Evening star., 1904-02-29

the alderman ana inspire the poet. When
a ship comes to our assistance will per-
suade the captain to freight the vessel
with them and make my fortune"
Il suppose, under the circumstances,
you were not rich man, Mr.. Jenks?" said
Iris, timidly.
Il possess wealthy bachelor uncle who
made me his heir and allowed me four
hundred year; SO / was sort of Croesus
among staff corps officers. When the smash
came he disowned me by cable By sell
ing my ponies and my other belongings I
was able to walk out of my quarters PEN
niless but free from debt"
Yes"
Iris peeped at him from under the brim
of her sou'wester He seemed to be alb
surdly contented. so different was his tone
in discussing necessarily painful topic to
the attitude he adopted during the attack
on the pitcher plant
step, %,
He stopped and alphabetically roar
ed at the suggestion.
bad to mel" he repeated. II had moth
ing to do with her. She was humbugg1ng
her husband not me- Fool that was, 1
could not mind my own business
So Mrs Costobell was not flirting with
the man who suffered on her account. 1t
is regrettable but true statement that
Iris would willingly have hugged Mrs.
Costobell at that moment She walked on
air during the next half hour of golden
silence, and jerks did not remind her that
they were passing the gruesome Valley OF
Death.
Rounding Europa Point, the sailors eyes
were fixed on their immediate surround
ings, but Iris gazed dreamily ahead. Hence
it that she was the first to cry IN
"A boat. See, there! On the rocksr'
There was no mistake. ships boat
was perched high and dry on the north side
of the cape. Even as they scrambled to-
ward it jerks understood how it had come
there.
When the Sirdar parted amidships the
after section fell back into the depths be-
yond the reef and this boat must have
broken loose from its davits and been
driven ashore here by the force of the
western current.
Was it intact? Could they escape? Was
this ark stranded on the island for their
benefit? If it were seaworthy. whittier
should they steer-to those islands whose
blue outlines were visible on the horizon?
These and a hundred other questions
coursed through his brain during the race
over the rocks, but all such wild specula-
tons were promptly settled when they
reached the craft, for the keel and the
whole of the lower timbers were smashed
into matchwood
But there were stores on board. jerks
remembered that Capt Ross foresight had
secured the provisioning of all the ship
boats soon after the first wild rush to
steady the vessel after the propeller was
lost. Masts, sails, oars, seats-all save two
water-casks-had gone; but jerks. with
eager hands, unfastened the lockers, and
here he found a good supply of timed
meats and biscuits. They had barely re-
covered from the excitement of this find
when the sailor noticed that behind the
rocks on which the craft was firmly lodged
lay a small natural basin full of salt water,
replenished and freshened by the spray of
every gale, and completely shut off from
all seaward access.
1t was not more than four feet deep,
beautifully carpeted with sand, and seclud-
ed hy lie on a
crab or fish was to be seen. 1t provided an
ideal bath.
Iris was overjoyed. She pointed toward
their habitation.
Mr.. Jenks,'' she said, II will be with
you at tea time,
He gathered all the tins he was able to
carry and strode off, enjoining her to fire
her revolver IL for the slightest reason she
wanted assistance, and giving a parting
warning that If she delayed too long he
would come and shout to her.
s Il wonder" said the girl to herself.
watching his retreating figure, what he is
afraid Of Surely by this time we have ex-
hausted the unpleasant surprises of the
island. Anyhow. now for a splash!'
She was hardly in the water before she
began to be afraid on account of jerks.
Suppose anything happened to him willis
she was thoughtlessly enjoying herself
here. So strongly did the thought possess
her that she hurriedly dressed again and
ran off to find him. He was engaged in
fastening a number of bayonets trans
versely to long piece of timber
What are you doing that for?" she
asked.
why did you return so soon?' Did any
thing alarm your?
II thought you might get into mischief"
she confessed.
trying to make trouble for any unwel-
come VISITORS" he replied This is
cheval de frise, which ] intend to set up
in front of our cave in case we are COM
PEELED to defend ourselves against an at
tack by savages. With this barring the
way they cannot rush the position
She sighed Rainbow Island was a wild
spot after all. Did not thorns and briers
grow very close to the gates of Eden?
On the nineteenth day of their residence
on the island the sailor climbed, as was
his invariable habit. to the Summit Rock,
whilst Iris prepared breakfast. At this
early hour the horizon was clearly cut as
the rim of a sapphire. He examined the
whole arc of the sea with his glasses, but
not sail was In sight. According to his
calculations the growing anxiety as to
the fate of the Sirdar must long ere this
have eliminated in the dispatch from
Hong Kong or Singapore of a special
search vessel. whilst British warships in
the China sea would be warned to keep a
close lookout for any traces of the steam
er to visit all islands on their route and
to question fishermen whom they encoun-
tered. So help might come any day. or 1t
might be long deferred. He could not
vex his soul with questionngs as to what
might happen next week The great GER
tainty of the hour was Iris-the blue
eyed, smiling divinity who had come into
his Hfe-waiting for him down there be-
yond the trees, waiting to welcome him
with sweet-voiced greeting; and he
knew, with a fierce devouring joy, that
her cheek would not pale nor her lip
tremble when he announced that at least
another sun must set before the expected
relief reached them.
He replaced the glasses In their case
and diyed into the wood, giving passing
thought to the fact that the wind after
blowing steadily from the south for
nearly a week. had veered round to the
northeast during the night Did the
change portend a storm? Well they were
now prepared for all such eventualities.
and he had not forgotten that they pos
sessed, among other treasures, box of
books for rainy days. And rainy day
with Iris for company! What gale that
ever blew could offer such compensation
for enforced idleness?
The morning sped in uneventful work.
Iris did not neglect her cherished pitcher
plant. After luncheon it was her custom
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