Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1905-06-09

they had secured. young and beauti
ful white woman SO cOntentedly roam
Ing about the shores of this fetish is
land. With the slow speed advised
By the Roman philosopher the back
sight and fore sight Of the rife came
into line with the breast Of the coarse
brute clutching the girls face.
Then something bit him above the
heart and simultaneously tore half Of
his back into fragments. He fell, with
q queer sob, and the others turned to
face this unexpected danger.
Iris, knowing only that she was free
from that hateful grasp. wrenched her
self free from the chiefs hold and ran
with all her might along the beach to
jerks and safety.
Again and yet again the rife gave
It's short. sharp snarl. and two more
Dyaks collapsed on the sand. Six were
left, their leader being still uncon-
sciously preserved from death by the
figure Of the flying girl.
A fourth Dyak dropped.
The survivors. cruel savages, but not
towards. unslung their guns. The sail
or, white faced. grim, with an unpleas-
ant CLEAN in his deep set eyes and a
lower jaw protruding, noticed their
preparations.
ITO the leftw he shouted. run to-
ward the treesy'
Iris heard him and strove to obey,
but her strength was falling her, and
she staggered blindly. After few de-
spairing efforts she lurched feebly to
her knees and tumbled face downward
on the broken coral that had tripped
her faltering footsteps.
jerks was watching her. watching
the remaining Dyaks. from whom a
spluttering volley came, picking out
his quarry with the murderous ease Of
q terrier in a rat pit. Something like
bee In violent hurry hummed past
his ear, and a rock near his right foot
was struck q tremendous blow by an
unseen agency. He liked this. It would
be a battle, not battue.
The fifth Dyak crumpled into the
distortion of death. and then their
leader took deliberate aim at the kneel-
ing marksman who threatened to wipe
him and his band out Of existence.
But his deliberation, though skillful,
was too profound. The sailor fired first
and was professionally astonished to
see the gaudily attired individual
tossed violently backward for many
yards, finally pitching headlong to the
earth. Had he been charged by a bull
In full career he could not have been
more utterly discounted. The incident
was sensational, but inexplicable.
Yet another member Of the band was
Frustrated ere the two as yet unscath-
ed thought fit to beat retreat. This
they now did with celebrity, but they
dragged their chief with them. 1t was
no part Of jerks programme to allow
them to escape. He aimed again at
the man nearest the trees. There was
a sharp click and nothing more. The
cartridge was a misfire. He hastily
sought to eject 1t. and the rife damned.
springing to his feet, with a yell, he
ran forward. The flying men caught a
glimpse Of him and accelerated their
movements. Just as be reached Iris
they vanished among the trees.
Singing the rife over his shoulder.
be picked up the girl in his arms. She
was conscious, but breathless.
You are not hurt?" he gasped, bis
eyes blazing into her face with an in
tensity that she afterward remembered
as appalling.
mo-" she whispered
Listen" he continued in labored
Jerks. Try and obey me-exactly.
will carry you-tO the cave. Stop there
Shoot any one you see-till l come"
She heard him wonderIngly. Was he
going to leave her. now that he had
her safely clasped to his breast? I'M
possible! All, she understood. Those
men must have landed in a boat. He
intended to attack them again. He
was going to fight them single handed,
and she would not know what happen
ed to him until it was all over. Grad.
ually her vitality returned. She almost
smiled at the fantastic cOnceit that she
would desert him
jerks placed her OH her feet at the
entrance to the cave.
You understand" he cried, and with.
out waiting for an answer ran to the
house for another rifle. This time, tc
her amazement, he darted back through
Prospect park toward the south beach.