The Owosso times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1897-1926, 1905-02-10

oil cases carefully stacked up. Three
were empty, one seemed to be half full,
and the contents of two were I'M
touched. With almost feverisA haste
he ascertained that the half filed tin
did really contain oil.
"What findw he calculated aloud.
So far as he could Judge, the cave
harbored no further surprises. Return
ing toward the exit, his boots dislodged
more empty cartridges from the sand
They were shells adapted to q revolver
of heavy caliber. At short distance
from the doorway they were present in
dozens.
''The remnants Of a fight" he
thought. "The man was attacked and
defended himself here. Not expecting
the arrival of enemies, he provided no
store Of food or water. He was killed
while trying to reach the well, proba.
bly, at night"
He wildly pictured the scene-a
brave, hardy European keeping at bay
a boat load of Dyak savages, enduring
manfully the agonies of hunger, thirst,
perhaps wounds; then the siege, fol-
lowed by wild effort to gain the life
giving well, the hiss of Malay parang
welded by a lurking foe and the last
despairing struggle before death came.
He might be mistaken. Perchance
there was less dramatic explanation.
But he could not shake off his first i'm
pressions.
"What was the poor devil doing
hereY" he asked. "Why did he bury
himself III this rock, with mining uten-
sils and few rough stores? He could
not be castaway. There is the indi-
method combined with ignorance, for
none who knew the ways of Dyaks and
Chinese pirates would venture to live
here alone If he could help it, and if he
really were alone"
There was relief in hearing his own
voice. He could hum and think and
act. Aiming himself with the AK, he
attacked the bushes and branches of
trees in front of the cave. He cut q
fresh approach to the well and threw
the litter over the skeleton. At first
he was inclined to bury it where it
lay, but he disliked the idea Of Iris
walking unconsciously over the place.
No time could be wasted that day. He
would seize an early opportunity to
act as gravedigger.
After an absence of little more than
an hour he rejoined the girl. She saw
him from afar and wondered whence
he obtained the AK he shouldered.
"You are a successful explorer" she
cried when he drew near
eyes, Miss Deane. l have found wa
ter, implements, a shelter, even light"
"What sort Of light?"
"On."
"And the shelter-is 1t a house"
'No, a cave. If you are sufficiently
rested you might come and take pos
session."
Her eyes danced with excitement.
He told her what he had seen, with
reservations, and she ran on before
him to witness these marvels.
'Why did you make new path to
the well?" she inquired after a rapid
"a new path The pertinent ques-
ton staggered him.
Eyes. the people who lived here must
have had some sort of free PASSAGE"
He lied easily. 81 have only cleared
away recent growth" he said.
"And why did they dig cave? 1t
surely would be much more simple to
build house from all these trees"
'There you puzzle me-" he said
frankly
They had entered the cavern but
little way and now came out
"These empty cartridges are funny.
They suggest fort, a battle" Wo-
her words were carelessly
chosen, but they were crammed with
inductive force.
Embarked on the toboggan slope Of
untruth, the sailor slid smoothly down
ward.
Events have colored your imagina.
ton, Miss Deane Even in England |
men often preserve such things for fu-
ture use. They can be reloaded"
Eyes, l have seen keepers do that |
This is different There is an air off,
"There is n lot TO be DONE" broke |
in jerks emphatlcally. 1--WE must |
climb the hill and get back here in
time to light another fire before the
sun goes down. l want to prop can
vas sheet in front of the cave and try |
to devise lamp"
"Must sleep inside?" demanded Iris. |
Eyes. Where elso?"
There was pause, mere Whit of
awkwardness.
II will mount guard outside" went |
on jerks. He was trying to improve |
the edge of the ax by grinding it on
soft stone.
The girl went into the cave again.
She was inquisitive, uneasy.
THAT arrangement she began. but |
ended in sharp cry of terror. The
birds had returned during |
the sailors absence.
"I will kill themv' he shouted in an
ger.
"Please don't. There has been enough |
Of death in this place already"
The words Jared on his ears. Then |
he felt that she could only allude to the |
victims of the wreck.
II was going to say" she explained, |
that we must devise q partition. |
There is no help for it until you con-
strr1ct n sort Of hotlae Candidlv I do 1