Isle o' Dreams

ells of H

"comes Rip Van Win

Marjorie, looking past

tatters through which showed his bare ankles; pitiful old cloth shoes; a patched coat of white drill with frogging across the front such as Chinese mess boys wear; and a battered, rimless

e Captain Dinsh

e a hound who has taken scent, gazed at them suspiciously. Then he

"Cap'n Dinshaw, late of the bark, James B. Wether

rask, as he leaned back in his grass chair to light a cig

said Marjorie. "D

want you to hear him. Wilkins had him up

bow. "Hand painted by myself, out of my head, from my own recol

ward a chair. "You ought to have something to drink and a bite to

rawing into a queer smile. He let the package fall across his knees, and his hat

eat, but the soup's

said Trask. "Now

se white hair which showed his scalp, and nodded his head, staring out over the bay as if in a reverie. The colour was bleached out of his failing

a big cup of coffee," said Trask,

encouraged Marjorie. "

f of this island. A master should go with his ship." He

my bark, the Wetherall it was, I had fancy picters on the bulkheads an' gold linin' over the

st in a white streak extending seaward, the the bony finger of a skeleton, marking a reef clothed with fuzzy breakers. A rocky ledge ran down to where the reef began and a big gray stone stood up abruptly, giving the island the appearance of a bluff-bowed vessel, and under it, a triangular patch of beach. Near the rock were four palm trees. One bent over

splendid!" exc

at everybody says," remarked t

all the island

n at night and went smash into this reef ye see here. I was washed out o' the riggin', an' when I come to I was on the beach here, wreckage all rou

g island?"

ain't the size what counts," and he broke into a cackling laug

it?" ask

nshaw, gravely. "But I ain't in the way o' tellin

mainland of Luzo

nd peered at him suspici

he said

he picture," ventured Trask, sca

as would like to find Dinshaw's island, young man, but I'm savin' it for myself. Jarrow said he'd take

Marjorie. "Why, how could

it?" whispe

something on it, is there? Now we'

simplicity. "Gold enough to make us all ric

m. There was part of Number One boat, with a beaker o' water an' a ham from the cabin stores. Later, I found my mate, Seth Colburn. He was dead. He'd sailed with me all his life, come from down Eastport way, and a smart man he was, too, at figgers. I dug his grave with my bare h

at Trask qu

Dinshaw the glass which the

ke me," gasped Dinsh

rrow?" as

a schooner,"

ith a skeptical wink for the benefit of Trask a

use, all snug an' shipshape, with a piazza like the quarter-deck of a frigate, an' a garden with petunias, an'-an'-have good soup for supper. I fed my crew bette

ches and served him with a cup of coffee.

t in your lin

said Trask. "Heard some talk ab

said Locke. "I belie

y here. Wilkins was

there's g

the mainland, I might follow up the lead on Luzon. There is gold out here but the country hasn't been properly prospected, owing to the troubles with the natives. I'd like to look things over on my own hook. Of c

e. "He'd most likely go around telling folks you wante

I may get his conf

said Locke. "I'm going to

n this trip for a couple of w

for mine,"

aw wants to go to his island. It seems to me that you men

sos for one of those

e at the same pr

rie. "If I were a man,

I will,"

Dinshaw. "Say, captain, I'll tell you what I'll do, I'll pay your passage home first class if

taring at the bill. "Thank ye kin

"I'll fix you up with some clothes. Th

shaw. "I'm at th

t to be back

that's what," insisted Dinsh

anywhere I wanted on thi

want to go,

wanted to elope, or something. I'll run away with a drummer in a band-or something like that, if I have to go home

cool weather," laughed Locke. "That re

ad

hing, saying something about Timbuctoo an

and listen to bored guides! And here's a chance to get off the

ion, after all," said Trask. "But I don't know of anythi

boat," wailed Marjorie. "We might argu

oat," declared Trask. "We ought to

inshaw, rising from the ta

Mr. Locke. You come up ag

int another pict

ck to-morrow, when I'll pay you twenty pesos for it. That'll giv

ured Dinshaw.

eat some more,

icture, which he had not unwrapped. "Can't wait for

on't you say a word to anybody.

linking his eyes at the sun which assailed him from the

duffer," s

tell you what to do. Dad wants to get up to Hong Kong becaus

o do with it?" ask

e retorted. "Can't you see

," admitt

said. "Then you get Dad into a game of bi

an idea!" ex

f we didn't care a whoop about this Dinshaw business-until we miss the Thursday boat. Then we'll give him no rest. But re