The San Francisco Call. Newspaper, July 9, 1905, Page 3

Wt the Spanisb grants bad not eristed the population would be 1,000,000 more than it s n California was admitted to grants had omestead policy of had been in force, ¥y and faithfully astrial history of ate would have been entirely dif- ish even more th n probable tion would hav been at r than at the pres- is here meant by the faithful t of the homestead policy udes the original conception of its s t bs the homesteader should occupy, improve and cultivate the land his ‘home: tead claim related, at least five years before receiving title. rst homestead bill was intro- @uced into the House of Representa- tives by George W. Julian of Indiana and contained the noted. provisions above This policy was based upon the 160 acres of land is the red by the indus- cultivator and his fam- theory that requ or his su , and would ditions that at- a in the interior fes would been cre farms, and the the soil and the have ies of mate would have been wisely com- s pursuit of mani- 1 cultivation. This would orchards, small vineyards, e home uction pork, beef ivator of the soil s farm the prod Itry, primitiev the ng in ration would 1se .t would st the as- the multi- would have ce of white labor for . e in necessities of the There would have been no e urban e LG SR DR REDS, T T C inued From Page blinded to ightenment. sald I Now 1 'w dense I've bee: finger, his frowns see d what has beaten week. I simply couldn’t u saw that Mttle gir was part of the game.” u think it was that and nothing dersta. deep old dog—of course I do!” didn’t know she was the daugh- are wealthy women by the would man you to-morrow.” sn’t occur to yvu that I might tart clean and live the bu: It certainly does Bunny!” he cried so fiercely that I braced myself for a blow. But no more fol “Do you think yor 1 mafie bold to ask him ‘God knows!” he answered. And with he left me to marvel at his lc an ever at the in- use d live happily?” at and tone and more fently exciting c 11 Of gll the mere feats of cracksmanship w I have seen s perform, at once the most delicate most difficult was that which he accom hed between 1 and 2 0" morning d the North G g at anchor in G a b r. Everything had been foreseen; everything bappened as I been assured everything must. No- ebout below, only the shi boys on deck and nobody on the bridge. It was 25 minutes past 1 when Raffles, ¢t a stitch of clothing on his body, 1, corked with cotton had c eth, and a tiny screw- c ear, squirmed feet first through the wventilator over his it was 19 minutes past 2 when head first, with the phial ween his teeth and the cotton wool 4 home to still the rattling of that 2 great gray bean within. out and put them astened Von Heu- mann's ventilator and had left it fast as he had found it—fast as he instantly pro- to make his own. As for Von it had been enough to place rched wad first on his mustache, and then to hold it between his gaping lips; thereafter the intruder had climbed both ways across his shins without elic- iting & groan. And here was the prize—this pearl as large as & filbert—with a pale pink tinge like & lady's finger-nafl—this spoil of & filfbustering age—this gift from & Euro+ pean Emperer to a South Sea chief. We gloated over it when all was snug. We toasted it In whisky and soda water laid in over night in view of the great mo- ment. But the moment was greater, more triumphant than eur most sanguine the 2555 population, under a distributive system of land holding, affords sufficient elas- ticity in the labor supply to satisfy the irregular demands of ‘Qrm labor as the various seasons of harvest occur. Rurel trade centers in the way of prosperous villages would have existed everywhere, while all the larger inte- rior cities would have been more pros- perous and more populous than now. An official ascertainment of the con- ditions of the land holdings of the Sac- ramento Valley was made and pub- lished some twelve years ago, and it was then disclosed that the holdings of one hundred land proprietors in the Sacramento Valley aggregated 1,600,000 acres—an average of 16,000 acres to the landlord. Conditions have not ma- terially changed. This viclous land sys- tem was Inherited from the Mexican Government, the former sovereign of the sofl, and the policy of that Govern- ment, which generated this condition, related to the sem!