Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1905-12-12
CHAPTER x1I-continued.

rapidly withdrawn, to reappear after
mn interval. Now 1t was held more
steadily and brown arm became visi-
Bile. AS jerks did not fire, a turbaned
head popped into sight 1t was the Mo
hammedan.
mo shoot it, he roared. "Me Eng
lish speak it,
Don't you speak Hindoostanee?'
shouted Jerks in Urdu Of the higher
proficiency.
Eyes, sir!'' was the joyful response.
Twill your honor permit his servant to
come and talk with himy'
Eyes, If you come unarmed."
"And the chief, too. sahib"
eyes. but listen! On the first sign Of
treachery will shoot both Of you!"
I'VE will keep faith, sahib. May kites
pick our bones If we fail!'
Then there stepped into full view the
renegade Mussulman and his leader.
They carried no guns; the chief wore
his creese.
.Tell him to leave that dagger be-
hind!" cried the sailor imperiously. AS
the enemy demanded parley he re-
solved to adopt the conquerors tone
from the outset. The chief obeyed, with
a scowl, and the two advanced to the
foot of the rock.
"Stand close to me-" said jerks to
Iris. "Iet them see you plainly, but
pull your hat well down over your
eyes"
She silently followed his instructions.
Now that the very crisis of their fate
had arrived she was nervous, shaken,
conscious only of desire to sink on
her knees and pray.
The two halted some ten PAGES In
front Of the cavern, and the belliger-
ents surveyed each other. 1t was fas-
chatting spectacle, this drama in real
life. The yellow faced Dyak, gaudily
attired In a crimson jacket and sky
blue pantaloons of Chinese silk, man
young and powerfully built, and the
brown skinned, white clothed Moham-
medan, bony, till and gray with hard
ship, looked up at the occupants OF the
ledge. Iris, slim and boyish in her male
garments, was dwarfed by the six foot
sailor. but her face was blood stained,
and jerks wore six weeks stubble
of beard. Holding their rifles with
alert ease, with reyolvers strapped to
their sides, they presented warlike
and imposing tableau in their inaccessi-
BILE perch. In the path Of the emissa-
ries lay the bodies Of the slain. The
Dyak leader scowled again as he pass
ed them.
"Sahib,' began the Indian, my chief.
Taung S'Aii. does not wish to have
any more Of his men killed in foolish
quarrel about woman. Give her up,
he says, and he will either leave you
here in peace or carry you safely to
some place where you can find a ship
manned by white men,"
"A woman!" said jerks scornfully
.'That is idle talk! What woman is
here?"
This question nonplused the native.
1.-THE woman whom the chief saw
half month back, sahib.'
"Taung S'Ali was bewitched. slew
his men so quickly that he saw spirits.
The chief caught his name and broke
in with question. A volley Of talk
between the two was enlivened with
expressive gestures by Taung san.
who several times pointed to Iris, and
jerks now mathematical his thought
less folly in permitting the Dyak to ap-
proach so near. The Mohammedan, OF
course, had never seen her and might
have persuaded the other that in truth
there were two men only on the rock.
His fears were only too well founded.
The Mussulman salaamed respectfully
and said:
Protector of the poor, I cannot gain
say your word, but Tauns sab says
that the maid stands by your side and
is none the less the woman he seeks in
that she wears a mans clothing"
"He has sharp eyes, but his brain is
added" retorted the sailor. "Why
does he come here to seek a woman
who is not of his race? Not only has
he brought death to his people and mar
rowly escaped 1t himself, but he must
know that any violence offered to us
will mean the determination of his
whole tribe by an English warship.
Tell him to take away his boats and
never visit this isle again. Perhaps l
will then forget his treacherous at
tempt to murder us while we slept last
night"
The chief glared defiantly, while the
Mohammedan said:
"Sahib, it is best not to anger him
too much. He says he means to have
the girl. He saw her beauty that day,
and she inflamed his heart. She has
cost him many lives, but she is worth
a sultan's ransom. He cares not for
warships. They cannot reach his vii
lage in the hills. By the tomb Of
Nizam-ud-d din, sahib, he will not harm
you if you give her up, but if you re-
fuse he will kill you both. And what
is one woman more or less in the
world that she should cause strife and
bloodletting:'
The sailor knew the eastern charac
ter too well not to understand the
mans amszement that he should be so
eolicitous about the fate Of one Of the
weaker sex. 1t was seemingly useless
to offer terms, yet the native was clear
ly so anxious for an amicable settle
ment that he caught at straw.
"You come from Delhi?' he asked.
"Honored one, you Fave great wis
DOM"