The Argosy, Vol. 76, No. 3 — page 165: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

CREATION REEF. had just passed through, though all day long she had been cheerful, if si- lent. Now she turned her eyes to mine and said simply: “There have never been any birds nor any living thing here!” “Utterly uninhabited and lifeless,” I returned. “No bird ever dropped a seed from its bill, even a tiny one!” 66 No.”’ | She cast her gaze down on the grit at her feet. ‘“‘ And nothing has ever been born here! ”’ she breathed. ‘“* God-forsaken! ”’ “No,” she corrected me gently. “ God hasn’t come yet. We're just in one of God’s new empty houses. Not even a seed has grown!” “It’s the old question of the owl and the egg,” I said, trying to jest. “The seed or the plant — which is first ? ”’ | “Only one seed, and we could have a new creation, couldn’t we?” she re- sponded in a lighter tone. ‘‘ Maybe we ‘could find a seed.” “We'll have plenty of time to hunt for one,” I couldn’t help saying. By the camp-fire, now replenished by the assiduous Chinaman, we found the rest of the party busy opening some salmon. Evans was testing it carefully. ° “Best ever,’ he announced. “Ruthie, you and Meta will have to get up a salmon cook-book.” “ Every recipe would read the same, seeing we've neither flour nor eggs nor cracker-crumbs nor milk, Tom.” But her tone was cheerful, and we made a fair meal, One Hop apparently satisfied with the menu he offered us. But after we had eaten and drunk our fill of the slightly sulfury water sup- plied by the springs on the islet, des- pondency descended again. The following two days we devoted to a minute examination of our new home. We allowed not a crevice in the rocks to go without careful scru- tiny. Nelson even waded along in the water and dived along the rocks. 635 The universal finding was—nothing alive. Even the mussels below high- water mark proved to be dying, and the most assiduous fishing disclosed nothing. , Natural,” said Nelson. ‘ This bit of land hasn’t been long up from the sea-bottom, and even the fish would give it a wide berth.” “Tf we could build a boat out of this stuff we have here,’”’ Anerson sug- gested hopefully, “we might fish off- shore and have a better chance at some- thing. Any fish for a change.” “What I’d like to find is a pound of sugar,” remarked Mrs. Evans, spreading her little hands out in dis- may. Meta smiled faintly. “I’d rather have a dozen lemons, seeing it’s to go on salmon. Next time I’m wrecked I’m going to have all the seeds with me.” Nelson stopped short as he passed and looked down at her. “ Seeds? Seeds? There ought to be seeds some- where around. Why not look for “Just one seed!” she said eagerly. “Just one might do!” I shall never forget the next three weeks. Imagine us all waking before the dawn to search for seeds. | We examined the beach, in hopes that some stray grains might have floated in from the wreck. We ran- sacked all our clothes, knelt under the hot sun at midday peering into the cracks in the wreckage. It is incredible how engrossed we became in this exploration; how the yearning for just one germ of life grew in our hearts, how it seemed as if our very passionate seeking must succeed. At the end of the three weeks Aner- son’s savage temper broke completely. He tossed his salmon away and sulked, bursting almost immediately into a frightful paroxysm that compelled Nelson and myself to exert every ounce of our tact. When the scene was over he retired bitterly to the COMicdoo S CO@