-barbarous occupa- tion of cattle husbandry on large ranches, which, at that time, consti- tuted the highest use of the soll. The monopolized condition of the fertile agricultural lands of California, from its earliest history to the present time, has constituted the greatest barrier to the industrfal and commercial progress of the State, and to its moral and material well-being. To this monopolistic con- dition is referable the speculative spirit which has attended the agricultural and horticultural activities of the State. The cost of reaching California de- nied to it In the earlier periods of its history a supply of common white labor. This deficlency was sought to be remedied by the introduction of Chinese labor. Farms, comprising 10,000, 20,000 and even 40,000 acres of land, devoted to wheat raising, found their industrial necessities completely supplemented by the cheap labor of the lower classes of Chinese, because these people occupied a very low plane of civilized want. Land monopoly was responsible for the Chinese invasion, and if it had been permitted to pursue its natural in- stincts, the industrial system of Call- fornia, as it rclates to rural occupa- tions, would have presented but two classes—large landed proprietors and a degraded servile Chinese labor, leaving no well-defined place for the non-capi- talist white man. This industrial aspect would have been completely analogous to the conditions produced by slavery in the Southern States, where the industrial system conferred well-defined relations upon the slave owner and the slave, with the common life relegated to the category of “poor white trash,” possessing only the alter- native of emigration or the degradation of perpetual ignorance and poverty. The agricultural and horticultural products of California make better re- dreams. All we had now to do was to secrete the gem (which Raffles had pried from its setting, replacing the latter), so that we could stand the strictest search and yet take it ashore with us at Naples, and this Raffies was domg when I turned in. I myself would have landed incon- tinently that night at Genoa anu bolted with the spoil; he would not hear of it, for a dozen good reasons which will be obvious. On the whole I do not think that any- thing was discovered or suspected before we weighed anchor, but I cannot be sure. It is difficult to believe that a man could be chloroformed in his sleep and feel no telltale effects, sniff no suspiclous odor in the morning. Nevertheless Von Heu- mann reappeared as though nothing had happened to him, his German cap over his eyes and his mustaches brushing the peak. And by 10 o'clock we were quit of Genoa; the last lean, blue-chinned official had left our decks; the last fruit-seller had been beaten off with bucketfuls of water and left cursing us from Lis boat; the last passenger had come aboard at the last moment—a fussy graybeard who kept the big ship waiting while he haggled with his boatman over half a lira. But 2t length we were off, the tug was shed, the lighthouse passed, and Raflles and I leancd together over the rail watching our shadows on the pale green, liquid, veined marble that again washed the ves- sel's side. Von tieumann was naving his innings once more; it was part of the design that he should rémain In all day and so post- pone the inevitable hour and, though- the lady looked bored and was forcver glanc- ing in our direction, he seemed only too willing to avail himself of his opportu- nitles. But Raflles was moody and ill at ease. He had not the air of a successful man. I could but opine that the im- pending parting at Naples sat heavily on his spirit. He would nelther talk to me nor would he let me go. “Stop where you are, Bunny. things to tell you. Can you swim?” “A bit.” “Ten miles?” “Ten?” I burst out laughing. “Not one! Why do you ask?” “We shall be within a ten miles’ swim of the shore most of the day.” “What on earth are you driving at, Raffles?” “Nothing; only I shall swim for it if the worst comes to the worst. I suppose you can’t swim under water at all?” I did not answer his question. I scarce- ly heard it; cold beads were bursting through my skin. i “Why should the worst ‘come to the worst?” I whispered. *““We aren’t found out, are we?" “No. “Then why speak as though we were?" “We may be; an old enemy of ours is on board.” “An old enemy?” “Mackenzl “Never!" I've PR e 4 oo TAbat Land Grants Diod to Californis Small bomesteaded boldings would bave mave interior fowns and cities more prosperous. THE SAN FRANCISCO SUNDAY CALL \ ¥ W% turns for labor than those of Ohlo, In- diana or Illinols, and yet these latter commonwealths were built up by white labor only. The system of land holding in those States did not invite the semi- slavery of the “coolie” or the peon. The poor man acquired his land, and, how- ever small the quantity, he became self-supporting, then indevendent, then prosperous ‘and, later, rich. He had the hope of this goal to inspire his industry and thrift. The sons of farmers became land owners, and their daughters wives “The man with the beard who came aboard last.” “Are you sure?”’ “Sure! I was only sorry to see you didn’t recognize him, too.” I took my bandkerchief to my face; now that I thought of it there had been something familiar in the old man’s gait, as well as something rather youthful for his apparent years. His, very beard seemed unconvincing, now that I re- called it in the light of this horrible revel- ation. I looked up and down the deck, but the old man was nowhere to be seen. “That’s the worst of it,” sald Raffles. “I saw ilm go into the captain's cabin twenty minutes ago.” “But what can have brought him?" I cried miscrably. *“Can it be a colncidence —Js it somebody else he's after?” Rafties shook his head. “Hardly this time.” “Then you think he's after you?” “I*ve been afraid of it for some weeks.” “Yet there you stand!"” “What am I to do? I don't want to swim for it before I must. I begin to wish I'd taken your advice, Bunny, and left the ship at Genoa. But I've not the smallest doubt that Mac' was watching both ship and station till the last mo- ment. That's why he ran it so fine.” He took a cigarette and handed me the case, but I shook my head impa- tiently. “I still don't understand,” said L “Why should he be after you? He couldn’t come all this way about a jewel which was perfectly safe for uil he knew. What's your own theory?” “Simply that he's been on my track for some time, probably ever since friend Crawshay slipped clean through his fingers last-November. There have beem other indications. I am really not unprepared for this. But it can only be pure suspicion. I'll defy him to bring anything home, and I'll defy him to find the pearl! Theory, my dear Bunny? I know how he's got here as well as though-T'd been inside that Scotchman’s skin, and I know what he'll do next. He found out I'd gone abroad and looked for a motive; he found out about Von Heumann and his mission, and there was his motive cut and dried. Great chance—to nab me on a new job alto- gether. But he won't do it, Bunny; mark my words, he'll search the ship and search us all when the loss is known, but he'll search in vain. And there's the skipper beckoning the whippersnapper to his cabin; the fat will be in the fire in five minutes!” Yet there was no conflagration, no fuss, no searching of the passengers, no whisper of what had happened in the alr; instead of a stir there was porten- tous peace, and it was clear to me that Raffles was not a little disturbed at the talsification of all hig predictions. There was something sinister in silence under such a loss, and the silence was sus- tained for hours, during gfil Macken- zle never reappeared. it he was abroad during the luncheon hour—he X was in our cabin! I had left my book AR Z /‘\\\‘é i:]/ BY WILLIAM H. MILLS in Raffles’ berth, and in taking it after lunch I touched the quilt. It was warm from the recent pressure of flesh and blood, and on an instinc®I sprang to the ventllator. As I opened it the ventila- tor opposite was closed with a snap. I waylaid-Raties. “All right! Let him find the pearl” “Have you dumped it overboard?” “That's a cuestion I sha'n't conde- scend to answer.” He turned on his heel, and at sub- sequent intervals I saw him making the most of his last afternoon with the inevitable Miss Werner. I remember that she lopoked both cool and smart in quite a simple affair of brown hol- land, which toned well with her com- plexion, and was cleverly relieved with touches of scarlet. I quite admired her that afternoon, for her eyes were really very good, and so were her teeth, yet I had never admired her more directly in my own despite. For I passed them again and again in order to get a word with Raffles, to tell him I knew ' there was danger In the wind, but he would not so much as catch my eye. So at last I gave it up. And I saw him next in the captain’s cabin. They had summoned him first; he had gone in smiling, and smiling I found him when they summoned me. The stateroom was spacious, as befitted that of a commander. Mackenzie sat on the settee, his beard in front of him on the polished table; but a a re- volver lay in frbnt of the captain, and when I .ad entered the chief officer, who had summoned me, shut tue door and zut his back to it. Von Heumann completed the party, his fingers busy with his-mustache. Raflles greeted me. “This is a great Jjok he cried. “You remember the pearl you were so keen about, Bunny, the Emperor's pearl, the pearl money wouldn't buy? It seems it was intrusted to our little friend here to take out to Canoodle Dum, and the poor little chap's gone and lost 1t; ergo. as we're Britishers they think wc've got it!"” “But I know ye have,” put in Mac- kenzie, nodding to his beard. “You will recognize that loyal and patriotic voice,” sald Raffles. “Mon, ’tis our auld acquaintance Mackenzle o' Scoteland Yarrd an’ Scoteland it- sel “Dat is enough,” cried the captain. “Have you submid to be searge, or do I vorce you?” f % “What you will,” sald Raffles, “but it of land owners. , The poor boy was rich in his heirship of opportunity, and per- petual poverty existed only where the attributes of character imposed that condition as an inevitable penalty. There is a vineyard comprising 3900 acres at Vina, California. From 50 to 75 laborers could prune this vineyard; 150 could cultivate it, while it would require 1000 to 1300 laborers to harvest the vintage. Such a vineyard was. from the outset, and in the very nature of things, 2n industrial absurdity. There was, independent of its reliance upon Chinese labor, no industrial system sup- plementing such an enterprise. In the same general vicinity there was one wheat farm of 43,000 acres, af- fording