The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1905-05-03
By LOUIS
TRACY
Copyright, 1905. by
EdwS:d J. Clode
gg..:M.isIage


eeYour case is very different. I knew
the men would not hurt me-after the
first shock Of their appearance had
passed, mean. I also knew that you
would save me. But you. Mr.. jerks,
had to do the fighting. You were called
upon to rescue precious me. Good gra-
cious. No wonder you We're excited"
The sailor mentally expressed his in
ability to grasp the complexities of
feminine nature, but Iris ratified on:
esI carried my tin OF water to the
pitcher plant and was listening to the
greedy roots gurgling away for dear
life when suddenly four men sprang
out from among the trees and seized
my arms before I could reach my re-
volver"
sThank heaven you failed"
ssYou think that if I had fred at them
they would have retaliated. Yes, espe-
cially n had hit the chief. But it was
he who instantly gave some order, and
I suppose it meant that they were not
to hurt me. AS matter Of fact, they
seemed to be quite as much astonished
as was alarmed. But If they could
hold my hands they could not stop my
voice so readily. Or, didn't I yell?"
seYou did"
.I suppose you could not hear me
distinctly?
.9Quite distinctly"
every word"
ssYes.''
She bent to pick some leaves and bits
of dry grass from her dress. swell,
you know" she continued rapidly, Sein
such moments one cannot choose ones
words. I just shouted the first thing
that came into my head
Sand l.. he said, picked up the first
rifle could lay my hands. on. Now,
Miss Deane, as the affair has ended so
happily, may I venture to ask you to
remain in the cave until return"
ooh, please she began.
sReally, I must insist. would not
leave you if it were not quite impera-
tive. You cannot come with me-"
Then she understood one at least Of
the tasks he must perform, and she
meekly obeyed.
He thought it best to go along Turtle
beach to the cove and thence follow
the Dyaks' trail through the wood, as
this line of advance would entail prac-
tically complete circuit Of the island.
He omitted no precautions in lis ad-
vance. Often he stopped and listened
intently. Whenever he doubled point
or passed among the trees ne crept
back and peered along the way he had
come to see if any: lurking foes We're
breaking shelter behind him.
The marks on the sand proved that
only one sampan had been beached.
Thence he found nothing Of special In
terest until he came upon the chief's
gun lying close to the trees on the
north side. 1t was a very ornamental
weapon, a muzzle loader. T1e STOCK
was inlaid with gold and ivory. and
the piece had evidently beea looted
from some mandarin's junk surprised
and sacked in former foray.
The lock was smashed by the impact
of jerks. rifle bullet, but close III
vestigaticn Of the trigger guard and
the discovery Of certain unmistakable
evidences on the beach showed that
the .Dyak leader had lost two If not
three fingers of his right hand.
$50 he has something more than his
passion to nurse" mused jerks. THAT.
at any rate. is fortunate. He will be
in no mood for further enterprise Tor
some time to come.
He dreaded. lest any of the Dyaks
should be only badly wounded and like
" to live. It was aa actual relief to
his nerves to find that the improvised
dumdums had done their work too well
to permit anxiety on that score.
He gathered the guns, swords and
creeses of the slain, with all their un-
couth belts and ornaments. In pursu-
ance of q vaguely defined plan OF fu-
ture action he also divested some OF
the men Of their coarse garments and
collected six queer looking hats shaped
like inverted basins. These things he
placed in heap near the pitcher
plants. Thenceforth for half an hour
the placid surface Of the lagoon was
disturbed by the black dorsal fms 0:
many sharks.
His guess at the weather conditions
heralded by the change OF wind was
right. AS the two partook Of their even
ing meal the complaining surf lashed
the reef, and the tremulous branches OF
the taller trees voiced the approach OF
gale. A tropical storm-not typhoon.
but a belated burst Of the periodic
ralns-deiuged the island before mid
night. Hours earlier Iris retired. utter
ly worn by the events Of the day.
The gale chanted wild melody in
mournful chords, and the noise OF the
watery downpour on the tarpaulin roof
of Belle Vue castle was such as to rem
der conversation impossible save in
| cI, 10