The Minneapolis journal., 1904-12-24
self. It had won Hadow. It had won

self. It had won Hadow. It had won
Francis.
Jack lay back in the hammock, and
with wonderful tenderness and feeling
sang, Flow, Gently, Sweet Alton, re-
peating the last verse several times
over. It was plain that something in
moved him for he suddenly bent over
and laid his face in his hands, shaking
with strange commotion. Tehea
arose, and throwing her arms round his
neck and forcing away his hands,
pressed her Lips to his wet eyes. Even
as she did SO, Brady gave the signal for
the whole party to move round to the
door.
He entered first, the others close be-
hind him. Jack leaped to his feet,
white and speechless, his wide-open
eyes those Of an animal at bay. Brady,
Winterslea, Stanbury Jones, Hotham,
Hatch, the familiar, faces haunted him
like the sight Of ghosts. Friends no
the right to track him down and kill
him. e
".Jack!" cried Brady in stihed
voice.
The lad took step back. The girl
moaned and tried to run q, between Hatch
aa saagt anS oer ser Ike Ike ed os s
ing away the whistle she put to her
lips and dashed it to the floor. Jack
put up his hand and snatched q pistol
hidden in the thatch Of the roof. Brady
on the instant leveled his own and
thundered out: RS,
'fShoot and be hanged,' returned
Jack, and with that he turned his pis-
tol on himself, and, placing the muzzle
against his forehead pulled the trigger.
It missed fire.
Before he could try again Brady had
caught him around the neck, while
Hatch, resigning the girl to Stanbury-
Jones, ran in and snapped the handouts
on his wrists.
"JacIl" cried Brady, "we aren 4 60.
from the hill tribes. Man, you're
sayedl'' agtd 81,
Hatch. "Mind you back us up, old
fellow,' said Winterslea.
"Give us your fin, boy" said Hot.
ham.
cit was some time before Jack could
pull himself together. When at last he
did so, and began to appreciate the gen
erosity of his captain and shipmate
and their astounding concern to save
underwent one fthose reactions whe1
despair gives way to the maddest gay
ETY.. He swore at Hatch and made hin
take off the irons; he got out a bottle
Of white rum and forced them all tc
drink his. health; he kept them in {
roar with the story Of his adventures
and laughed and cried in turn as h
described his life ashore.
| "What does she want7' demanded
Brady, as Tehea insistently repeated
some words in native.
| ,So1r
ing up the whistle from the floor ant
touching it to his lips, "she says I'v'
only to blow this and you will all b.
dead in five minutes'
|, A hush fell upon the company.
Jack, with an oath, flung the whistl
from him.
NGentlemen, he said, II am CRATE
full. am id grateful. If I live
shall try and repay each one Of you.
shall try and be better man. 1 shal
try to be worthy Of your kindness. H
went round and shook hands solemnl,
with every one Of them.
"Let's be off, said Brady.
! "Now, lad, your word Of HONOR sai'
Winterslea.
Jack looked about him helplessly.
"I suppose I've no right to ask suc]
a thing,' he said. "I know how goo,
you we been to me already, and all that
But--but gentlemen-she' 3 my wife.
: love her. / shall never see her again
May !! not entreat a single minute TO
myself"
mo-" said Brady.
Jack. went over to Tehea and too
, her hand. He put his arms about he
and, unashamed,. before them al
, pressed her comely head against. hi
81 IL %~1n rs o1oS, kho
orable fate he was SO. powerless to re
sist; in incoherent whispers he told he
he would break his chains and retur
, to her, free in the years to come t
} devote his life to the woman he lovet
He called her the dearest names an
, begged her not to forget him. Bu
!, she, with a perception greater than hi
, testations with disdain. TIE daughte
!. of one king, the sister Of another, coul
\ she not meet force by force7 Thes
. fierce intruders, with their rough voice
. and drawn pistols, who were they t
: threaten a princess of the royal bloc
Q and carry away her lover before he
, eyesq IF they were strong she We
r stronger, and what ship cannon, sl
r asked, however murderous or far-reac!
! recesses whittier she would carry hi
? before the morning. All, she said,
was for him to choose between her an
( them; between Britain and the islanc
: between love or the service Of the whit
queen beyond the seas. -
7 "I have chosen,'' he said.
T Her eyes flashed as she freed herse
!, from his arms.
t "I am hateful in my own sight fl
q having loved you,' she said.
: "Will you not even wish me wel
Tehea9' he asked.
a "No!" she cried, 1T hope you wi
r He turned away.
+ "Siati,' she cried after him.
\ He came back to her, downcast al
8 silent. -. ..- ....
b Remember" she said, in an agor
Q Of sweet relenting, ''that wherev
d thou goest, however many the yea
that may divide us, however wide tt
our happiness, and if I die before thu
:, comest, here thou wilt find my grave.
. "Tehea,' he said, Gas God sees m
a some day I shall returnl'' ;,
), She took his hands and looked up in
:, his face with such poignant longii1
q and tenderness that Jack g comrade
n already uncomfortable enough, we
!. quite overborne by the scene. Touf
!. old Hatch snuffed' audibly and Brat
o could hardly speak.
: "Come, come, lad," he cried huskil
:. "you mustn It keep US longer!'
i Jack unclasped the girls hands 81
suffered himself to be led away by b
- comrades. A few. minutes later tn!