employment at two brief sea- sons of the ycar—seed time and harvest —leaving a hiatus of at least seven months in each year when it afforded no employment whatever. These are extreme instances, but a vineyard of even 500 acres is an industrial absur- dity, and a farm of 5000 a displacement of civilized conditions. The boast of bigness has been the bane of our in- dustrial development. Under a system of small land hold- ings, with diversified field culture, every object of cultivation is profitable, be- cause produced by a labor! that would otherwise be unproductive. The aggre- gate of ten acres of orchard on each of 1000 of holdings, is 10,000 acrg¢s. In ten-acre holdings the culuvation, pick- ing and shipping of fruit would not have been beyond the labor of the cul- tivator, his family and the surplus of labor which density of settlement will always supply. One thousand ten-acre orchards would utilizc and be the pro- duct of otherwise unused labor on the farm, and while the single orchard of 10,000 acres cannot by any possibility be profitable, 1000 ten-acre orchards can be highly profitable to the owners and to the commonwealth. Beyond this question of profit there 1s the still more important one relating to the character of the citizenship which that form of industry will en- gender and maintain. The magnitude of profit, however great it may be, does not compensate for the creation of am industrial system which relegates the majority of the common life of our own people to a condition of perpetual poverty. Large land holding, even divested of its natural concomitant of servile or slave labor, is the uncompromising enemy of the common life. The earth is the primary source of all wealth. The cultivation of the soil is the sole industry upon which the industrial and commerctal fabric of the world stands. Monopely of the soil is a usurpation that strikes at the very root of the right of self-subsistence. ~While the ‘monopolized condition of the fertile lands of California Is maintained, its growth in the higher attributes of civi- lization will be obstructed and retarded. SRS SARRAS NSNS NRRGSEERIGESRIRN at ‘his reflection in the polished ma- hogany. “That was ver’ clever,” said he ‘“and like enough it would ha’ served ye had I not stepped aboard. But I've just had a look at the ventilators, and I think I know how ye worked it. Anyway, cap- tain, it makes no matter. I'll just be clappin’ the darbies on these young sparks, an’ then—" “By what right?” roared Raffles in a ringing voice, and I never saw his face in such a blaze. *“‘Search us if you like, search every scrap and stitch we possess, but you dare to lay “a finger on us with- out a warrant!” “I wouldna' dare,” sald Mackenzie gravely as he fumbled in his breast pocket, and Raffles dived his hand into his own. *“Haud his wrist!" shouted the Scotchman; and the huge Colt that had been with us many a night, but had never been firéd in my hearing, clattered on the table and was raked in by the captain. Al right,” said Raffles savagely to the mate. “You can let go now. I won't try it again. Now, Mackenzie, let's see your ‘warrant!” “Ye'Ir no mishandle it? “What good would that do me? Let me sce it,” said Raffles peremptorily, and the detective obeycd. Raffles raised his eyebrows as he perused the document; his mouth hardened, but suddenly re- laxed, and it was with a smile and a shrug that he returned the paper. “Wull that do for ye?”’ inquired Mac- kenzle. “It may. 1 congratulate you. Mac- kenzie; it's a strong hand at any rate. Two burglarics and the Melrose neck- lace, Bunny!” And he turned to ‘me with a rueful smile. “An’ all easy to prove,” sald the Scotchman, pocketing the warrant. “I've one o' these for you.” he added, nodding to me, “only not such a long one. *“To think,” said the captain re- proachfully, “that my shib should be made a den of thiefs! It shall be a very disagreeable madder. I have been obliged to pud you both in irons until we ged to Naples.” “Surely not exclaimed Raffles. “Mackenzie, intercede with him: don't glve your countrymen away before nq “hands! . Captain, we can’t escape; sure- 1y you could hush it up for the night? Look here, here's everything I have in my pockets; you empty yours, too, Bun- ny, and they shall strip us stark if they suspect we have weapons up our sleeves. All I ask Is that we are al- lowed to get out of this without gyves upon our wrists!” “Webbons you may not have,” sald ‘the captain; “but wad about der pearl dat you were sdealing?” “You shall have it!" cried Raffles. “You shall have it this minute if you guarantes no public indignity on “That I'll see to,” sald Mackensle, These truths have been so apparent to the people of California that they Incorporate into their constitution a declaration, found In section 2, article xvil: “The holding of large tracts of land, uncultivated and unimproved, by Indi- viduals or corporations, is against the public interest, and should be discour- aged by all means not inconsistent with the rights of private property.” Recently