In the Nick of Time

Media

Part of Green and White

Title: In the Nick of Time
Language: English
Year: 1930
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Fulltext: lZO GREEN AND WHITE In The Nick of Time By Seueriano Lizarraga, Jr., H.S., '33 (THE "Hawk" was gliding s•moothly along the placid waters of the Pacific. Appwmtly it had no definite course. But wait-I will bring you on the ship itself. On deck there was not a soul. But on the bridge were two .men. They were speaking in low tones. Om~ was Jim Hawkins, a Yankee of about twenty-seven summers. Though of a jovial character, he seemed to be, at this particular time, disgusted with life. His lieut~nant, Thomas Dorf, was a young Pennsylvanian, combining both elegance and strength in his manly frame. For a moment they ceased talking, and silently watched the slowly waning day. The sky showed a variety of blending hues. The western part of the horizon greatly contrasted with the deep blue of the Pacific. A crashing sound broke in upon the deathlike stillness that prevailed. Had the circumstances been different, the noise would not have been noticed. But the Captain, yearning for sdme distraction, started, went over to the railing, and saw f.loating on the water and bumping against the sides of that fortress of steel, a huge bottle, carefully corked and s1 2aled, containing within it a white piece of paper. Through curiosity, the Captain ordered one of h:s sailors to fish it out of the wat·2r When everybody had gone away, the Captain pulled out, with some difficulty, the cork; and after solme time succeeded in getting out the paper. A few lines had been scratched on it with a pen. They ran thus: Help! White men attack us. Sure kill us. Come quich. Ghost Light Island. "The message, it seems, was one for help. White men? Kill us? Why all this? And whert~ is Ghost Light Islands?" were the questions the Captain put to Thomas Dorf. "Asking me? I have as much light on the subject as you, Captain. I have only this observation to make. The bottle appears to have came from the south-west, as the wind blows from that direction. My advice is this: Let us head south-west, and trust to luck." "But suppose the paper was just put in for fun? We should then be going for nothing." put in the Captain. "Anyway, we have nothing to do. As a d:strac:ion, we can head her south-west and trus: to luck," advised the sturdy Pennsylvanian. At this juncture, an officer came up and asked whether the Captain had decided to what port they were bound. The Captain, upon the advice of the lieutenant, told him to go r~ ther south-west. They wandered over the cool waters of the broad Pacific. A bright new moon shone high up in the heavens, and illuminated both the ocean and the ship with a whitish sepulchral light which streamed through a window into the Captain's roo;'tn. He was seated in an easy chair, apparently dozing, but in reality he was su'm\ming up the events that had occurred during the day. In front of him was a little table, set against the grey coloured wall, with two or 'three books on it, a number of scattered papers, and a few pens beside an inkstand. Suddenly he jumped from his chair" put on his cap, and went towards the bridge. Whether it was presentiment or fate that led the Captain to go the bridge, I leave. my readers to decide for themselves. He was joined by Tom, who had been searching for him. It did not occur to Tom to look into the Captain's roO\lll first, so that, he had already searched the whole ship, and was now returmng to have a peep into the Captain's rodm. The importance of the news he carried was marked on his face. "Captain," said Porf addressing Jim, "we are now in front of Windland Island. But that is not all. I have made a peculiar discovery. Came with m.2, and you will see." GREEN AND WHITE 111 The Captain followed, and when they reached a point from which they could see the island, the Captain uttered a low whistle to expn~ss hris astonisblment. Indeed he had a right to be astonished, for there, on the peak of a mountain, were three bright lights placed so as to resemble a trio of ghosts. These lights gave the island and the surrounding places an uncanny aspect. "Indeed, is the name 'Ghost Light Island' suited to this place. Let us howev:~r reconnoiter with the searchlight," said the Captain; and after a cOimµnand had been given, the searchlight flashed forth bright and radiant. As quickly as it had been focussed on the peak, the beacons disappeared, and nothing was seen after that, save the surrounding scene lighted up by the ship's searchlight. As it proved us.2less to try to find out anything by means of those powerful searching beaims, the Captain decided to effect a landing. Slowly the boats were lowered, after twenty men had gone into them. The few left on board noticed the progress of the boats by the gleams of the firearms which sparkled in th.2 pale moonlight. From the boat the Captain discerned a natural harbor. The island he saw was one plot of wilderness. Instead of risking a landing in the harbor, he landed two or three mil.zs from it. Meanwhile Thomas Dorf was wondering what in the world the Captain's plan might be. "My plan perhaps will not work, but let us trust to luck. I mill make a detour around the eastzrn part of the island with ten men, while you with the rest will go around the western part, and after a while you will try to join me somewhere in the center of the island,". came from the Captain. "The plan I think", said the first officer, "is good, so let us carry it out wthout delay." They divided the men into two groups, and started on their different ways. Both parties traversed through unfrequented woods, or rather, a wilderness, lacking all trac2s of civilization. The captain's party, after walking about three miles, heard a blood-curdling shriek uttered as by one in the agony of death. As it ca~ne from a shrub-covered spot, he, with