The Aberdeen Democrat. (Aberdeen, South Dakota) 1???-1909, 1905-08-25


"A new path" The pertinent ones.
tion staggered him.
Yes, the people who lived hora u,s.
have had some sort of free nassaeen
lie lied easily. II have only cleared
away recent growth" he said,
AND why did they dig a cave? It
surely would be much more simnle to
oulld a house from all these trees"
Ihere you puzzle me-" he said
frankly.
They had entered the cavern but q
little way and now came out.
These empty cartridges are funny.
They suggest a fort, a battle" Wo-
manlike, her words were carelesslv
chosen, but they were crammed with
1nductive force.
embarked on the toboggan slope Of
untruth, the sailor slid smoothly down
ward.
Events have colored your imasina.
tlon, Miss Deane. Even in England
men often preserve such things for fu-
ture use. They can be reloaded"
Yes, l have seen keepers do that.
This is different. There is an air Of
There is a lot to be DONE" broke
In jerks emphat!cally. "We must
climb the hill and get back here in
time to light another fire before the
sun goes down. l want to prop a cam
vas sheet in front Of the cave and try
to devise a lamp
"Must l sleep inside?" demanded Iris.
Eyes. Where else?"
There was a pause, a mere Whit of
awkwardness.
II will mount guard outside" went
on jerks. He was trying to improve
the edge of the ak by grinding it on a
soft stone.
The girl went into the cave again.
She was inquisitive, uneasy.
THAT arrangement she began. but
ended in a sharp cry Of terror. The
dispossessed birds had returned during
the sailors absence.
II will kill them!' he shouted in an.
ger.
please don't. There has been enough
" = IL tAlS DluCC lIcuuy
The words Jared on his ears. Then
he felt that she could only allude to the
victims Of the wreck.
Il was going to say" she explained,
"that we must devise a partition,
There is no help for it until you con
struct a sort Of house. Candidly, l do
not like this hole in the rock. 1t is a
vault, a tomb"
"You told me that I was in com
mand. yet you dispute my orders.' He
strove hard to appear brusquely good
humored, Indifferent, though for one
Of his mold he was absurdly irritable.
The was overstrain. but that ex-
PLANTATION escaped him.
"Quite true. But if sleeping in the
cold, in dew or rain, Is bad for me, it
must be equally bad for you, and with.
out you 1 am helpless, you know"
He laughed sardonically, and the
harsh note clashed with her frank
candor. Here at least she was utterly
deceived. His changeful moods were
incomprehensible.
II will serve you to the best Of my
ability, Miss Deane,'' he exclaimed.
1--WE must hope for a speedy rescue,
and l am Injured to exposure. 1t is
otherwise with you. Are you ready for
the climb?"
The crest of the hill was tree covered,
and they could see nothing beyond
their immediate locality until the sailor
found a point higher than the rest
where a rugged collection Of hard ba.
salt and the uprooting of some poon
trees provided an open space elevated
above the ridge.
For a short distance the foothold was
precarious. jerks helped the girl in
this part Of the climb. His strong
gentle grasp gave her confidence. She
was flushed with exertion when they
stood together on the summit Of this
elevated perch. They could look tt
every point Of the compass except q
small section on the southwest. Here
the trees rose behind them until the
brow Of the precipice was reached.
The emergence into a sunlit pano
rama Of land and sea, though expected
was profoundly enthralling. They ap
peared to stand almost exactly in the
center Of the island, which was ores
cent shaped. 1t was no larger than thu
sailor had estimated. The new slope!
now revealed were covered with yer
dure down to the very edge Of the wa
ter, which for nearly a mile caviar
broke over jagged reefs. The sea look
ed strangely calm from this height
Irregular blue patches on the horizon
to south and east caught the man'
first glance. He unslung the binocu
lars he still carried and focused then
eagerly.
Islands," he cried, land big one:
too!"
"How odd.!" whispered Iris, more
concerned in the scrutiny Of her imme
date surroundings. jerks glanced a
her sharply. She was not looking a
the Islands, but at a curious hollow,
quarry-like depression beneath then u
the right, distant about 800 yards ant
not far removed from the small pla
teau containing the well, though lso