Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-03-10
NATIONAL BISCUIT COMPANY

nothing The air they breathed was hot
and foetid 1t was like being immured in
foul tunnel and almost as dark. jerks
looked over the parapet. He thought he
could distinguish some vague figures on
the sands, so he fired at them. A volley of
answering bullets crashed into the rock on
all sides. The Dyaks had laid their plans
well this time firing squad stationed
beyond the smoke area, and supplied with
all the available guns, commenced and kept
up a smart fusillade in the direction of the
ledge in order to cover the operations of
the scaling party.
jerks realized that to expose himself was
to court a serious wound and achieve no
useful purpose. He fell back out of range,
laid down his rifle and grabbed the crow
bar. AT brief intervals a deep hollow boom
came up from the valley At first it puz-
Zled them until the sailor hit upon an eX-
PLANTATION. Mir Jan was busy.
The end of strong roughly made ladder
swung through the smoke and banged
against the ledge. Before jerks could
reach it those hosting it into position haSti-
ly retreated. They were standing in front
of the cave and the Mahommedan made
play on them with Lee Metford at thirty
feet.
jerks, using his crowbar a lever, top
pied the ladder clean over. 1t fell out
ward and disconnected section of the mus
keteers.
"Wen DONE" cried Iris.
The sailor, astounded by her tone, gave
her f1eetirg glance. She was very pale
now, but not with fear. Her eyes were
slightly contracted, her nostrils quivering,
her lips set tight and her chin dimpled. She
had gone back thirty generations in as
many seconds. Thus might one of the
daughters of Boadfcea have looked whilst
guiding her mothers chariot against the
Roman phalanX. Resting on one knee, with
a revolver in each hand, she seemed no
pulling mate for the gallant man who fought
for her.
She caught his look.
I'VE will beat them YETI she cried again,
and she smiled. not as a woman smiles, but
with the joy of a warrior when the fray is
toward
Three ladders were reared against the rock.
They were SO poised and held below that
jerks could not force them backward. A
fourth appeared, it's course shafts looming
into sight like the horse of some gigantic
animal. The four covered practically the
whole front of the ledge save where Mir
Jan cleared little space on the level
The sailor was standing now, with the
crowbar clenched in both hands. The firing
in the valley Slackened and died away. A
Dyak face grinning like a Japanese demon,
appeared at the top of the ladder nearest to
Iris.
Don't fret" shouted jerks, and the iron
bar crushed downward. Two others pitched
themselves half on to the ledge. Now both
crowbar and revolver were needed. Three
ladders were thus numbered somewhat for
those beneath and jerks sprang toward the
fourth and most distant. Men were crowd
ing it like ants. Close to his feet lay an
empty water cask. 1t was a crude weapon
but effective when well pitched. and the
sailor had never made a better shot for a
goal in the midst of hard-fought scrlm
mage than he made with that tub for the
head of the uppermost pirate.
Another volley came from the sands. A
bullet ploughed through his hair, and sent
his sou wester flying. Again the hesiegers
swarmed to the attack One way or the
other. they must succeed. A man and a
woman-even such man and such wo-
man-could not keep at bay an Infatuated
horde Of fifty savages fighting at close
| quarters and under these grievous eondi-
| TONS
| jerks knew what would happen. He
| would be shot in the head or breast whilst
repelling the scaling party. And Iris! Dear
! heart! She was thinking of him.
| Keep back! They can never gain the
| ledger she shrieked.
| And then, above the din of the fusillade,
the yelis of the assailants and the bawling