attention has been directed to the advisability of reclaiming the swamp lands granted by the Govern- ment of the United States to the State of Californfa. There remains unre- claimed of the swamp lands of the State about 1,200,000 acres. These lands are in private ownership, and for the most part are held In large bodies, aggregat- ing in some instances 20,000 acres, and if their reclamation Is found to be prac- ticable, they will fall” inevitably into still larger combination. It-is proposed to secure the financlal assistance of the Government of the United States and the State of Califor- nia in this work of reclamation. If, when these lands are reclaimed from their present condition, and converted into gardens, no condition is imposed that will prevent their being held in large bodfes, but little will have been accomplished for the growth of popu- lation here. The monopolized condition of these, the most fertile lands of the State, will not be a legacy of the semi- barbarous conditions existing under the Mexican occupancy, but will evidence the deliberate imbecility of our own time. Their profitable cultivation in large holdings will demand a servile labor. The owners of these lands will be the persistent and influential advocates of the introduction of a labor whose pres- ence will offer the competition of the hovel of the Orlental with the home of the American. Government and State aid iIn the reclamation of these lands to be monopolized by the few holders wlll be a misdirection of public moneys. The question naturally arises as to the remedy for the existing condition. The defertilization of the wheat-grow- ing areas, added to the prevailing low price of wheat, is forcing the policy of breaking up some of the largest of these holdings. But the high value of this policy is somewhat belated. The lands are obtainable only at prices of from $40 to $80\an acre. Hence, their absorption by small cultivators who necessarily belong to the non-capitalist class will be slow. The subdivision of these lands will proceed only upen the demonstrated profit or the smail hold- ing, and this profit has its guarantee only in irrigation. A dry season of at least seven months of cuch year is a fixed and unalterable climatic condition. These are the months of heat, and with moisture are necessarily the most pro- ductive months of the year. With irri- gation, then, we bring into being a . RAFFLES’ ADVENTURE NO. 6---THE EMPEROR’S yourselves. s long as you behave There now, where is't?” “On the table under your nose.” My eyes fell with. the rest, but no pearl was there, only the contents of our pockets—our watches, pocketbooks, pencils, penknives, cigarette cases—lay on the shiny table along with the re- voivers already mentioned. “Ye're humbuggin® us,” sald Mac- kenzie. “What's the use?” “I'm doing nothing of the sort,” laughed Raffles. “I'm testing you. Where's the harm?” “It’s here, joke apart?” “On that table, by all my gods.” Mackenzie opened the cigarette cases and shook each particular cigarette. Thereupon Rafiles prayed to be allowed to smoke one, and when his prayer was heard observed that the pearl had been on the table much longer than the cigarettes. Mackenzie promptly caught up the Colt and opened the chamber in the butt. “Not there, not there,™ “but you're gettin€ hot. ridges.” Mackenzie emptied them into his palm and shock each one at his ear without result, *Oh, give them to me!" And in an instant Raffles had found the right one, had bitten out the bullet and placed the Emperor's pearl with a flour- ish in the center of the table. “After that you will perhaps show me such little consideration as is in your power. Captaln, I have been a bit of a villain, as you see, and as such . am ready and willing to lle in irons all night if you deem it requisite for the safety of the ship. Al I ask is that you do me one favor first.” “That shail debenu on wad der vafor has Leen.” 3 “Captain, I've uwone a worse thing aboard your ship than any of you know. I have become engaged (o be married, and 1 want to say good-by!"™ I suppose we were all equally amazed, but thé only one to express his amaze- ment was Von Heumann, whose deep~ chested German oath was almost his first contribution to the proceedings. He was not slow to"follow it, héwever, with a vigorous protest against the proposed farewell; but’ he was overruled and the mastertul prisoner had his way. He was to have five minutes with the girl while the captain and Mackenzie stood within range (but not earshot), with their re- ‘volvers behind their backs. As we were moving from the cabin in a body he stopped and gripped my hand. “So I've let you in at last, Bunny—at last and after all! If you knew how sald Raffles; Try the cart- higher productiveness than we have ever known—a productiveness whose profit will be greatly augmented by small holdings, demsity of population, diversity of products and intensive cul- tivation. All property will sooner or later be devoted to its highest use. There is an inherent tendency in all