The Princeton union., 1905-08-03

ga ga 1OWSIAuI.% lie would ask Iris to
wait until he came to her unsoiled BY
slander, purged Of this odium cast up
on him unmerited.
| 10 awake her he kissed her; he knew
not, perchancn it might be their last
KISS on earth. Not yet dawn, there was
morning in the air, for the first faint
shafts OF light were not visible from
their eyrie owing to its position. But
there was much to be DONE
The canvas awning was rolled back
and the stores built into barricade in
! tended to shelter Iris.
What is that for?" she asked when
she discovered its nature. He told her
She definitely refused to avail herself
OF any such protection.
Robert DEAR" she said, IF the at
tack comes to our very door, so to
speak, surely l must help you. Even
my Slight aid may stem a rush in one
place While you are busy in another
He explained to her that if hand to
hand fighting We're necessary he would
depend more upon crowbar than a
rifle to sweep the ledge clear. She
might be In the way.
Very well. The moment you tell
me to get behind that fence 1 will do
So Even there can use a revolver"
mat reminded him. His own pistol
was unloaded. He possessed only five
| more cartridges Of small caliber. He
placed them in the weapon and gave it
to her.
Nov you have eleven mems lives in
your hands," he said "Try not to miss
| if you must shoot" ...--
In the dim light he could not see the
spasm of pain that clouded her face
No Dyak would reach her while he
lived. If he fell, there was another use
for one of those cartridges
The sailor had cleared the main floor
OF the rock and was placing his four
rifles and other implements within easy
reach when a hiss came from beneath.
Mir JAM" exclaimed Iris.
"What now?' demanded jerks over
the side.
"Sahib, they Gomez
81 am prepared. Let that snake
get back to his hole in the rock, lest
mongoose seize him by the head'
Mir Jan, engaged in a scouting expe-
dition on his own account, understood
that the officer sahib's orders must be
obeyed. He vanished. Soon they heard
great cracking among the bushes on
the right, but jerks knew even before
he looked that the Dyaks had correctly
estimated the extent of his fire zone
and would keep out of it.
The first physical intimation of the
enemy's design they received was a
pungent but pleasant smell of burning
pine, borne to them by the northerly
breeze and filling the air with its aro-
ma. The Dyaks kindled a huge fire.
The heat was perceptible even on the
ledge, but the minutes passed and the
dawn broadened into day without any
other result being achieved.
Iris, a little drawn and pale with sus-
pense, said. with a timid giggle:
'This does not seem to be SO very
serious. It reminds ne of my efforts
to cook"
'There is more to follow, I fear, dear
y l.
should have waited until night fell
again after wearing us out by constant
vigilance all day. If they intend to en-
ploy smoke it would be far worse for
| US at night
Phew! A volume of murky vapor
arose that nearly suffocated them by
the first Whit Of it's noisome fumes. It
| curled like black pail over the face of
the rock and blotted out sea and sky
They couShed necessarily and nearly
| choked, for the Dyaks had thrown wet
| seaweed on top of the burning pile Of
| dry wood. Mir Jan, born in interior In
| dia, knew little about the sea or it's
products, and when the savages talked
Of seaweed he thought they meant
green wood. Fortunately for him, the
| ascending clouds of smoke missed the
cave or infallibly he must have been
stifed.
"Lie fat on the rockv' gasped jerks.
Careless of waste, he poured water
over coat and made Iris bury her
| mouth and nose in the wet cloth. This
gave her immediate relief, and she
showed her woman's wit by tying the
sleeves Of the garment behind her neck.
jerks nodded comprehension and fol-
| lowed her example, for by this means
their hands were left free,
The black cloud grew more dense
each few seconds. Nevertheless. owing
to the slope of the ledge and the tend
ency Of the smoke to rise, the south
| side was far more tenable than the
north. Quick to note this favorable cir
cumstance, the sailor deduced a fur
ther fact from it. A barrier erected on
the extreme right Of the ledge would
| be material gain. He sprang up,
dragged the huge tarpaulin from it's
former location and propped it on the
handle of the pickax, driven by one
mighty stroke deep into a crevice of
the rock
1t was no mean feat of strength that
he performed. He swung the heavy
and cumbrous canvas into position as
If it were a dust cloth. He emerged
l a. T.