Waterbury evening Democrat., 1905-08-04

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 a great cracking among the bushes on 1 the right, but Jenks knew even before 1 he looked that the Dyaks had correctly I estimated the extent of his fire zone and would keep out of it. The first physical intimation of the l enemy's design they received was 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 ire. 1 The heat was perceptible 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. It 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 whiff of its noisome fumes. It curled like a black pail over the face of the rock and plotted out sea and sky. They coughed 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 It's
 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
 stihed
 Lie flat on the rock. gasped Jenks
 Careless of waste, he poured water
 over a coat and made Iris bury hel
 mouth and nose in the wet cloth. This
 gave her immediate relief, and she
 showed her woman's wit by tying tho
 sleeves of the garment behind her neck
 Jenks 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 soutf
 side was far more tenable than thu
 north. Quick to note this favorable cir
 cumstance, the sailor deduced fur
 ther fact from it. A barrier erected ol
 the extreme right of the ledge woult
 be a material gain. He sprang up
 dragged the huge tarpaulin from it former location and propped 1t on tn
 handle of the pickax, driven by on : mighty stroke deep into crevice o
 the rock.
 It was no mean feat of strength tha he performed. He swung the heav,
 and cumbrous canvas into position a if it were dust cloth. He emerge from the gloom of the driven cloud re- eyed, but triumphant. Instantly tn vapor on the ledge lessened, and the could breathe, even talk. Overhea and in front the smoke swept in eve
 increasing density, but once again tn : sailor had outwitted the Dyaks' ma neuvers.
 I've have won the first rubber" h whispered to Iris.
 Above. beneath, beyond. they coul see nothing. The air they breathe was hot and fetid. It was like be ing immured in foul tunnel, and a most as dark. Jenks looked over tn parapet. He thought he could distir guish some vague figures on the sand , so he fired at them. A volley of al swering bullets crashed into the roc on all sides. The Dyaks had laid thef
 plans we'll this time. A firing squa stationed beyond the smoke area an supplied with all the available gun F commenced and kept up smart f'isi Jade in the direction of the ledge order to cover the operations of tn scaling party.
 Jenks realized that to expose himsel | was to court a serious wound an : achieve no useful purpose. He fe : back out of range, laid down his riff and grabbed the crowbar. At brief ir