Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1905-04-19

hand; the others were armed with
guns, their swords being thrust through
belts. Creeping forward on tiptoe,
though their distant companions were
making tremendous row, they look
ed murderous gang as they peered
across the open space, now brilliantly
Illuminated by the moon.
jerks had sudden intuition that
the right thing to do now was to shoot
the whole party. He dismissed the
thought at once. All his preparations
were governed by the hope that tile
pirates might abandon their quest after
hours of fruitless search. 1t would be
most unwise, he told himself, to pre-
cipitate hostilities. Far better avoid q
conflict altogether, if that We're posi-
bic, than risk the immediate discovery
of his inaccessible. retreat.
In other words, he made q grave mis-
take, which shows how man may err
when overagoniZed by the danger of
the woman lie loves. The bold course
was the right one. BY killing the Dyak
leader he would have deprived the en-
envy of the dominating influence in this
campaign of revenge. When the main
body, already much perturbed by the
| unseen and intangible agencies which
| rived in Prospect park to find only the
dead bodies of their Chief and his small
force. their CONSERVATION could be turn
ed into mad panic by vigorous bonn
barGmcnt from the rock.
Probably III less than an hour after
their landing the whole tribe would
have rushed pelilncl 10 the boats, ours
ing the folly which led them to this
devil haunted island But it serves no
good purpose 10 say what might have
been. AS it WAS. the Dyaks, silent now
and moving with the utmost caution,
passed the well and were about to ap-
proach the cave when one OF them saw
the house.
Instantly they changed their tactics
Retreatlng hastily TO tie shade of the
| opposite cliff, they seemed to await the
coming Of Ie-enforcements. The sailor
fancied that a messenger was dispatch
ed by way of the north sands to hur-
ry up the laggards. because the dis
tant firing slackened, and five minutes
later fierce outbreak Of yells among
the trees TO the right heralded COM
bined rush on the Belle Eue castle.
The noise made by the savages was
SO great, the screams Of bewildercd
birds circling overhead so incessant,
that jerks was compelled to speak
quite loudly when he said to Iris:
"They must think we sleep soundly
not to be disturbed by the volleys they
have fired already"
She would have answered, but he
placed n restraining hand on her Shout
der for the Dyaks, quickly discovering
that the hut was empty, ran toward
the cave and thus came In full view.
AS well as jerks could judge the
foremost trio Of the yelplng horde were
impaled on the bayonets Of the cheval
de frlse, learning too late its formida-
BILE nature. The wounded men Shrek
ed in agony, but their cries were
drowned in torrent Of amazed shouts
from their companions. FORTHWITH
there was stampede toward the well,
the cliff, the beaches, anywhere to get
AWAY from that awesome cavern where
ghosts dwelt and men fell MANNED at
the very threshold. The sailor, lean
ing as far over the edge Of the rock
as the girls approximations would per-
NIT, heard a couple of men grooming
beneath, while third limped away
with frantic and painful haste.
'fWhat is iti" whispered Iris, eager
herself to witness the tumult. "Whnt
has happcned?"
'They have been routed by n box of
matches and few dried bones," he
answered.
There was no time for further speech
He was absorbed In estimating the
probable number Of the Dyaks Thus
far he had seen about fifty. More
over, he did not wish to acquaint Iris
with the actual details Of the artifice
that had been SO potent. Her allusion
to the box Of water soddep matches