Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1905-06-09
jerks WAS no ..Xrt.ltio:, 10 Tie r,lIo

WAS dead beat with the struggle and
with screaming for you, hut please
| don't Imagine that l am going To faint
or treat you 10 Il display of hySteria
now that all the excitement has ended.
l admit that cried little when you
pushed me aside on the beach and rails.
cd your gun TO fire at those poor
wretches flying for their lives. Yet
perhaps l WAS wrong to hinder you"
You were crong," he gravely inter
ruptcd.
Then you should not have needed
me- No, l don't mean that You al
ways consider me first. don't you? No
matter what | ask you To do you ell
dcavOr to please me, even when you
know all the time that am acting or
speaking foollshly."
The unthinking naivete Of her words
sent the blood coursing wildly through
his veins.
Never mind" she went on, with
earnest simplicity. God has been
very good to us. cannot believe that
he has preserved us from 50 many
dangers to permit us to perish mis-
erably few hours or days before help
comes. And l do want to tell you ex-
actly what happened"
Then you SHALL" he answered. But
first drink this" They had reached
| their camping ground, and he FASTENED
to procure small quantity of brandy.
She swallowed the spirit, although
she really needed no such adventurous
support, she said.
"All right" commented jerks. "If
| you don't want a drink, do
II can quite believe it," she retorted.
"Your case Is very different. l knew
the men would not hurt me-after the
first shock Of their appearance had
| passed, I mean. l also knew that you
would save me. But you, Mr.. jerks,
had to do the fighting. You were called
ciOus! No wonder you were excited"
| The sailor mentally expressed his in
ability to grasp the complexities Of
feminine nature. but Iris ratified on:
II carried my tin Of water to the
pitcher plant and was listening to the
greedy roots gurgling away for dear
life when suddenly four men sprang
out from among the trees and seized
my arms before I could reach my re-
vOlver."
THANK heaven you failed"
you think that II I had fired at them
they would have retaliated. Yes. espe-
cially II had hit the chief. But 1t was
he who instantly gave some order. and
I suppose it meant that they were not
to hurt me. AS matter Of fact, they
seemed to be quite as much astonished
rs was alarmed. But II they could
hold my hands they could not stop my
voice so readily. Oh, didn't yellT"
| "You did"
II suppose you could not hear me
distinctlyT
"Quite distinctly"
every word?"
| "Yes"
She bent to pick some leaves and bits
Of dry grass from her Dress "Nelll
you know" she continued rapidly. IN
such moments one cannot choose ones
words. 1 just shouted the first thing
that came into my head"
"And l." he said. picked up the first
rife I could lay my hands on. Now,
Miss Deane, as the affair has ended so
happily. may venture to ask you to
remain in the cave until returnf'
"Oh. please she began.
Really, I must insist I would not
leave you II It were not quite impera-
tive. You cannot come with me-"
Then she understood one at least Of
the tasks he must perform. and she
meekly obeyed.
Ho thought It best to go along Turtle
beach to the cove and thence follow
the Dyaks' trail through the wood, a.
this line Of advance would entail prac-
tically a complete circuit Of the island
He omitted no precautions In his ad-
vance. Often he stopped and listened
htently. Whenever he doubled point
or passed among the trees he crept
back and peered along the way he had
come to see II any lurking foes were
breaking shelter behind him.
The marks on the sand proved that
only one sampan had been beached.
Thence he found nothing Of special in
terest until he came upon the chiefs
gun lying close to the trees ON the
north side. 1t was a very ornamental
weapon, muzzle louder. The stock
was inlaid with gold and ivory, and
the piece had evidently been looted
from some mandarin's junk surprised
and sacked In former foray.
/ Tho uhnd Inv xI<, 4
Of jerks rifle bullet, but close In.
vestigatiOn Of the trigger guard and
the discovery of certain unmistakable
evidences on the beach showed that
the Dyak leader had lost two If not
three fingers of his right hand.
$50 he has something more than his
passion to nurse" unused jerks. THAT,
at any rate, is fortunate. He will be
in no mood for further enterprise for
some time to come"
He dreaded lest any of the Dyaks
should be only badly wounded and like
ly to live. 1t was an actual relief to
his nerves to find that the improvised
dumdums had done their work too well
to permit anxiety on that score.
He gathered the guns, swords and
creeses Of the slain, with all their I'M
couth belts and ornaments. In pursu-
ance Of vaguely defined plan of fu-
ture action he also Invested some Of
the men Of their coarse garments and
collected six queer looking hats shaped
like inverted basins. These things he
placed in a heap near the pitcher
plants. Thenceforth for half an hour
the placid surface of the lagoon was
disturbed by the black dorsal fms Of
many sharks.
His guess at the weather conditions
heralded by the change of wind was
right. As the two partook of their even
Ing meal the complaining surf dashed
the reef, and the tremulous branches of
the taller trees voiced the approach of
q gale. A tropical storm-not typhoon,
but a belated burst Of the periodic
rains-deluged the island before mid
night. Hours earlier Iris retired, utter
ly worn by the events Of the day.
The gale chanted q wild melody in
| mOurnful chords and the nnico of tho