his band, approached the brushwood, and, to their utter surprise, came up to an old ruined temple of Asiatic style worn by the dilapidations of 6me. It was in the last stages of decay. Tm captain feared a trap in case the 'white men' of the place should have seen them. Warning his men to be on their guard, and to make the least possible noise, he led them into the ruined building. An antique arched passage led thru a long set of halls. At every sid.2 the eye was struck with sdme curious colonnade, or some artistically fashioned portico. As they were wonderingly examining the things about theim, they suddenly hzard a low :murmur. The captain but his finger to his lips, and uttered that sibilant sound which in all languages means "Silence." With agile step, they approached a narrow crack in one of th.2 walls, and looking thru, beheld a spectacle which would have frozen the heart of any mortal. What extended before the bewildered sailors, looked more like a painting of some Asiatic Murillc, or Velasquez. But yet it was ·true. Surrounding the hall were arranged, in order, stern-looking, rigid men, about a meter apart. In the center was a huddled group of negroes, p::.r::lyzed with the fear of death. Beside them was a natural elevation of rock, and standing on it was a man, still holding a vicious-looking knife from which trickled drops of blood. He had a severe contracted face, and a red k.2rchief was around his throat. He wore a dirty blue woolen shirt, which was besprinkled with blood. His trousers reached a little below his knees, to meet a pair of boots covered with mud. In front of him w_as another elevation made of bricks which was daubed with blood. On it were two negrc.zs, their bodies hideously gory. Their throats had been slashed open, and blood still spouted forth. In front of this elevation was a chair rudely scalped from a rock. On it sat a base-looking bearded scoundrd, who held in his right hand a revolver as a sceptre! He appeared to be grave, yet a hypocritical, sarcasti~ smile played about the corn.zrs of his lips. Having no heart to continue looking on, ,and excited to a frenzy of passion by the inhuman 172 GREEN AND WHITE spectacle before hiim, the captain after whisperingly pr.2paring his men for the charge, deafeningly roared out his command, "Fire!". A tremendous noise followed tihe command, as ten rifles spat lead, and filled the air in the chamber with heavy smoke. For a s.2cond were heard a few clicks as th.2 empty cartridges jumped out of their cells. "Fire!" was once more repeated, and aft.2r the guns had cracked a second time, the sailors rushed into the chamber, severed the cords that bound the negroes, and rushed upon t_he "smugglers" who were still too daz,2d to know what was going on about them. Th2 hubbub was deafening. But when the robbers realized what was going on about the:m. they rallied with a furious fusillade of shots. For a moment, the sailors seemed to give way; but at this point, reinforcements arrived, and the smugglers, seeing the futility of further resistance, soon surr.2ndered th~mselves to the attackers. The reinforC(;ments were no oth2r than the sailors under the reliable Tom Dorf, who on hearing the first shots, rushed to help his comrades. During Dorf's detour, h2 had met five men running as fast as their feet could carry them. They put up a defense, but were caught, and made to confess their busin.zss on the island. Expecting to be treated with decency if they confessed, they admitted that a certain William McBillot promised th2m much gold if they followed him. So making their exit from Hawaii as fast as their boats could carry them, they arrived at Windland Island, where they attacked the negro settkment which was making great saides towards progress. They had ordered the negroes to give up all valuables, otherwise they would kill th.2m. Knowing how superstitious negroes are, they planted every night three enormous lights so arranged as to resemble ghosts. This, they thought would keep the superstitious immigrants from the island. Besides this, they had moved their headquarters to the ruined temples, so as not to biz seen by any trading launches which might pass by. Anyway, it was apparent that the five who were running towards the temple went to warn their comrades. Exulting ov.2r their success in freeing the negroes and catching the smugglers, and with only one slightly injured man among their number, the sailors retraced their steps to the ship. After the simugglers had been manacled, the captain climbed the bridge. Upon meeting Thomas Dorf, he said to him: "l marvel at the good we have done to these poor negroes, and all on account of a coincidence, and as for these devilish smugglers, 'we'll take them home-to JAIL!" The Bamboo By Raoul Kahn, H.S. '31. NATURE, with her fore-sigh tied wis. dom as well as with her love of all that is beautiful, has showered many pr.2cious and useful gifts on the Far East. Amongst the first in the rank of natural peau·· ty, and of utility, stands-proudly and justly so-the bamboo. Though the bamboo is found all over this Gem of tihe Oriental Seas, it cannot be said to be a peculiarly native tree, as it flourishes just as luxuriantly in Japan, the East Indies, southern Asia, and in parts of Africa and S0uth America. The bamboo combines beal.\_ty with usefulness: its beauty being praised and favorably commented upon by tourists who hlve seen the loveliest the world has to offer; its numberl.2ss uses being vocally vouched for uy the natives, and mutely, though none the les~ forcefully, by the objects of which it is made. The bamboo. . The name has a rhytl.r1 all its own, a rhythm duplicated by the soft sibilant sighing of the wind among its le.ives. The· most uneducated person cannot but notic\' the beauty in the frail slendem2ss of the bamboo, in its harmonious, yet stately and dignified bow and sway, in its coloring of green,