Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1905-12-18
Timex Republican. 7santn ana 9eerm,rr ls 1905

seaweed on top Of the Burning pile of
dry wood. Mir Jan, born In interior In
dia. knew little about the sea or its
products, and when the savages talked
Of seaweed he thought they meant
green wood. Fortunately for him, the
ascending clouds of smoke missed the
cave or infallibly he must have been
stif1ed.
Careless Of waste, he poured water
over coat and made Iris bury her
mouth and nose in the wet cloth. This
gave her immediate relief. and she
showed her woman's wit by tying the
sleeves Of the garment behind her neck.
lowed her example, for by this means
their hands were left free.
The black cloud grew more dense
each few seconds. Nevertheless. owing
to the slope of the ledge and the tend
ency of the smoke to rise, the south
side was far more tenable than the
north Quick to note this favorable cir
cumstance, the sailor deduced n fur
Their fact from it. "A barrier erected on
the extreme right Of the ledge would
be q material gain. He sprang up,
dragged the huge tarpaulin from it's
former location and propped it on the
handle of the piclaX. driven by one
mighty stroke deep into crevice Of
the rock.
1t was no mean feat of strength that
he performed. He swung the heavy
and cumbrous canvas into position as
If it were a dust cloth. He emerged
from the gloom Of the driven cloud red
eyed, but triumphant. Instantly the
vapor on the ledge lessened, and they
could breathe, even talk. Overhead
and in front the smoke swept in ever
increasing density, but once again the
sailor had outwitted the Dyaks' ma
neuyers. g
1--WE have won the first rubber" he
, whispered to Iris.
Above, beneath. beyond, they could
see nothing. The air they breathed
was hot and fetid. 1t was like be-
ing immured in foul tunnel, and al
most as dark. jerks looked over the
parapet He thought he could distin-
guish some vague figures on the sands.
so he fired at them. A volley of an
swering bullets crashed into the rock
on all sides. The Dyaks had laid their
plans we'll this time A firing squad
stationed beyond the smoke area and
supplied with all the available guns
commenced and kept up a smart fusil-
order to cover the operations Of the
scaling party.
jerks realized that to expose himself
was to court serious wound and
achieve no useful purpose. He fell
back out Of range, laid down his rifle
and grabbed the crowbar. At brief In
tervals deep hollow boom came up
from the valley At first it puzzled
them until the sailor hit upon an ex-
PLANTATION. Mir Jan was busy.
The end of q strong, roughly made
ladder swung through the smoke and
banged against the ledge. Before
jerks could reach it those hosting it
into position hastily retreated. They
were standing in front Of the cave, and
the Mohammedan made play on them
with rife at thirty feet.
jerks, using his crowbar as lever,
toppled the ladder clean over. 1t fell
outward and disconnected section Of
the musketeers.
"Well donew cried Iris.
The sailor, astounded by her tone,
gave her 1eeting glance. She was
very pale now, but not with fear. Her
eyes were slightly contracted, her nos
trils quivering, her lips set tight and
her chin dimpled. Resting on one knee,
with revolver in each hand, she SEEM
ed no pulling mate for the gallant man
who fought for her.
There was no time for further speech.
Three ladders were reared against the
rock. They were 80 poised and held
below that jerks could not force them
backward A fourth appeared, its
coarse shafts looming into sight like
the horns of SONG gigantic animal.
The four covered practically the whole
front Of the ledge save where Mir Jan
cleared little space on the level.
The sailor was standing now, with
the crowbar clinched in both hands.
The firing in the valley slackened and
died away. A Dyak face. grinning like
a Japanese demon, appeared at the top
of the ladder nearest to Iris.
"Don't fire.w shouted jerks. And the
iron bar crushed downward. Two 9th
ers pitched themselves half on to the
ledge. Now both crowbar and revolv-
er were needed Three ladders were
meath. and jerks sprang toward the
fourth a..' $50" 7'~t1"f,t Men We're