Evening star., 1904-03-11

who has been a most faithful ally during
part of our siege, will act as guide
The other man cast a comprehensive
glance over the rock. with its scaling lad
ders and dangling rope ladder, the cave,
| the little groups of dead or unconscious
| pirates-for every wounded man who could
move limb had crawled away after the
| the first shell burst-and drew a deep
| breath
How long were you up there?' he
asked.
over thirty hours"
1t was a great fight!'
Somewhat worse than it looks" said
Anstruther. This is only the end of it.
Altogether, we have accounted for nearly
| two score of the poor DEVILS
DO you think you can make them pris-
| oners without killing any more of them?"
asked Iris.
! That depends entirely on themselves,
MISS Deane. Ny men will not fire a shot
unless they encounter resistance"
Robert looked toward the approaching
| boat. She would not land yet for a couple
| of minutes.
by the way" he said, will you tell me
your name?'
'Playdon-Lieutenan Philip H. Playdon"
DO you know to what nation this island
| belongs?'
1T is no-man's land. I think. 1t is marked
unlnhabited on the chart
Then said Anstruther II call upon
you,- Lieutenant Playdon, and all others
| here present. to witness that I, Robert An
struther. late of the Indian army acting
| on behalf Of myself and Miss Iris Deane
declare that we have taken possession of
this island In the name of his Britannia
majesty the King of England, that we are
the Joint occupiers and owners thereof
and claim all property rights vested there
| in
These formal phrases coming at such
moment. amazed his hearers. Iris alone
had an inkling of the underlying motive.
i don't suppose any one will dispute
a Cni1 tI,o
He unquestionably imagined that suffering
and exposure had slightly disturbed the
other man senses. yet he had seldom seen
any person who looked to be in more COM
plete possession of his faculties
Thank you,'' replied Robert with equal
composure. though he felt inclined to laugh
at Playdons mystif1catio II only wished
| to secure sufficient number of witnesses
1or a verbal declaration. When l have a
! few minutes to spare l will affix legal
notice on the wall in front of our cave"
Playdon bowed silently. There was some
tn1ns IN the speakers manner that puzzled
hlm He detailed a small guard to ac-
company Robert and Iris who now walked
toward the beach. and asked Mir Jan to
pilot him as suggested by Anstruther.
Inc BOAT was yet many yards from shore
WAen IRIS ran forward and stretched out
her arms to the man who was staring at
her with wistful despair
Father. Father!' she cried. Don't you
know mO?''
M al eiiuA bcdIit was LOOKING at the
TWO strange figures on the sands and each
moment his heart sank lower This island
held his final hope. During many weary
weeks, since the day when a kildly ad-
I lniraI placed the cruiser Orient at his dis
posai. ne had secured the China sea, the
coasts Of Borneo and Java for some tid-
ings Of the Inflated Sirdar.
he met naught save blank nothincness
.ne silence of the great ocean mausoeum
NOT boat. spar. life buoy, was cast
up py the waves to yield faintest trace of
the lost steamer. Every naval man knew
what had happened The vessel had met
WIN some mishap to her machinery. struck
derellct or turned turtle during that
memorable typhcon of March II and ~
She had gone down with all hands. Her
rate was foregone conclusion. No ship's
BOAT could hve in that sea, even if the
crew We're able to launch one. 1t was an
other of oceans tragedies. with the fifth
act left to the ina gination
10 examine every sand patch and traa
.i,e, covered shoal in the China Sea was an i'm
possible task. All the Orient could
do was to visit the princinaI isIands
and institute inquiries among the fishermen
and small traders At last, the previous
nisn,' a Malay. tempted by hope of re-
ward boarded the vessel when living a+
anchor off the large island awav to tho
south, and told the captain a wondro,,s
taie OF a devil-haunted place Inhabited bv
IM9 wnite spirits: a male and a female.
Wmther local pirate named Tamnp
All had gone by chance with his noan
ana suffered great loss But Taunp S,AIi
was beWitched by the female spirit and
mao returned there, with great force.
swearing to capture her or nerisb Tba
spirits the Malay said had dwaIt -. ne
Inc island for many years His father and
sIahuIauher Knew the place and feared II
iaTng Thig An would never be seen again.
IhlS queer yarn was the first indica tto,
they received of the Whereabouts of an,
persons who might possibly be shipwrecIed
europeans, though not survivors from the
olroar. Anyhow, the tiny dot Law in the
vessels northward track, so a conrsa wne
set to arrive off the island soon aftar d.r,r
Events on shore, as seen by the officer on
Watch, told their own tale Wherever
Dyaks are nghting tnere is mischief on foot
so the Orient took a ha nd in the nroceed,
ings. ~ pioeeeo-
but Sir Arthur Deane. after an aponized
scrutiny OF the weird-look-ng persons es-
col,eu py the sailors to the wSter's edge
sadly acknowledged that neither of these
could be the daughter whom he sought He
bowed his head in humble resignation and
ne thought he was the victim of a cruel hal
lucination when Iris tremulous accents
rather, father! Don't you know me?',
iie STOOD up amazed and trembling
fes, father dear. 1t is l, your own little
girl given back to you. Oh dear, oh dearr
cannot see you for my tears
Ihey had some difficulty to keen him in
the BOAT and the man pulling stroke
sinashed stout oar with the next wrench
|
| left them alone, TO crowd round Anstrutber
ana ply MIN with hundred questions AL
| though he fell in with their humor and
gradually pieced together the stirring story
which was supplemented each instant hv
the arrival OF disconsolate Dyaks and the
! comments of the men who returned FROM
| cave and beach, his soul was filed with
| the sight of Iris and her father. and the
| happy, inconsequent demands with which
| each sought to ascertain and relieve the ex-
| tent of the others anXiety
Then Iris called to him
| Robert / want YOU"
The use of his Christian name created
| something akin to sensation Sir Arthur
| Deane was startled. even in his immea sura-
! BILE delight at finding his child unin iured~
| the picture of rude health and happiness
| Anstruther advanced.
This is my father" she cried shrill with
| joy. And, father darling. this is Captain
| Robert Anstruther, to whom alone under
| Gods will. l owe my life MANY. MANY
times since the moment the Sirdar was
| lost"
| 1t was no time for questioning Sir Ar
thur Deane took off his hat and held ont
| his hand
| Captain Anstruther." he said '.as owe
you my daughters life. / owe You thar
| which l can never repay. And / owe Won
my own life, too, for I could not have sn1r.
vived the knowledge that she was dead"