Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1906-01-18

such mental stress before it was yet
noon that he was benumbed, wholly in
capable of further sensation.
Being in good condition. he soon re-
covered his physical powers lie was
Outwardly little the worse for the on
counter with the devilfish The skin
around his mouth was sore His waist
and legs were bruised One sweep of
the AK had cut clean through the bulg-
ing leather of his left boot without
touching the flesh. In word, he was
practically uninjured.
He had the doglike habit of shaking
himself at the close of a fray He did
so now when he stood up. Iris showed
clearer signs of the ordeal Her face
was drawn and haggard the pupils Of
her eyes dilated. She was gazing into
depths illimitable, unexplored. Com
passion awOke at sight Of her.
Come" said jerks gently "Let us
get back to the island"
He quietly resumed predominanCe
helping her over the rough pathway of
the reef, almost lifting her when the
hinculties were great.
He did not ask her how it happened
that she came so speedily TO his assist
ance. Enough that she had done il,
daring all for his sake. she was weak
and trembling.
Reaching the firm sand, she could
walk alone.
"Did-the thing-grip you?" she
nervously inquired.
"All over at once, it felt like. The
beast attacked me with five arms"
She shuddered. Il don't know how
you could fight It," she said. How
strong, how brave. you must be-
This amused linn. The veriest cow
ard will try to save his own life" he an
swered. IF you use such adjectives to
1pe, what words can 7 find to do jus
tice TO you, who dared to come close
to such a vile looking creature and
Kill 1t. must thank my stars that you
carried the revolver"
"Ah" she said. That reminds me.
You do not practice what you preach.
] found your pistol lying on the stone
in the cave. That is one reason why
/ followed you
1t was quite true. He laid the
weapon aside when delving at the rock
and forgot to replace it in his belt
1T was stupid of me-" he admitted,
''but am not sorry"
Why"
Because, as It Ia, I owe you my
Life"
You owe me nothing" she snapped.
at is very tlloughtleSs of you TO run
such risks. What will become of me
If anything happens to you: Ny point
Of view is purely selfish, you see"
Quite so. Purely selfish He smil-
ed sadly. Selfish people OF your type
are somewhat rare, Miss Deane.'
She moved toward the cave, but he
cried:
Wait one minute. l want to get a
couple of crowbars."
What for
81 must g back there" He ierked
his head in the direction of the reef
She uttered little sob of dismay.
II will incur no danger this time" he
explained. Il found rifles there. We
must have them; they may mean sal
walton"
When Iris was determined about
anything her chin dimpled 1t puck |
cred delightfully."- now.
81 will come with you," she announc-
ed
Very well ] will wait for You. The
tide will serve for another hour"
He knew he had decided rightly. She
the crowbars We're secured and they ,
returned to the reef. Scrambling now
with difficulty over the rough and dan
gerous track, Iris was secretly amazed /
by the remembrance Of the daring ac- !
tivity she displayed during her earlier
passage along the same precarious .
roadway.
Then she darted from rock to rock
with the fearless certainty of cha
mois. Her only stumble was caused,
she recollected, by an absurd effort to
avoid wetting her dress She laughed
nervously when they reached the place.
This time jerks lifted her across the
intervening channel.
They were standing on the lnndward
side Of the shallow water in which he
fought the octopus.
Already the dark fluid emitted by his
assailant In its final discontinue was
passing away owing to the slight move.
ment Of the tide.
Now that you have brought me here
with SO much difficulty, what are you
going to dO?" she said. 1T will be
madness for you to attempt to ford
that passage again. Where there is
one Of those horrible things there are
others, suppose"
That is one reason why l brought
the crowbars," he explained. III you
will sit down for little while l will
have everything properly fixed"
He delved with one of the bars until
1t lodged in crevice of the coral.
Then few powerful blows with the
back of the ak wedged it firmly enough
to bear any ordinary strain. The rope
ends reeved through the pulley on the
tree were lying where they fell from
the girls hand at the close Of the
He deftly knotted them to the
rigid bar and few rapid turns of a
piece of wreckags passed between the
two lines strung them into u tautness
that could not be attained by any
amount Of pulling.