The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1905-06-22

man of iron nerve soon recovered. He
frowned deeply afler the first involun-
tary heart throb.
With the stick he cleared away the
underground and revealed the skeleton
of man. The bones were big and
strong, but oxidiZed by the action of
the air. JenSs had injured the left
tlbia by his tread, but three fractured
ribs and smashed shoulder blade told
some terrible unwritten story.
Beneath the 1nournful relics were
fragments of decayed cloth. 1t was
blue serge. Lying about were a few
blacl1ened objects, brass buttons mark
ed with All anchor The dead mans
boots were in the best state of preser-
walton, but the leather had shrunk, and
the nails protruded like fangs.
A rusted pocketknife lay there, and
on the left breast Of the skeleton rest
ed round piece of tin, the top of a
canister, which might have reposed in
a coat pocket. jerks picked it up.
Some curious marks and figures were
punched into it's surface. After a hastv
glance he put it aside for more leisure
ly examination
No weapon was visible. He could
form no estimate as to the cause Of the
death of this poor unknown nor the
time since the tragedy had occurred.
jerks must have stood many min
utes before he perceived that the skel-
eton was headless. At first he imag-
ined that in rummaging about with the
stick he had disturbed the skull. But
the most minute search demonstrated
that it had gone-had been taken away,
in fact-for the plants which so effectu-
ally screened the lighter bones would
not permit the skull to vanish.
Then the frown on the sailors face
became threatening, thunderous., He
recollected the rusty creese. Indistinct
memories of strange tales of the China
sea crowded unbidden to his brain.
"Dyaks" he growled fercely. "A
ships officer, an Englishman probably.
murdered by head hunting Dyak pi-
rates."
If they came once they would come
again.
Five hundred yards away Iris Deane
was sleeping. He ought not to have
left her alone. And then, with the
devilish ingenuity of coincidence,
revolver shot awoke the echoes and
sent all manner Of wild fowl hurtling
through the trees with clamorous out
cry.
Painting and wild eyed, jerks was at
the girls side in an inconceivably short
space Of time She was not beneath
the shelter of the grove, but on the
sands, gazing, pallid in cheek and lip.
at the group of rocks on the edge of the
lagoon.
What is the matter?" he gasped
"Oh, I don't knowr' she walled
brokenly. II had a dream, such a hor-
rible dream. You were struggling with
some awful thing down there" She
pointed to the rocks.
Il was not near the place. he said
laboriously. 1t cost him an effort to
breathe. His broad chest expanded
inches with each respiration.
Eyes, yes, I understand. But I
awoke and ran to save you. When I
got here saw something, a thing
with waving arms, and fired. 1t van
ished, and then you came'
The sailor walked slowly to the
rocks. A fresh chip out of the stone
showed where the bullet struck. One
huge bowlder was wet, as if water had
been splashed over it. He halted and
looked intently into the water Not a
fish was to be seen, but small spirals
Of sand were eddying up from the bot
tom, where it shelved steeply from
the shore.
Iris followed him. "Seew she cried
excitedly. II was not mistaken. There
was something here.''
A creepy sensation ran up the mans
spine and passed behind his ears. At
this spot the drowned Lascars were
lying. Like an inspiration came the
knowledge that the cuttlefsh, the
dreaded octopus, abounds in the China
sea.
His face was livid when he turned to
Iris. "You are overweight by ia
g.