The Idaho Springs siftings-news., 1906-04-07
Isle Ruden.

Isle hu9eh.
At eventide of the third day of their
1ourneying the party came to a great
morass. The horses picked their way
warily through this tangle the rotten
sticks yielding as readily as wet mud
beneath their hoofs. Pools of stag
nant black water had TO be eyaded,
treacherous yellow sands tested,
bridges constructed of the firmer logs,
till all suddenly they came out upon
a fairylike little half moon of sand and
tiny shells.
Here was a large fiat bottomed
boat. drawn up against the shore. In
the stern a strange figure was seated,
a man, tall and angular, clad in jerkin
and trunks of brown tanned leather,
cross gartered hose of grey cloth, and
home made shoon of hide with the
hair outside. He wore black scull
cap. and his head had the strange un-
canny look of wild animal. 1t was
not at the first glance nor yet at the
second that Boris and Jorian found
out the cause of this curious appear
ance.
Meanwhile, Werner Won Orseln was
PuttiuS iAto manu- toii' PiN"S>
sign which he scrutinized carefully,
when Jorian gripped his companions
arm.
Look" he whispered. hes got no
ears"
Nor any tongue." responded Boris,
staring with all his eyes at the prod
ICY.
And, indeed, the strange man was
pointing to his mouth with the index
finger of his right hand and signing
that they were to follow him into the
boat which had been waiting for them.
The Duchess leapt from her horse
and stepped from the little pier OF
stone beside which the boat lay, and
walking firmly from seat to seat she
reached the stern. where she sat down
without seeming to have so much as
glanced at any of the company.
Werner Won Orseln then motioned
Captains Boris and Jorian to take
their places in the bow, and having
barred his head he seated himself be-
side his mistress. The wordless. ear
less man took the oars and pushed
off The ten men left on the shore
set about building a fire and making
shelters of brushwood, as if they ex-
pected to stay there some time.
The boat passed almost noiselessly
along, the strange man rowing strong
ly and the boat drawing steadily away
across the widest part of the still In
land sea. AS they thus coasted along
the gloomy shores the sun went
down and darkness came upon them
at a bound.
After a space tall trees again shot
up overhead. and with quick turn
the boat passed between walls OF trem-
bling reeds that rustled against the
oars like silk, emerged on black
circle of water. and then, gliding
smoothly forward, took ground in the
blank dark.
AS the broad keel grated on the
sand. the Wordless Man left out, and,
standing on the shore, put his hands
to his mouth and emitted long shout
like blast blown on a conch shell.
1t had obviously a meaning for some
one and to put the matter beyond a
doubt it was answered by three shrill
whistles from behind the rampant of
trees.
Joan sat still in the boat where she
had placed herself. She had asked
Ono question, and even these strange
{ Experiences did not alter her resolu-
sAion.
N Presently a light cleaned uncer-
I Vuly through the trees, now lost
! thind brushwood and again break
/ out.
! his tall figure moved forward with
y quick and firm. 1t was that OF
! CONAN who carried swinging Ian