Evening journal., 1904-06-11

did not exactly know and, even If un-
fair means had been used, he could
not repress a feeling of delight and
satisfaction as he told himself that in
the very beginning Of the fight that
was to follow he and his mates had
gained the first advantage.
As the action of that nights events
became more and more accelerated VIII
bur could not but notice the change in
Moran. II was very evident that the
old Morse fighting blood Of her was all
astir-brutal, merclcss, savage beyond
all control. A sort Of obsession seized
upon her at the near approach of bat
tie, a frenzy OF action that was check
ed by nothing that was insensible to
all restraint At times it was impossl-
bic for him TO make her hear him, or
when she heard TO understand what he
was saying. Her vision contracted. 1t
was evident that she could not see dis
tlnctly Wilbur could no longer con
ceiye of her as a woman of the days
Of civilization she was lapsing back
TO the eighth century again-to the
vikings, the sea wolves, the berserk-
crs.
"Now you're going TO talkw she cried
10 Hoang as the bound Chinaman sat
upon the beach, leaning his back against
the great skull. Charlie, ask him if
they saved the ambergris when the
junk went down--if they've got It
nowT Charlie put the question in
Chinese, but the beachcomber only
twnkled his vicious eyes upon them
and held his peace. with the full
sweep of her arm. her fist clinched til
the knucllles whltened, Moran struck
him In the face.
"Now will you talk?' she cried Ho-
ang wiped the blood from his face upon
his shoulder and set his jaws. He did
not answer
you will talk before I'm done with
you, my friend. Don't get any wrong
notions in your head about that" Mo
ran continued, her teeth clinched.
Charlie" she added. lis there a file
aboard the schooncrg
II tinhum yass boss hab got file"
"ln the tool chest. isn't it?" Charlie
nodded, and Moran ordered it TO be
/ fetched
IF we're to fight that crowd" she
said, speaking TO herself and in a rapid
voice, thick from excitement and pas.
sion, "we've got to know where they've
! hid the loot and what weapons they've
got. II they have rifle or shotgun
with them it's going TO make n big diff.
ference for us. The other fellow es.
capped and has gone back to warn the
rest. It's fight now, and no mistake"
The Chinaman who had been sent
aboard the schooner returned. carrying
a long. rather coarse grained file. Mo.
ran took it from him.
"Now." she said. standing in front
of Hoang. III give you one more
chance. Answer me. Did you bring Off
/ the ambergris, YOU beast. when your
[ junk sank? Where is it now? How
many men have you? What arms have
you got? Have your men got a rife?
Charlie, put that all TO him in your
| lingo, so as TO make sure that he I'm
derstands. Tell him if he don't talk
I'm going TO make him very sick"
Charlie put the questions in Chinese
pausing after each one Hoang held
/ his peace.
Il gave you fair warningr shouted
Moran angrily pointing ut him with
the file. "Wil You answerT'
Him no tell nuttih'," observed Char.
lie.
Fetch cord here" commanded
/ Moran. The cord was brought and
/ despite Hoang's struggles ana writh.
/ ings the file was thrust endways into his
! mouth and his jaws were bound tightly
together upon it by means Of the cord
! passed over his head and under his
chin. Some four inches of the file pro,
truded from his lips Moran took this
end and drew it out between the beach
comher's teeth, then pushed it back
slowly.
The hideous rasp Of the operation
/ turned Wilbur's blood cold within him.
/ He looked away-out TO sea, down the
beach-anywhere, so that he might
not see what was going forward. But
the persistent grind and scrape still
assaulted his ears. He turned about
sharply.
"I-l-Tn so down the beach here a
ways" he said quickly. Il can't stand
IN keep watch 20 see if the beach
combers come up
A few minutes later he heard Char
lie hailing him.
"Chin-chin heap plenty now" said
he. with a grin as Wilbur came up.
Hoang sat on the sand in the midst
Of the circle. The file and coil Of rope
lay on the ground near by. The beach,
c0mber was talking in a high keyed
singsong, but with a lisp. He told them
partly In pigeon English and partly In
Cantonese. which Charlie translated
that their men were eight i'm number
and that they had intended 10 seize the
schooner that night. but that probab bly,
his own capture lad delayed their
plans. They had no rifle A shotgun
had been on hoard. but had gone down
. with the sinking of the junk The am
bergris had been cut into two umps
and would be found in a couple OF old
. Hour sacks IN the stern Of the boat I'M
which he-and his men had come ashore
, They We're Ell armed with their It'll,
hatchets. Tie Thought two OF the mci
, carried knives as well. There WA.
: neither pistol nor revolver qmonr them
1t seems 10 me-" said Nnbur, "tha
we've got the long end"
! I'VE e2tchum boss. toor' said CAo"