Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1905-12-11
cHApTE.. XII.

@IHOUGH his eyes, like live Goals,
glowered with sullen fire at the
strip of sand and the rocks in
IL front, his troubled brain paid
perfunctory heed to his task. The
Astern sense of duty, the ingrained force
Of long years OF military discipline and
eoldierly thought, compelled him to keep
watch and ward over his fortress, but
he could not help asking himself what
would happen if Iris were seriously
wounded.
4 There was one enemy more potent
than these skulking Dyaks, foe more
irresistible in his might. more pitiless
IN his strength, whose assaults would
tax to tho utmost their powers OF re-
sistance. In another hour the sun
would be high in the heavens, pouring
his ardent rays upon them and drying
the blood in their veins.
Hitherto the active life of the island,
the shade of trees, hut or cave, the
power Of unrestricted movement and
the possession Of water in any desired
quantity robbed tn, tropical heat of
the day of its chief terrors. Now all
was changed. Instead Of working
amid grateful foliage they were bound
to the brown rock, which soon would
glow with radiated. energy and give
of scorching gusts like unto the open
ing Of q furnace door.
This he he'd foreseen all along. The
tarpaulin would yield them some de-
gree Of uneasy protection. and they
both were in perfect physical condi-
ton. Buff Iris were wounded! If
the extra strain brought fever in its
wake! That way he s,w nothing but
blank despair, to be elsied for her by
delirium and merciful death, for him
by Berserk rush among the Dyaks
and one last mad fight against over
whelming numbers.
Then the girls voice reached him.
self reliant, almost cheerful:
you will be glad to hear that the
cut has stopped bleeding. It is only
q scratch
So kindly Providence had spared
them yet a little while. The cloud
passed from his mind, the gathering
mist from his eyes. In that instant he
thought he detected a slight rustling
among the trees where the cliff shelv-
ed I'D from the house. Standing as be
was on the edge Of the rock, this was q
point he could not guard against.
When her welcome insurance recall.
ed his scattered senses he stepped
back to speak to her, and in the same
instant a couple OF bullets crashed
against the rock overhead. Iris had
unwittingly saved him from serious,
perhaps fatal, wound.
He sprang to the extreme right Of
the ledge and boldly looked into the
trees beneath. TWO Dyaks were there,
belated wanderers, cut of from the
main body. They dived headlong into
the underground for safety, but one
Of them was too late. jerks rifle
reached him, and its reverberating con-
cussion, tossed beck and forth by the
echoing rocks, drowned his parting
scream.
In the plenitude Of restored vigor the
sailor waited for no counter demon
stration. He turned and crouchingly
approached the southern end Of his
parapet. Through his screen Of grass
he could DISCERN the long black hair
and yellow face ef man who lay on
the sand and twisted his head around
the base Of the farther cli6. The dis.
lance, oft measured, was ninety yards,
the target practically SIX inch bulls
eye. jerks took careful aim, fred, and
1 whif Of sand few up.
Perhaps he had. used too fine sight
and plowed fulrow beneath the Dy-
axis ear. He only heard faint yell,
but the enterprising head vanished, and
there were no mere volunteers for that
particular service.
He was still peerfng at the place
when a cry Of unmitigated anguish
came from Iris.
"Oh, come quick! Our water! The
casks have burst!"
It was net until jerks had torn the
tarpaulin from eff their stores and he
was wildly striving with both hands to
scoop up some precious drops collected
In the small hellows OF the ledge that
he realized the full magnitude Of the
disaster which had befa1len them.
During the first rapid exchange Of
fire before the enemy vacated the cliff
several bullets had pierced the tarpau-
lin. BY stroke of exceeding bad for
tune two Of them had struck each Of
the water barrels and started the
slaves. The contents quietly ebbed
away beneath the bread sheet and,
flowing inward by reason Of the sharp
slope Of the ledge, pereolated through
the fault: IRIS and he, notwithstanding
their frenzied efforts, were not able to
save more than pint OF gritty discol-
ored fluid. The rest, infinitely more
valuable to them than oil the diamonds
OF De Beers, wis now DOSING through
the natural channel cut by centuries Of
storm, dripping upon the headless skel-
eton In the cave. soaking down to the
very heart Of their buried treasure.
jerks was SO paralysed by this ca
tastrophe that Iris became alarmed.
As Jet she did net grasp its awful sig
nif1eance. That he, her hero, so brave.
30 confident In the face Of many dan
gers, should betray such sense Of ire
deemable loss frightened her much
more than the incident itself.
Her Mps whitened. Her words be-