Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-09-10
CHAPTER XIV.
Birnam Wood Comes to Dunsinan

Birnam Wood Comes to DunStnane.
When Ellington O'Keefe, with the aid
of his friendly natives. had disappeared
from the Island of Swat, the Inhabitants Of
Swat wondered for about nine days what
had become of him. Ills aids, fearing for
their personal safety, did not divulge the
reason. The Akoond never inquired. He
was satisfied with the turn affairs had TAX
en-. He had at first believed with the rest
Of his subjects that there was something
supernatural about this white man of the
coiled serpent: he had expected nothing
more nor less than that OKeefe would be
his immediate successor. He had stared
ruin in the face. And then-he had at the
last maintained his supremacy and his rival
had disappeared. 1t was all right, thought
the Akoond. He was glad to let well enough
alone. And the people, stupid, simple lot
they did not care.
That Is, they did not care for a time But
little by little they missed the benefcent
influence of Oh Keefe, as they called him.
They realized, as they had realized many
times before, that O'Keefe was the bene-
factor of their kind. O'Keefe while he was
there had changed their lot, which was a
nara one, to life comparatively easy and
comfortable. Thirgs went well for week
or two, and then the Inhabitants of Swat
began to pine for the man of the Coiled
SIake They needed the guidance of q born
leader and an intelligent man. They had
begun TO taste civilization, and they liked
it; they wanted more.
"oh Keefe! Oh Keefer was the cry,
where is Oh Keefe?"
Now Ellington O'Keefe had evolved. with
reference to Constitutional Smith, a great
and glorious scheme. In the few months
that Okeefe had been away from Monroe
he had suffered the tortures of a lifetime.
He had come into contact too many times
with brutal strength and unrelenting cru
city. He had determined to get even with
ms wi "a OF ynyha
ton He wanted to put the screws on this
man Smith. He wanted Smith to have q
Taste Of what he himself had suffered. He
hr.ew that If he himself had attempted to
sail again with Noteworthy Jenkins in the
Sarah Margaret he would be utterly an
INFLATED. 1t was his purpose that Smith
should take his place. He knew that If
Smith did survive the fury of Capt. jerks
| that he could not escape the battle with
| the Akoond. who would brook no rivalry.
| An ordinary man would have delivered
| Smith up to justice, but O'Keefe was diff
| ferent. He felt that ultimately Smith would
| be delivered up to justice anyway, and N
| tho meantime he preferred that his per-
sCnal vengeance be wreaked upon the
strCng-arm man. He had so arranged his
| scheme that If Smith did escape before he
| reached the vessel he would probably be
| seized by the officers of the law; If he were
| hot. that Capt. jerks would reckon with
| him; and II by any hook or crook he es-
| capped the wrath of jerks. the Akoond' and
| was not a bad scheme. this scheme of Bill
| irgton Okeefe's-
But the one thing that he did not know
| was that down in the Isle Of Swat the peo-
| pie We're calling constantly and yearningly
| upon the name of "Oh Keefe. Oh Keefe"
The natives of the Island of Swat had
| observed the Sarah Margaret when. pur-
| suant to the orders of Constitutional Smith.
| she had anchored just outside. The Akoond
| sent number OF his warriors down upon
| the beach to make hostile showing, and
| they stood there. drawn up in battle array.
| as small boat approached the shore.
| There was something about this army tina
| distinguished 1t from other armies Later
| It will appear just what this was Suffice
| II to say that but one other army in history
| or fiction had made the strange showing
| this army did.
The boat drew nearer. A big man in
| the bow sat shading his eyes and CHANGING
| aslxiously toward the group upon the
shore. But he did not falter. The boat
came on.
! Suddenly from those on shore there came