins together and stiffen
the structure with a thin framework of
rattan and tough grasses. Most of the
boats are so small and weak that the
passenger must He flat on them, while tho
boatman buoys himself with a goat skin
and swims along behind to shove the boat
on. These boats look very funny, for
the natives leave the heads and tails of
the'' goats on the skins.
What is the Union Jack?
Now that the "meteor flag of England"
Is used so freely to Intertwine with tho
flag of the United States, it may bo a use
ful piece of information to tell what tha
famous old Union Jack is. ,
An English writer said the other day
that he Is certain that out of a hundred
Englishmen In any ordinary walk ot life
not more than 20 are. able to tell just
what the design ot their country's flag.
Is or what it means.
The next time you meet an Englishman
you can try him after you read this.
The Union Jack of today contains tho
three crosses of the three nations of tho
United Kingdom the red cross of St.
George occupying one-fifth of the width
of the flag; the white border of St.
George; the red cross of St. Patrick and
its white border, and the broad white of
St. Andrew's cross, occupying one-half of
tho red of St. George. As you probably
know, the cross of St. George represents
England, the cross of St. Patrick Ireland
and the cross of St. Andrew Scotland.