Phillipsburg herald. [volume] (Phillipsburg, Kan.) 1882-1905, 1893-11-30
CHAPTER YI-ContInued.

close TO Alma's. HAS Benning pro
posed YETI"
Not yet, father"
Why don't you fetch him to the
point?'
I'm doing all can"
swell, you must do o little more,
said Bullet, with unwonted gravity. III
this marriage does not soon take place,
it will never take place at all. There
seems to be a little leak somewhere.
There are two or three sailors hanging
around Honolulu who have seen the
young man here, and who seem to know
all about him. At least, they have a
great deal to say, especially when they
are in their cups, and | begin to fear
that the secret may in some way reach
Benning's ears, or at least the ears of
some one who will comprehend the stu
alton and come here and claim him. AS
the case stands, something must be done
Immediately. How can we contrive to
give him shock-an impetus in the
right direction-an awakener?"
II don't know, Pm sure" replied AL
ma, unless l pretend to kill myself -"
"Hush! What if he should hear your
Try to think of something practical.
BY tho way, can you account for his
coldness?"
Certainly. He's bound up in a de-
sire to know who and what he formerly
was, who are his relatives, and how he
came here, and so on"
The old sailor looked startled.
Things are getting to a very critical
pass l see" he whispered. "Try to
think of something over night that will
concentrate his thoughts upon YOU"
The "awakener" so ardently desired by
Bullet and his daughter came sooner
than 1t was expected.
Impelled by his unrest, our hero again
rambled off into the hills early in the
forenoon subsequent to the converse
ton we have just recorded, and was alb
sent several hours-so long, in fact that
Alma again went to look for him.
Following q trail which she supposed
to be Ralph's she advanced into the
heart of one of those great solitudes
which characterize so much of the in
terror Of the island, when the swapping
of twig at her side caused her to start
and look up quickly.
Keeri was again beside her.
The Kanaka was smiling now, but it
was a grim sort of smile-one that
rather convulsed than relaxed his feat
ures.
lam glad to see you again, he said,
half mockingly. Il have just been Sc
lecting snug retreat for you in one of
the hills away here to the northward. ;"
"FOr me?" cried Alma.
eyes, for you. And as 1 know that
you will not honor it with visit of
your own accord, shall take you
thither against your wishes"
william! don't come step nearer"
"But will, thought"
With this he seized her.
We need not relate the details of the
struggle that followed. Suffice it to
say that her hands being duly secured,
and gag placed in her mouth, the girl
was led away in the direction indicated
by her desperate admirer,
About an hour thereafter having
come home to dinner, and experienced
the double shock of finding both his
daughter and Ralph absent, the old
sailor conceived lively suspicion that
something was wrong, and at once took
down an old musket from a peg and
started for the Creeka place, to learn If
any one there knew anything of these
unusual absences.
To his great surprise he found the
premises in question utterly deserted.
This third absence was significant in
the highest degree, and it was in per-
feet whirlwind of apprehension that
Bullet began securing the adjacent
hills and forests.
He had not gone far, however, when
he beheld sight that brought him to
an abrupt halt-Ralph Kemplin lean
ing against tree and engaged in such
a profound revery as to be utterly UNI
conscious of everything around him.
"Still thinking about his former self,
I suppose" thought Bullet. "Wonder
if I can't startle him into thinking of
Alma ?"
The case being at onco stated to the
young Chicagoan, he became as agi-
tated as the old sailor cared to see him.
The girl had not only been very kind
to him, but had rendered him great
services, especially in the matter of his
new ducation-services for which he
designed, as he had often assured him
sell, to always treat her as sister.
eyes, that cursed Kanaka has car
ried her off to some den in the mount
aims" was the assurance with which
Bullet concluded his narrowing tale,
''and all because she has refused his
offer of marriage, and because he sus-
poets her of being engaged to you"
This was certainly putting the case
upon footing that touched our Hero
closely, and the zeal with which he
Joined Bullet in search for the miss
ing girl can be imagined.
During the remainder of the day,
and all the subsequent forenoon, the
couple secured the great solitudes OF
the interior for some trace of the miss
ing girl and Keeri, but all In vain. 1t
was not till the close OF the second
afternoon of their search that clue
was vouchsafed them, but 1t came at
last. Just as the day was closing, and
they we're about to retreat from mar
row ravine into which they had de-
seconded, they saw man emerge from
a cave and look cautiously around.
This man was Keeri, and the searchers
at once comprehended the situation.
They had traced the Kanaka to his
lair.
CHAPTER VII.
MARRIAGE HER ONLY PROTECTION
At sight of Keeri, so plainly revealed
and 80 unsuspicious of any hostile pres
ence, the old sailor smiled grimly, and