Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-03-05

Dy Wnom their companapN had been Shot.
Many among the excited horde jabberins
beneath actually looked at the cliff over
and over again, yet failed to note the po-
tentialitdes of the ledge, with it's few tufts
OF grass growing where seeds had apparent
ly been blown by the wind or dropped By
passing birds.
jerks understood, Of course. that the real
danger would arise when they visited the
scene of their comrades disaster Even
then the wavering balance of chance might
cast the issue In his favor. He could only
wait, with ready rifle, with the light of
battle lowering in his eyes. OF one thing
at least he was certain-before they con-
quered him he would levy terrible toll.
He glanced back at Iris. Her face was
pale beneath its mask of ;sunbrown. She
was bent over her Bible, and jerks did not
know that she was reading the 91st Psalm.
Her lips murmured:
Il will say unto the Lord, He is my ref
uge and my fortress; my God, in Him will
trust
The chief was listening intently to the
story Of the Dyak who saw the dead man
totter and fall. He gave some quick order.
Followed by a score or more of his men
he walked rapidly to the foot of the cliff
where they found the lifeless body.
And Iris read:
Thou shalt not be afraid for the terror
by night; nor for the arrow that fiieth by
day."
jerks stole one more hasty glance at her.
The chief and the greater number of his
followers were out of sight behind the
rocks. Some of them must now be climbing
to that fatal ledge. Was this the end?
Yet the girl, unconscious of the doom inn
pending, kept her eyes steadfastly fixed on
the book.
For He shall give His angels charge over
thee, to keep thee in all thy ways"
''They shall bear thee up in their hands,
lest thou dash thy foot against a stone .
He shall call upon me, and will answer
him; l will be with him in trouble; ! will
deliver him and honor him.
Iris did not apply the consoling words to
herself. She closed the book and bent for
ward sufficiently in her sheltering niche to
permit her to gaze with wistful tenderness
upon the man whom she hoped to see deliv-
cred and honored. She knew he would dare
all for her sake. She could only pray and
hope. After reading those inspired verses
she placed implicit trust in the promise
made. For He was good: His was the
mercy that ''endureth forever" Enemies
encOmpaSSed them with words of hatred
fought against them without a cause-but
there was One who should Judge among
the heather and "fill the places with dead
bodies
Suddenly clamor Of discordant yells fell
upon her ears. jerks rose to his knees
The Dyaks discovered their refuge and were
about to open fire. He offered them a tar
get, lest perchance Iris was not thoroughly
screened
US. Lead will be flying around soon"
She fiinched back into the crevice; the
sailor fell prone. Four bullets spat into the
ledge, of which three pierced the tarpaulin
and one fattened itself against the rock.
Then jerks took up The tale. So curiously
constituted was this man, that although he
ruthlessly shot the savage who first spied
out their retreat, he was swayed only by
the dictates of stern necessity. There was
feeble chance that further bloodshed might
be averted. That chance had passed. Very
we'll. The enemy must start the dreadful
game about to be played. They had thrown
the gage and he answered them. Four times
did the Lee-Metford carry death, unseen,
almost unfelt, across the valley.
Ere the fourth Dyak collapsed Imply
where he stood others were there, firing at
the little puff of smoke above the grass.
They got in a few shots, most of which
sprayed at various angles off the face of
the cliff. But they waited for no more.
When the lever Of the ,Lee-Metford was
showed home for the fifth time, the opposing
crest was bare of all opponents save two,
and they lay motionless no.
The fate of the fanking detachment was
either unperceived or unheeded by the
Dyaks left in the vicinity of the house and
we'll AStounded by the firing that burst
forth In md-air, jerks had cleared the dam
gerous rock before they realized that here.
above their heads were the white man and
the maid whom they sought.
With stupid zeal they blaZed away furi-
ously. only succeeding in showering frag
ments of splintered stone into the Eagles
Nest. And the sailor smiled. He quietly
picked up an old coat, rolled it into a ball
and pushed 1t into sight amidst the grass.
Then he squrmed round ON his stomach and
took up position ten feet away OF course,
those who still carried loaded guns dis
charged them at the bundle of rags, where
upon jerks thrust his rifle beyond the edge
of the rock and leaned over.
Three Dyaks fell before the remainder
made up their minds to run. Once con-
WINGED. however. that running was good for
their health, they moved with much celebrity.
The remaining cartridges in the magazine
slackened the pace of two of their number
jerks dropped the empty weapon and seized
another. He stood up now and sent quick
reminder after the rearmost pirate. The
others had disappeared toward the locality
where their leader and his diminished troops
We're gathered, not daring to again come
within range of the whisting dunn dums.
The sailor holding his rifle as though pleas
ant shooting, bent forward and sought be-
lated opponent, but In vain. In military
phrase, the terrain was clear of the enemy.
There was no sound save the wailing of
birds, the soft sough of the sea, and the
yelling of the three wounded men in the
house, who knew not what terrors threa ten
ed, and vainly bawled for succor.
Again jerks could look at Iris. Her face
was bleeding. The sight maddened him.
MY God!' he groaned, ARE you
wounded?'
She smiled bravely at him.
ut is nothing she said "A mere splash
from the rock which cut my forehead"
He dared not go to her. He could only
hope that 1t was no worse, so he turned to
examine the valley once more for vestige OF
a living foe.