Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-03-05
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I ytIpfIIg were
paled on the bayonets of the cheval de frise,
| learning too late Its formidable nature.
| The wounded men shrieked In agony but
| their cries were drowned in a torrent of
| amazed shouts from their companions
| Forthwith there was stampede toward the
WELL the cliff, the beaches anywhere to
| get away from that awesome cavern where
| ghosts dwelt and men fell MANNED at the
very threshold The sailor, leaning as far
| over the edge of the rock as the girls ex-
| postulations would permit heard a couple
| of men groaning beneath. whilst a third
| limped away with frantic and painful haste
| w hat Is it?" whispered Iris, eager her
self to witness the tumult. What has hap
| pened?'
! They have been routed by a box of
! matches and a few dried bones,' he an
, swered.
| There was no time for further speech. He
| was absorbed in estimating the probable
number of the Dyaks. Thus far he had
| seen about fifty. Moreover, he did not wish
to acquaint Iris with the actual details of
the artifice that had been so potent. Her
allusion to the box of water-sodden Tand-
| stickors gave him the notion of utilizing as
| an active ally the bleached remains of the
| poor fellow who had long ago fallen vic
| tim TO this identical mob of cut-throats or
| their associates. He gathered the principal
| bones from their resting place near the
| well, rubbed them with the ends of the
matches after damping the sulphur again,
] and arranged them with CHASTITY effect on
/ the pile of rubbish at the further end of the
| cave, creeping under the cheval de frise for
| the purpose.
Though not so vivid as he wished the
| pale-glimmering headless skeleton in the
| intense darkness of the interior was appall-
! Ing enough in all conscience. Fortunately
| the fumes of the sulphur fed on the bony
substance They endured a sufficient time
i to scare every pyak who caught a glimpse
! of the monstrouS object crouching In lumin-
| Gus horror within the dismal cavern
Not even the stirring exhortations of the
| chief, whose voice was raised in furious
| speech, could induce his adherents to again
| approach that affrighted spot. At last the
| daring scoundrel himself, still welding his
| naked sword, STROBE right up to the very
| doorway. Stricken with sudden stupor, he
| gazed at the fitful CLEANS within. He prod
| ded the cheval de frise with the parang.
| Here something definite and solid.
| Then he dragged one of the wounded men
out into the, moonlight
Again jerks experienced an itching de-
| sire to send a bullet through the Dyak's
| head; again he resisted the impulse. And
| SO passed that which is vouchsafed by Fate
| to few men-a second opportunity.
Another vehement harangue by the chief
| goaded some venturesome spirits into carry
| ing their wounded comrade out Of sight,
| presumably to the hut. Inspired by their
| leadel's fearless example. they even re-
moved the third injured Dyak from the
vicinity of the cave, but the CELEBRITY of their
retreat caused the wretch to bawl in agony.
Their next undertaking was no sooner ap-
preciated by the sailor than he hurriedly
caused Iris to shelter herself beneath the
tarpaulin, whilst he covered close to the
floor of the ledge, looking only through the
screen of tall grasses. They kindled fire
near the well. Soon its rudy glare lit up
the dark rock with fantastic chickering's,
and drew scintillations from the weapons
and ornaments of the hideously picturesque
horde gathered in it's vicinity.
They spoke a language of hard vowels
and nasal resonance, and ate what he
in6ped In he drv fish nilletS and strips OF
tough preserved meat. which they cooked
on small iron skewers stuck among the
glowing embers. His heart sank as he count
ed sixty-one, all told, assembled within
forty yards of the ledge Probably
several others were guarding the boats or
proving about the island. Indeed events
proved that more than eighty men had
come ashore in three large sampans roomy
and feet craft we'll fitted for piratical
cursons up river estuaries or along
coast.
They were mostly bare-legged rascals,
wearing Malay hats, loose Jackets reaching
to the knee, and sandals. One man differed
essentially from the others He was hab-
tied in the conventional attire of an indian
Mahommedan, and his skin was brown,
whilst the swarthy Dyaks were yellow be-
meath the dirt. jerks thought. from the
manner in which his turban was tied, that
ne must be Punjabi Mussulman-very
likely an escaped convict from the Anda-
mans
The most careful scrutiny did not reveal
any arms of precision. They all carried
muZZle-loaders, either Anticipated flintlocks,
or guns sufficiently modern to be fitted with
nipples for percussion caps
Each Dyak, of course, sported parang
and dagger-like kriss; few bore spears,
and about a dozen shouldered long
straight piece of bamboo. The nature of
this implement the sailor could not de-
terrnne at the moment. When the knowl-
edge did come, 1t came so rapidly that he
was saved from many earlier hours of
abiding dread for one of those innocuous-
looking weapons was fraught with more
quiet deadliness than Calling gun.
In the neighbOrhood of the fire an ami
mated discussion took place. Though 1t
was easy to see that the chief was all para
mount, his fellow-tribesmen exercised
democratic right of free speech and out
spoken opinion.
Flashing eyes and expressive hands were
turned toward cave and hut Once, when
the debate grew warm, the chief snatched
up a burning branch and held it over the
blackened embers of the fire cxtinguished
by jerks. He seemed to draw some definite
conclusion from an examination of the
charcoal, and the argument thenceforth
proceeded with less emphasis Whatever it
was that he said evidently carried ccnvic-
ton.
Iris, nesting close to the sailor, whisper
ed
do you know what he has found out?"
81 can only guess that he tell by
the appearance of the burnt wood how long
it is since 1t extinguished. Clearly
they agree with him"
Then they know are still here?'
Either here or gone within a few hours
In any case they will make a thorough
search of the island at daybreak.
"Wnl II be dawn soon?'
Yes Are you tired?"
"a little cramped-that is ALL
Don't thi,.k 1 am foolsh-can you man.
age to sleep?"
sleep! With those men so near"
Yes. We do not know how long they
| will remain. We must keep up our
| strength. Sleep, next to food and drink, is
! prime necessity"
IF it will please you. I will try" she
| said, with such sweet readiness to obey his
| slightest wish that the wonder is he did
| not kiss her then and there. By previous
| instruction she knew exactly what to do
! She crept quietly back until well ensconced
| in the niche widened and followed for
| her accommodation. There, so secluded
| was she from the outer world of horror
| and peril. that the coarse voices beneath
| only reached her in a murmur. Pulling
| one end of the tarpaulin over her, she
| stretched her weary limbs on a litter of
| twiggs and leaves, commended herself and
| the man she loved to Gods keeping and.
/ wonderful though 1t may seem, she was
/ nhar f,,l1x