Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1905-06-27
smoothing her tangled tresses with his


Portable Pile Of ragged clothing ant
then resumed his vigil Mir Jan Of
fered to mount guard beneath, but
jerks babe him 20 within tie cave and
remain there, for the dawn would s00r
be upon item.
Left alone with his thoughts, he won
dered what the rising sun would bring
in it's train. He reviewed the events
Of the last twcnty-four hours. Iris and
hc-Miss Deane. Mr.. jerks, to each
other-were tEen undiscovered in theil
refuge tie Dyaks were gathered
around roaring fire in the valley, and
Mir Jan WAS keen in the hunt as the
kecnc"t MJng them. Now Iris was
his aGianccd b:.,lc. over twenty Of the
eucny were killed ana many wounded
and Mir Jan. devoted adLerent. was
seated beside the skeleton in the gloom
Of the cavern.
A period Of reflection could hardly
pass without q speculative dive Into
the future. If Iris and he were res.
cued, what would happen when they
went forth once more into the busy
world? Not for one instant did he
doubt her faith. She was true as
steel, knit to him now by bonds OF
triple brass. But what would Sir Ar,
thur Deane think of his daughters
marriage to discredited and cashiered
officer? What was it that poor Mir
Jan called himself-"a disgraced man?'
Yes. that was it. Could that stain be
removed? Mir Jan was doing it. Why
not he-by other means, for his good
name rested on the word Of perjureG
woman? Wealth was potent, but not
all powerful. He would ask Iris to
wait until he came to her unsoiled by
SANDER, purged Of this Odium cast up
on him unmerited.
To awake her he kissed her; lie knew
not, perchance it might be their last
kiss on earth. Not yet dawn, there was
morning in the air. for the first faint
shafts of light were not visible from
their eyrie owing to its position. But
there was much to be done.
The canvas awning was rolled back
and the stores built into barricade in
tended to shelter Iris.
What Is that for?" she asked when
she discovered it's nature. He told her.
She definitely refused to avail herself
of any such protection.
"Robert, DEAR" she said, IF the at
tack comes to our very door, so to
speak, surely l must help you. Even
my slight aid may stem a rush in one
place while you are busy in another"
He explained to her that if hand to
hand fighting were necessary he would
depend more upon a crowbar than a
rifle to sweep the ledge clear. She
might be in the way.
"Very well. The moment you tell
me to get behind that fence will do
so. Even there l can use revolver"
That reminded him. His own pistol
was unloaded. He possessed only five
more cartridges Of small caliber He
placed them in the weapon and gave 1t
to her.
"Now you have eleven mems lives In
your hands," he said. ''Try not to miss
| IL you must shoot"
In the dim light he could not see the
spasm of pain that clouded her face.
No Dyak would reach her while he
lived. If he fell, there was another use
for one of those cartridges.
The sailor had cleared the main floor
Of the rock and was placing his four
rifles and other implements within easy
reach when hiss came from beneath.
mir Janw exclaimed Iris.
"What nowW demanded jerks over
the side.
"Sahib, they come"
81 am prepared. Let that snake
get back to his hole in the rock, lest
mongoose seize him by the head"
Mir Jan, engaged in scouting eXpe-
dition on his own account, understood
that the officer sahib's orders must be
obeyed. He vanished Soon they heard
q great cracking among the bushes on
the right, but jerks knew even before
he looked that the Dyaks had correctly
estimated the extent of his fire zone
and would keep out Of it.
The first physical intimatiOn of the
enemy's design they received was u
pungent but pleasant smell OF burning
pine. borne to them by the northerly
breeze and filling the air with its aro-
| ma. The Dyaks kindled huge fire.
| The heat was perccptible even on the
ledge. but the minutes passed and the
| dawn broadened into day without any
other result being achieved.
Iris, little drawn and pale with sus-
pense, said, with timid giggle:
This does not seem to be so very
serious. 1t reminds me Of my efforts
| to cook"
"There Is more to follow. fear, dear
one. But the Dyaks are fools. They
should have waited until night fell
again after wearing us out by constant
vigilance all day. If they intend to EN-
ploy smoke it would be far worse for
us at night"
Phew. A volume Of murky vapor
arose that nearly suffOcated them by
the first Whit of its noisome fumes. 1t
curled like IL black pail over the face OF
the rock and blotted out sea and sky.
They coughcd necessarily and nearly
choked, for the Dyaks had thrown wet
seaweed on top Of the burning pile OF
dry wood. Mir Jan, born in interior In
dia. knew little about the sea or its
products, and when the savages talked
of seaweed he thought they meant
green wood. Fortunately for him, the
ascending clouds Of smoke missed the
cave or infallibly he must have been
stifed.
"Lie fat on the rock" gasped jerks
Careless Of waste, he poured water
over q coat and made Iris bury her
mouth and nose in the wet cloth. This
gave her immediate relief, and she
showed her woman's wit by tying the
sleeves of the garment behind her neck
jerks nodded comprehension and fol-
lowed her example, for by this means
their hands were left free.
The black cloud grew more dense
each few seconds. Nevertheless, owing
to the slope Of the ledge and the tend
ency of the smoke to rise. the south
side was far more tenable than the
north. Quick to note this favorable cir
cumstance, the sailor deduced fur
ther fact from 1t. A barrier erected Oh
the extreme right of the ledge would