Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1899-11-09

getting what it meant, | only Temcm-
bered what she was to me To fetch
some water from the spring take the
handkerchief from the breast Of her
jacket and to lave her cheek with the
water was my next effort When | had
removed the blood | discovered to my
relief that she had only received a slight
cut on the cheek bone. which if it did
leave a mark woald only be trifing. So
concerned was / over her condition that
it is not unlikely 1ly manner betrayed
a greater degree of solicitude than any
one is my position was justified or had
any right to express just then. What |
said to her out Of the steadily growing
sense Of my great love 1t were difficult
to remember now, but | must have lost
sight Of the fact that as yet she had
given me no right to speak to her as
did, for the color came back into her
cheeks. Her great eyes looked at me re-
sentfully, and that delicate purple shad-
ow under them seemed to deepen as she
spoke.
''Mr Parker, do you think itright to
talk to me as you are doing? l don t
wish to appear ungrateful, but why for
get yourself like this?'
Because you have grown dearer than
life itself to met l cried boldly, and
the truth was out at last.
Falteringly she rose to her feet and
looked steadily but, as | thought, not
resentfully upon me.
"You don't know what you are say
ing, she said "'This is neither the
time nor place to talk Of such thing
Besides. there is some one -
| heard no more, for at that moment
my mate entered the cave, and she
stopped short. I could see their eyes
meet and read in them the dawn of that
new life which it had now become i'm
possible to conceal Her action and
words only a few minutes before had
been avowal enough. How could l have
been so blind? Was it not natural
that she should prefer Jack to me, he
who was a handsomer, a better man
than myself in every respect? What
but more than ordinary interest in
him could have made her masquerade
as she had done on the Macarthur and
run the grave risk Of detection? 1t was
clear as day to me now. 1T is written
in the book, / said, for the time being
becoming a fatalist.
bowed my head and went out on to
the terrace-the light had gone out Of
my life. 1t seemed to matter little to
me now whether or not l was killed by
the blacks / thought she stood looking
after me, as if she would have softened
the blow But | had got my answer
the deathllnell of my hopes had been
sounded.
We held a council of war upon the
terrace, but the outlook was gloomy
day at the latest the squatter must come
back, mcst likely down this very same
valley in which we We're now entrap-
ped, and discover us. But again the
chances were that the blacks who must
have been cognizant of his where
abouts would lie in wait for him in
large numbers in one of the narrow
gorges and surprise him on his way
back.
1t was now getting dark, but we
could still see the forms of the savages,
carrying fire sticks in their hands fit
ting about among the powders and be-
hind the trees. All that night they kept
up a most terrible wailing over such Of
their numbers as had come to grief in
the fight
All through that long dreary night
we watched at the mouth of the cave
on the terrace and peered into the
darkness in order that we might not be
surprised by the savages sneaking upon
u.s. fer a savage, when he does sneak
upon \ foe in the dark, is as noiseless
and unsubstantial as a ghost He will
crawl on his stomach stealthily as a
snake At the slightest hint Of danger
he will. like certain members of the
animal kingdom, suspend, as it were,
animation in his body until, peering
into the gloom the foe viii think that
the dark body seen is only tree stump
or dead branch or some physical pc
culiarity of the eround-anything but
a black fellow We determined that
two Of us should go on watch together
DAILY and | took the first watch, so Sa-
vile and Jack retired into the cave.
Gordon by this time was in condition
that made us fear an attack Of fever,
but his sister waited upon him and at
tended to his slightest wants. Luckily
the blacks had left our swags uneouch-
ed, SO that we did not want for Nln-
kets to make couches for the sick man
and the women Norah Mackenzie had
gone into one of the three passages and
lain down. We dared not light fire
anywhere in the front part Of the cave
lest the light from it might throw us
into relief, and thus make a mark fol
the spears of the savages. Moreover, II
would only serve to blind us and pre-
vent us seeing distinctly. However, in
the left hand passage a small fire was
| lit One of the black boys had sneaked
out and drawn in two or three dead
logs, and thus by its light Elsie Cor
don was enabled TO attend to the wants
| of her brother
Oh, the horror Of that long night
| DAILY sat on one side of the cave, anc
| l sat on the other, but we hardly spoke
! We only peered into the gloom, witt
/ the senses Of sight and sound rendered
abnormally acute, and waited for the
/ time when the foot of the Southern
/ Cross should point to n certain quarter
! and our watch be relieved by Jack anC
/ Savile l had eaten nothing since mid