Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1905-12-21
By LOUIS
TRACY
Copyright. 1905. by
Edward ]. Glide

somewhat So Iris knew Of the court
! martial. nor was she afraid to pro-
claim to all the world that this man
was her lover AS for Captain Fitz-
roy, his bushy eyebrows disappeared
into his peaked cap when he heard the
manner Of their speech.
| Nevertheless Ventnor smiled again.
Even the Dyaks respected Miss
Deane," he said.
But Anstruther, sorry for the mani,
fest uneasiness Of the shipowner, re-
pressed the retort ON his lips and
| forthwith suggested that they should
walk to the north beach in the first
instance, that being the scene Of the
| wreck.
During the next hour he became audi
| tor rather than narrator. 1t was Iris
who told of his wild fight against wind
and waves; Iris who showed them
where he fought with the devilfish:
Iris who expatiated on the long days
| of ceaseless toll, his dauntless cour-
age in the face of every difficulty, the
way in which he rescued her from the
clutch Of the savages,, the skill Of his
preparations against the anticipated
attack and the last great achievement
| of all, when time after time he foiled
the Dyaks' best laid plans and flung
them off. crippled and disheartened
| during the many phases Of the thirty
! hours battle.
There We're tears In her eyes when
she ended. but they were tears of
thankful happiness, and Lord Ventnor,
silent listener who missed neither
word nor look, felt deeper chill in his
cold heart as he realized that this wo-
mans love could never be his. The
knowledge excited his passion the
more. His hatred OF Anstruther now
became mania, an insensate resolve
to mortally stab this meddler who al
ways stood in his path.
Robert hoped that his present ordeal
was over. 1t had only begun. He was
called on to answer questions without
number. Why had the tunnel been
made? What was the mystery Of the
valley Of death? How did he manage
to guess the dimensions Of the sundial?
How came he to acquire such IN amaz-
ing stock of out of the way knowledge
Of the edible properties Of roots and
trees? Howl Why Where? When?
They never would be satisfied, for not
even the British navy, poking its nose
into the recesses Of the world, often
comes across such an amazing story
as the adventures Of this couple on
Rainbow island.
He readily explained the creation of
quarry and cave by telling them Of the
vein Of anthony Embedded in the rock
near the vault Anthony is one OF the
substances that covers multitude of
doubts. No one, not excepting the doc
tors who use it, knows much about 1t.
and in Chinese medicine it might be
chief factor Of exceeding nastiness.
Inside the cavern the existence of
the partially completed shaft to the
ledge accounted for recent disturb
ances on the face of the rock, and new
Corners could not, of course, distinguish
the bones Of poor ~. S." as being the
remains of a European.
Anstruther was satisfied that none of
them hazarded the remotest guess as
to the value Of the gaunt rock they
were staring at, and chance helped him
to battle further inquiry.
A trumpeter on board the Orient was
blowing his lungs out to summon them
to luncheon when Captain Fitzroy put
a final query.
II can quite understand" he said to
Robert, that you have an affection, for
this weird place, but am curious to
know why you lay claim to the island.
You can hardly intend to return here"
He pointed to Roberts placard stuck
on the rock
Anstruther paused before he an
swered. He felt that Lord ventnors
dark eyes were fixed on him. Every
body was more or less DESTROYS to have
this point cleared up. He looked the
questioner squarely in the face.
Elm some parts Of the world" he said,
'there are sunken reefs, unknown, I'M
charted, on which many vessel has
been lost without any contributory
fault on the part Of her officers"
Undoubtedly"
"Well, Captain E'itzroy, when was
stationed with my regiment in Hong
kong l encountered such reef and
wrecked my life en- 1t. At least that
is how it seemed to me then. Fortune
threw me ashore here after long and
b.tler submergence. You can hardly
blame me If cling to the tiny speck
of land that gave me salvation"
NO" admitted the sailor. He knew
there was something more in the al
legory than the text revealed, but 1t
was no business of his.
Moreover" continued Robert smil-
ingly, you see have partner"
"There cannot be the slightest doubt
about the partner" was the prompt re-
ply.
Then every one laughed. Iris more
than any, though Sir Arthur Deanes
gayety was forced, and Lord Ventnor
could taste the acidity Of his own smile.
Later in the day the first lieutenant
told his chief Of Anstruthers voluntary
statement concerning the court martial.
Captain Fitzroy was naturally panied
by this unpleasant revelation, but he
took exactly the same view as that e1-
pressed by the first lieutenant in Rob-
ert's presence.
Nevertheless he pondered the matter
and seized an early opportunity OF men
hot q