The Red Cloud chief., 1905-06-02
Se tcorrrsurD.l

"Yes. madam"
".Are we the only people savedT"
IL fear so"
us this Il desert island?"
81 think not, madam. 1t may by
chance be temporarily uninhabited, but
fishermen from china ONE to all these
places. l have seen no other living be-
ings except ourselves. Nevertheless
the islanders may live on the south
side
at surely cannot be possible that the
Sirdar has N to pieces-a magnifi-
cent vessel of her size and s%trengthT"
He answered quietly: 1T Is too true.
madam. | suppose you hardly knew
she struck, 1t happened so suddenly.
Afterward, fortunately for you, you
were unconscious"
"How do you known h inquired
quickly. A Hood of vivid recollection
was pouring in upon her.
"I-er-well, happened to be near
you, madam, when the ship broke up,
and wc-er-drifted ashore together"
She rose and faced him. 81 remem
Der now" she cried Historically. You
caught me as l was thrown into the
corridor. We fell into the sea when
the vessel turned over. You have saved
my life. Were 1t not for you l could
not possibly have escaped"
She gazed at him more earnestly, see.
ting that he blushed beneath the crust
sf salt and sand that covered his face.
why" she went on, with growing 81.
element, "yo', are the steward I no
ticed In the saloon yesterday. How
IL it that you are now dressed as a
5ailori"
He answered readily enough. "There
was an accident on board during the
gale, madam. l arp a fair sailor, but
u poor steward. so l applied for a
transfer. As the crew was short hand
ed. my offer was accepted"
Iris was now looking at him intently.
You saved my life," she repeated
slowly. 1t seemed that this obvious
fact needed to be indelibly established
in her mind. Indeed the girl was over
wrought by all that she had gone
through. Only by degrees were her
thoughts m~arshaling themselves with
lucid conference. AS yet she recalled 80
man dramatic incidents that they
failed TO assume u proportion.
But quickly there came memories or
Captain Ross. of Sir John and Lady
Tozer. of the doctor, her maid, the
hundred and one Municipalities of her
pleasant life aboard ship. Could 1t be
that they were all dead? The notion
was monstrous. But its CHASTITY signif-
icance was instantly borne in upon her
by the pliga. IA which she stood. Her
lips quivered; the tears trembled In her
eyes.
.Is 1t really true that all the ships
company except ourselves are lostY'
she brOkenly demanded.
The sailors gravely earnest glance
fell before hers. "U%nhappily there Is
no room for doubt" he said.
care you quite, quite sureT
81 am sure-Of some" Involuntary
he turned seward.
She understood him. She sank to hel
knees. covered her face with her hands
and broke into a passion of weeping
With a look OF infinite pity he STOPPED
anO WOuIu nave tOuCHeu hVi Shou'uS'
but he suddenly restrained the i'm
pulse. Something had hardened this
man. 1t cost him an effort to be cal
lous, but he succeeded. His mouth
frightened, and his expression lost it,
tenderness.
'Come, come, my dear lady," he eX
claimed. and there was a tinge of stud
led roughness In his voice, you mus
calm yourself. 1t Is the fortune o
shipwreck as well as Of war, yo'
know. We are alive and must lOol
after ourselves. Those who have gon
are beyond u help"
"But not beyond our sympathy,
walled Iris, uncOvering' her swimminI
eyes for a feeting look at him. Eve
in the utter desolatiOn Of the momen
she could not help marvellng that TIL
queer hammered sailor, who spoke Xix
a gentleman and tried to pose as lie
Inferior, who had rescued her with tn
utmost g%allantry, who carried his quiz
otto zeal to the point OF first %supplyin
her needs when he was In far wors
case himself, should be so utterly II
different to the fate of others.
He waited silently until her sol
ceased.
"Now. madam he said, ut Is essei
tlal that we should obtain some foot
I don't wish to leave you alone unit
we are better acquainted with OF
whereabouts. Can you walk a lit