The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1904-03-19

at the pair beneath, who could now
family discern them, and were almost
within reach Of the ladder. The boot
Ing made them halt. He did not
frighten them was sufficient. Several
others We're running across the sands
to the cave, attracted, by the noise ana
the cries Of the foremost pursuers.
Then he gave a steady pull to the
cord. The sharp crack Of a rife came
from the vicinity of the old quarry.
He saw the flash among the trees. Al
leapt from the opposite ledge, illum-
lining the vicinity like a meteor. It lit
up the rock, showed Iris just vanish
ing into the safety Of the ledge, and
revealed jerks and the Dyaks to each
other. There followed instantly a ire
mendous explosion that shook the
earth and air, dislodging every loose
hurting from the plateau some OF its
occupants and wounding the remain
der with a shower of lead and debris.
The island birds, long, since driven
| to the remote trees, clamored n"rau-
cous peal, and from the Dyaks came
yells Of fright or anguish.
| The sailor unmolested further
reached the ledge to find Iris PROSTATE
where she had fallen. dead or I'M
| conscious, he knew not which. He
| felt his face become grey in the dark
ness. With fierce tug he hauled the
ladder we'll away from the ground and
sank to his knees beside her.
He took her into his arms. There
was no light. He could not see her
eyes or lips. Her slight breathing
seemed to indicate a fainting fit, but
there was no water, nor was it pos
sible to adopt any Of the ordinary ex-
pedients suited to such a seizure. He
could only wait in q dreadful silence
wait, clasping her to his breast
and dumbly wonder what other loss
he could suffer ere the final release
came. . -
| At last she sighed deeply. A strong
tremor Of returning life stirred hel
frame.
THANK God!" he murmured, an6
bowed his head. Were the sun shin
ing he could not see her now, for his
eyes were blurred. -1
"Robert!" she whispered.
Eyes, darling"
Are you safer"
"Safe! my loved one! Think of your.
self! What has happened to you?"
II fainted-I think. I have no hurt
I missed you! Something told M
you had gone. I went to help you, OF
die with you. And then that noise
And the light! What did you do?"
lie Sllenced ner queSClOn1ng Win
passionate kiss. He carried her to {
little nook and fumbled among thu
stores until he found a bottle O.
brandy. She drank some. Under it
revivifying influence she was soon abb
to listen to the explanation he Offered
AFTER securing the ladder.
In a tall tree near the Valley o
Death he had tightly fixed a loadet
rifle which pointed at a loose stone il
the rock overhanging the ledge he'll
by the Dyaks. This stone reste'
against a number Of percussion cap
extracted from cartridges, and thes
were in direct communication with
train Of powder leading to blastin
charge placed at the end Of a twenty
four inch hole drilled with croWbal
} The impact of the bullet against tn
!; stone could not fail to explode som
, of the caps. He had used the content
Of three hundred cartridges to secur
l a suffciency Of powder, and the bull
} lets were all crammed into the orifice
| being tamped with clay and wet sant
The rifle was fired by means Of tn
string, the loose coils of which Wer
secreted at the. foot Of the poon. B
springing this novel mine he had et
fectually removed every Dyak fror
} the ledge, over which its content
would spread like a, fan. Further,