Waterbury evening Democrat., 1905-08-03
WATERBURY EVENING DEMOCRAT THURSDAY AUGUST

they had succeeded in infiicting nor tai wound. or to wait until the next ar row fell. rush out and try conclusions with dumdum bullets against the sum pitan blowers.
 He decided in favor of the latter course. He wished to dishearten his assailants. to cram down their threats the belief that he was invulnerable and could visit their every effort with a deadly reprisal.
 Iris, of course, protested when he ex- plained his project. But the fighting spirit prevailed. Their love idyll must yield to the needs of the hour.
 He had not long to wait. The last arrow fell, and he sprang to the ex- treme right of the ledge. First he looked through that invaluable screen of grass. Three Dyaks were on the ground and fourth in the fork of a tree. They were each armed with a blowpipe. He in the tree was just f1t- ting an arrow into the bamboo tube. The others were watching him,
 Jenks raised his rife, fired, and the warrior in the tree pitched headlong to the ground A second shot stretched a companion on top of him. One man jumped into the bushes and got away, but the fourth ripped over his unwieldy sumpitan, and a bullet tore a large section from bis skull. The sailor then amused himself with breaking the bam- boos by firing at them. He came back to the white faced girl.
 'I fancy that further practice with blowpipes will he at discount on Rainbow island" he cried cheerfully.
 But Iris was anxious and distrait.
 ''It is very sad" she said. that we are obliged to secure our own safety by the ceaseless slaughter of human beings Is there no offer we can make them. no promise of future gain, to tempt them to abandon hostilitiesT
 "None whatever. These Borneo Dy- aks are bred from infancy to prey on their fellow creatures. To be strangers and defenseless is to court pillage and massacre at their hands. I think no more of shooting them than of smash ing clay pigeon. Killing mad dog is perhaps better slmile."
 But. Robert dear, how long can we hold outT'
 What. Are you growing tired of me already?"
 He hoped to divert her thoughts from this constantly recurring topic. Twice within the hour had it been broached and dismissed. but Iris would not per- init him to shirk it again. She made no reply. simply regarding him with 6 wistful smile.
 So Jenks sat down by her side and rehearsed the hopes and fears which perplexed him. He determined that there should be no further concealment between them. If they failed. to secure water that night, if the Dyaks main- tained a strict siege. of the rock throughout the whole of next day, well they might survive-it was proble- matical. Best leave matters in Gods hands.
 With feminine persistency she clung to the subject. detecting his unwilling ness to discuss possible final stage in their sufferings.
 Robert" she whispered fearfully, you will never let me fall into the power of the chief. will you?"
 Not while live"
 You must live Don't yous under stand? would go with them to save you. But would have died by my own hand Robert, my love, you must do this thing before the end. must be the first to die"
 The sailor wrestled with the great problem. He may he pardoned if his heart quaied and he groaned aloud.
 Iris" he said solemnly, whatever happens, unless I am struck dead at your feet, promise you that we shall pass the boundary hand In hand. Be mine the punishment if we have de- cided wrongly. And now" he cried. tossing his head in a defiant access of energy. let us have done with the morgue. For my part refuse to ac- knowledge am inside until the gates clang behind me-
 They chatted in lighter vein with such pendulum swing back to noncha- lance that none would have deemed it possible for these two to have already determined the momentous issue of the pending struggle should 1t go against them.
 And so the sun sank to rest in the sea. and the stars pierced the deepen ing blue of the celestial arch. while the man and the woman awaited patiently the verdict of the fates.
 Before the light failed Jenks gath cred all the poisoned arrows and ground their venofned points to powder beneath his heel. Gladly would Iris and he have dispensed with the friend ly protection of the tsrpaulln when the cool evening breeze came from the south. But such thing might not he even considered. Several hours of dark ness must elapse before the moon rose. and during that period. were their foes SO minded. they would be absolutely at the mercy of the sumpitan shafts if not covered by their impenetrable buckler.
 The sailor looked long and earnestly at the well. Their own bucket. impro- vised out of dish cover and 8 rope. lay close 10 the brink. A stealthy crawl across the sandy valley. half minute of grave danger. and he would he up