things capable of private ownership to pass into the hands which can make their ownership meost profitable. Irrigation, then, is the goal of the better system of land hold- ing and a higher Industrial conditon of the State. The Legislature of the State rose equal to this emergency by what might be termed a compulsory system of irri- gation, by the enactment of what is known in the legislative history of the State as the “Wright Irrigation Law.” The principle upon which that law was founded was unassallable. Being ex- perimental, it may have possessed many defects in methods of administration and detall of plan, but these defects were susceptible of remedy by the evo- lutionary process of experience and the legislative remedles of amendment. But the law was obnoxious to the large land owners. They enlisted the mon- opolies of the country in the work ot breaking down the law, and repealing its policies, and In the accomplishment of that result they committed a crime against the highest and best interests of this commonwealth which will retard its growth for many years. There was no defect In the law which legislative amendment could not have remedied. The hostility which com- passed its defeat was founded in oppo- sition to the entire policy of Irriga- tion, rather than to the specific policy outlined by the iaw. ‘Wherever in this State systems of Ir- rigation have been permanently estab- lished and judiciously administered, density of population has ensued. At Riverside, ypon 20,000 acres of irrigable land, a thriving and prosperous com- munity of 10,000 people Is sustained, possessing the attributes of the highest American civilization. At Fresno on 150,000 acres of irrigated land, a like industrial and civilized condition relates to a population of about 35,000. There is in the Sacramento Valley a million and a half of acres of equally fertile land, lying under equally inviting cll- matlc conditions, which under irriga- tlon would constitute the basis of a highly prosperous and ecivilized popu~ lation of 1,000,000 inhabitants. A popu- lation of that magnitude would possess within itself industrial resources de- manding no supplement of inferior la- bor. The achlevement of this popula- tion, within this great irrigable valley of the State, Is within the compass of practicability, and when it Is aceom- plished it will present aspects of moral and material well-being equal to the highest that has ever been attalned by man. R e e IF understood snd my teeth were set and my nerves strung ready as I wrung that strong and cunning hand for the last time in my life. How that last scene stays with me and will stay to my death! How I see every detail, every shadow on the sunlit deck! ‘We were among the islands that dot the course from Genoa to Naples; that was Elba falling back on our starboard quar- ter, that purple patch with the hot sun setting over fit. The -captain’ cabin opened to starboard, and the starboard promenade deck, sheeted with sunshine and scored with shadow, was deserted but for the group of which i was one, and for t.e pale, slim, brown figure fur- ther aft with Raffles. Engaged? I could not believe it, cannot to this day. Yet there they stood together, and we did not hear a word; there they stood out against the sunset, and the long, dazzling high- way of sunlit sea that sparkied from Elba to the Uhlan's plates, and their shadows reached almost to our feet. Suddenly—an instant—and the thing was done—a tuiing [ have never known whether to admlre or to detest. He caught her—he kissed her before us all— then flung her from him so that she al- most fell. It was that action wuch fore- told the next. The mate sprang after him and I sprang after the mate. Raffles was on the rall, but only just. “Hold him, Bunny!" he cried. “Hold him tigh And as I obeyed that last behest with all my might, without a thought of what I was doing save that he bade me do it, I saw bis hands shoot up and his head bob down, and his lithe, spare body cut the sunset as cleaniy and precisely as though he had plunged at his leisure from a diver’s board! Of what followed on deck I can tell ¥you nothing, for I was not there. Nor ¢an my final punishment, my long im- prisonment, my everlasting disgrace concern or profit you beyond the in- terest and advantage to be gleaned from the knowledge that I at least had my deserts. But one thing I must set down, believe it who will—one meore thing only and I am done. It was into a second-class cabin on the starboard side that I was promptly thrust in irons, and the door locked upon me as though I were another Raf- fles. Meanwhile a boat was lowered and the sea scoured to no purpose, as is doubtless on record elsewhere. But either the setting sun flashing over the ‘waves must have blinded all eyes, or else ‘mine were victims of a strange illusion. For the boat was back, the screw throb- bing and the prisoner peering through his porthole across the sunlit waters that he believed had closed forever over his com= rade’s head. Suddenly the sun sank be-