Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1905-05-12
NO. WHY =

a9cS. | would not even mention this
if II We're n remote contingency. ~
matters stand. Won ought to know that
such a thing may happen. Let us
trust in Gods goodness that assist
ancc mny come soon. The island has
seemingly been deserted for many
months, and therein lies our best
chance Of escape. But am obliged t.
warn you lest you should he takrr
unawGrcs.
Iris was serious enough now.
How do you know that such dan
ger threntens u.s." she demanded.
He countered readily. Because
happen to have read a good deal about
the China sea and its frcquenters." he
said. Il am the last man in the world
to alarm you necdlcssly. All l mean
to convey is that certain precautions
should he taken against n risk that is
possible, not probable. No more"
She could not repreSS shudder. The
sailor wanted to tell her that he would
II he were endowed with many lives
but he was perforcc tonSued tied. He
even reviled himself for having spo.
ken, but she saw the anguish In his
face. and her woman's heart aCknowl-
edged him rs her protector. her shield.
Mr. jerks" she said simply, I'VE
are In Gods hands. l put my trust In
him and in you. am hopcful-nay
more. confident. l thank you for what
you have done. for all that you will do
II you cannot preserve me from threat
ening perils no man could, for you are
as brave aud gallant gentleman as
lives on the earth today"
Now the strange feature of this ex.
traordinary and unexpected outburSt
Of pent up emotion was that the girl
pronounced his name with the slightly
emphasized accentuatiOn Of one who
knew it to be mere disguise. The
man was so taken aback by her dec
laration of faith that the minor Incl
dent. though it did not escape him, was
smothered in tumult Of feeling.
He could not trust himself to speak
He rose hastily and seized the ak to
sage palm that stood close at hand.
Iris was the first to recover a degree
Of self possession. For moment she
had barred her soul With reaction
came a sensitive shrinking. Her deli
cate nature disapproved these senti-
mental displays. She wanted to box
her own ears
With innate tact she took keen IL.
terest In the telling of the tree.
"What do you want it for?" she In.
Quired when the sturdy trunk creaked
and fell.
jerks felt better now.
''This is change Of diet" he ex-
planned. mo; we don't boil the leaves
or nibble the bark. When split this
palm open you will find that the in
terror is full of pith. l will cut 1t out
for you. and then it will be your task
to knead 1t with water after well wash
ing 1t, pick out all the fiber and finally
permit the water to evaporate. In q
couple Of days the residuum will be
come q white powder. which. when
boiled. Is sago"
Good gracious" said Iris.
1.-THE story sounds unconvincing, but
I believe I am correct. 1t Is worth q
trial."
II should have imagined that sage
grew on stalk like rice or wheat"
"Or Topsy"
She laughed. A difficult situation
had passed without undue effort I'm
happily the man reopened it. While
using a crOwbar as a wedge he en-
deavored to put matters ON a straight
forward footing.
"a little while ago." he said. "you
seemed to imply that had assumed
the name of jerks"
But Miss Deane's confidential mood
had gone Nothing Of the kind" she
said coldly. II think jerks Is an ex
cellent name"
She regretted the words even as they
fell from her lips. The sailor gave 9
mighty wrench with the bar, splitting
the log to its clustering leaves.
you are right" he said. 1T is dis
tinctive, brief. dogmatic. I cling to II
passionately."
Soon afterward. leaving Iris to the
manufacture Of sage, he went to the
leeward side Of the island, q search fol
turtles being his ostensible object
When the trees hid him he quickened
his pace and turned to the left in or
der to explore the cavity marked or
the tin with skull and crossbones
To his surprise he hit upon the rem
nants Of a roadway-that is, a lint
through the wood where there were nj
well grown trees. where the ground
bore traces Of humanity in the shape
Of q wrinkled and widowed pair OF
Chinese boots, a wooden sandal, even
the decayed remains Of a palki, or lit
ter.
At last he reached the edge Of the
pit, and the sight that met his eyes
held him spellbound.
The labor Of many hands had torn O
chasm, a quarry. out Of the side of the
bill. Roughly circular in shape, 1t had
1 diameter Of perhaps a hundred feet
and ut its deepest part, toward the
cliff, 1t ran to Il depth Of forty feet
On the lower side, where the sailor
stood. 1t descended rapidly for some
hfteerf feet
Grasses. shrubs, plants of every va.
riety, grew in profusion down the
steep slopes wherever seeds could find
precarious nurture until a point was
reached about ten or eleven feet from
the bottom. There oil vegetation ceas
ed. as II forbidden to cross a magic
circle.
Below this belt the place was q charnel
house. The bones of men and animals
mingled in weird confusion. Most were
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