Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1905-06-10
CHAPTER TX

II II fftAlAHs NUS AII the IfZUaLf
- denizens OF Rainbow island
had dwelt together i'm peace and mu-
tual good will, but each diminutive
wou-wou must be taught not TO pull
any strings he found tied promiscu-
ou=,y to trees or stakes As a pre-
hminary essay jerks resolved TO try
force combined with artifice. Failing
complete success, he would endeavor
TO kill every monkey in the place.
though he had in full measure the in
herent dislike OF Anglo-India to the
Staying OF the tree people
This. then, is what he did: After
filling a biscuit tin with good sized
pebbles he donnca Z Dyak hat. blouse
and belt rubbed earth over his face
and hands and proceeded To pelt the
Tvou-wous merclessly. For more than
an hour he made their lives misera-
bic until at the mere sight of him they
fed, shrieking and gurgling like
thousand water bottles Finally he
constructed several Dyak scarecrows
and erected one to guard each of his
alarm guns. The device was thor
Oughiy effective. ThencefOrth. when
some adventurous monkey, swinging
with hands or tail among the tree
tops in the morning search for appetiz-
ing nut or luscious plantain. saw one
Of those fearsome bOgics. he raised
such hubbub that all his companions
scampered hastily from the confines OF
the wood 70 the inner Businesses
During each Of the two daily exami-
nations Of the horizon. which he never
omitted, jerks infinitely scrutinized
the sea between Rainbow island and
the distant group. II was perhaps n
needless prccauton. The Dyaks would
come az night With a favorable wind
they need not set sail until dusk. and
their fleet sampans would easily cover
the intervening forty miles I'm five
hours
He could not be positive that they
were actual inhabitants Of the islands
TO the south. Tie China sen swarms
with wandering pirates. and the tribe
whose luminosity he had earned might
be equally noxlous to some peaceable
fishing community ON the coast Again
and again ne debated the ACCESSIBILITY
OF constructing seaworthy raft and
endeavoring 10 make the passage. But
this would be rszing all on fright
ful uncertainty, and the accidental dis
cOvery of the eagles nest had given
HAM new hope. Here he could make a
determined and prolonged stand. and
IN the end help must come. so he dis
missed the navigation project and de-
voted himself wholly 20 the protecting
OF the natural fortress in TIN rock.
That night they finished the rope lad
dor NnIa..N i. Il
90 retire TO rest until il was placed He
die not care 10 try second time 10
carry Iris TO that elevated perch.
one Of the first things he contem-
plated was the destruction II possible
OF the point ON the opposite clin which
commanded the ledge This. however
was utterly impracticable with tie ap-
pliunceS at his command The top of
the rock Slopd slightly toward the
west and nothing short of dynamite
or regular quawying operations would
render il untenable 10y hostile marks
men.
During the day his rifles at ninety
yards range might be trusted To keep
the place clear Of intruders. But AZ
night - that was the difficulty. He
partially solved il 10y fixing two rests
ON the ledge TO support ride in exact
line with the center Of the enemy's
supposed position. and as a variant on
the outer reSt'he marked lines which
corresponded with other sections of
the entire front available To the foe.
Even then hewas not satisfied. When
time permitted, he made many expert
ments with ropes reeved through the
pulley and attached TO rife action.
lie might have succeeded in his main
object had not his thoughts taken
new line. His aim was To achieve
some method Of opening and closing
the breech block by means of two
ropes. The difficulty was TO secure the
preliminary aud final lateral movement |,
of the lever bolt. bat il suddenly oc- |
CURED 10 him that If he could manage /
10 convey the impression that Iris and |
ne had LEFT the island the Dyaks would |
90 away after fruitless search. The |
existence Of ropes along the face OF the
rock-an essential 10 his mechanical |
scheme - would betray their where |
abouts or at any rate excite dangerous
curiosity. SO he reluctantly abandoned |
his original design. though not wholly.
as will be seen in due course.
In pursuance OF his latest idea he
seduiously removed from the foot of
the cliff all traces of the clearance
effected on the ledge, and. although he
provided supports for the tarpaulin
covering, he did not adjust it. Iris and
he might lie perdu there for days with.
out their retreat being found out. This
development suggested the necessity OF
hiding their surplus stores and am
munition, and what spot could be more
suitable than the cave?
So jerks began to dig once more in
the interior, laboring manfully with
pick and shovel In the locality OF the
fault with its vein OF anthony.
Rainbow island had given him the
one thing a man prizes above all else
a pure yet passionate love for woman
beautiful alike 10 body and mind. And
now il was TO endow him with riches
that might stir the pulse OF even
South African magnate. for the sail