The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1905-07-27
By LOUIS
TRACY
Copyright. 1908. by
Edward J. Clode

| trouble about them. After a few fran
| tic struggles each doomed wretch flung
up his arms and vanished. In the clear
| atmosphere the onlookers could see
black fins cutting the pellucid sea.
They were quieting down-the thirst
fend was again slowly sailing their
veins-when something of dirty white
color futtered into sight from behind
the base of the opposite cliff. 1t was
rapidly withdrawn, to reappear after
an interval. Now it was held more
steadily and a brown arm became visi-
BILE. AS jerks did not fire, turbaned
head popped into sight. It was the Mo-
hammedan.
mo shoot it, he roared. "Me Eng
lish speak it."
Don't you speak Hindoostanee?"
shouted jerks in Urdu Of the higher
| proficiency.
Eyes, STRIP was the joyful response.
"Will your honor permit his servant to
come and talk with him?''
eyes, if you come unarmed.'
"And the chief, too, sahib?''
| eyes. but listen! On the first sign of
treachery 1 will shoot both of your
eve will keep faith, sahib. May kites
pick our bones if we failv'
| Then there stepped into full view the
renegade Iussulman and his leader.
They carried no guns; the chief wore
his creese.
| "Tell him to leave that dagger be-
hindu cried the sailor imperiously. AS
the enemy demanded a parley he re-
solved to adopt the conqueror's tone
from the outset. The chief obeyed, with
a scowl, and the two advanced to the
foot Of the rock.
"Stand close to me,' said jerks to
Iris. LET them see you plainly, but
pull your hat we'll down over your
eyes,
She silently followed his instructions.
Now that the very crisis Of their fate
| had arrived she was nervous, shaken,
| conscious only of a desire to sink on
her knees and pray.
The two halted some ten PAGES in
| front Of the cavern, and the belliger-
ents surveyed each other 1t was fas.
cinating spectacle, this drama in real
life. The yellow faced Dyak, gaudily
attired in a crimson jacket and sky
| blue pantaloons of Chinese silk, a man
young and powerfully built, and the
brown skinned, white clothed Moham-
medan, bony, tall and gray with hard
ship, looked up at the occupants of the
| ledge. Iris, slim and boyish in her male
garments, was dWarfed by the six foot
sailor, but her face was blood stained,
and jerks wore six weeks stubble
Of beard. Holding their rifles with
alert ease, with revolvers strapped to
their sides, they presented warlike
and imposing tableau in their inaccessi-
BILE perch. In the path of the emissa-
ries lay the bodies of the slain. The
Dyak leader scowled again as he pass
ed them.
"Sahib," began the Indian, my chief,
Taung Sail, does not wish to have
any more of his men killed in foolish
quarrel about woman. Give her up,
he says, and he will either leave you
here in peace or carry you safely to
some place where you can find a ship
manned by white men,
"a womanH' said jerks scornfully.
"That is idle talk! What woman is
here?"
This question nonplused the native.
''The woman whom the chief saw
half a month back, sahib.'
''Taung Sail was bewitched. l slew
his men SO quickly that lie saw spirits"
The chief caught his name and broke
in with question. A volley Of talk
between the two was enlivened with
expressive gestures by Taung Sail,
who several times pointed to Iris, and
jerks now mathematical his thought
less folly in permitting the Dyak to ap-
proach so near. The Mohammedan, of
course, had never seen her and might
have persuaded the other that in truth
there were two men only on the rock.
His fears were only too we'll founded.
The Mussulman salaamed respectfully
and said:
Protector of the poor, cannot gain
say your word, but Taung S'Ali says
that the maid stands by your side and
is none the less the woman he seeks in
that she wears mans clothing"
HE has sharp eyes, but his brain is
added retorted the sailor. "Why
does he come here to seek a woman
who is not of his race? Not only has
he brought death to his people and nay-
rowly escaped it himself, but he must
know that any violence offered to us
will mean the determination Of his
whole tribe by an English warship.
Tell him to take away his boats and
never visit this isle again. Perhaps 1
will then forget his treacherous at
tempt to murder us while we slept last
night"
The chief glared defantly, while the
Mohammedan said:
"Sahib, it is best not to anger him
too much. He says he means to have
the girl He saw her beauty that day,
and she inflamed his heart. She has
cost him many lives, but she is worth
a sultan's ransom. He cares not for
w'arships. They cannot reach his vii