The Richmond palladium. (Richmond, Ind.) 1906-1907, 1906-08-26

ne thanked the good luck that nad
| showered such heap OF rubbish over
the spot containing his chief stores and
covering the vein of gold. Wild as
these fellows Were. they Well knew the
value of the precious metal. and if by
chance they lighted upon such a well
defined lode they might not quit the
island for weeks.
At last on a command from the chief
the DyaI1s scattered in various direc-
| tons. Some turned toward Europa
point but the majority went 10 the
east along Turtle beach or by way OF
the lagoon Prospect park was desert
ed. they were securing both sections
Of the island in full force.
The quiet watcher on the. ledge took
no needless risks. Though il was inn
possible 10 believe any stratagenr had
| been planned for his special benefit. an
accident might betray him. With the
utmost eircumspection he rose on all
tours and, with comprehensive glance.
examined trees. plateau and both. strips
of beach for signs of lurking foe. He
need have no fear. OF all places in the
island the Dyaks least imagined that
earshot of their encampment.
jerks slid back down the ledge and
gently Weakened Iris. She sat up in
stantly and gazed at him with wonder
ing eyes.
Fearful slest she should forget her
surroundings he placed warning fin
ger on his, lips.
.'Oh," she said in whisper, "are
they still herei''
He told Der what had happened and
suggested that they should have some
thing to eat while the coast was clear
beneath. She needed no second bid
ding, for the long vigil of the previous
night had made her very hungry, and
the two breakfasted right royalty on
biscuit. cold fowl. ham and good water.
In this, the inner section of their ref
uge, they could be seen only by a bird
or by n man standing on the distant
rocky shelf that formed the southern
extremity of the opposite cliff. and the
sailor kept a close lookout in that di-
rection.
Iris was about to throw the remains
of the feast into an empty oil tin pro-
vided for refuse when jerks restrained
her.
should be the first course next time.
We must not waste an atom of food"
How thoughtless of mer' She ex-
claimed. please tell me you think
they will go away today"
But the sailor flung himself fat on
the ledge and grasped a rifle.
BE STILL. on your ife.' he said.
Squeeze into your corner. There is a
Dyak on the opposite cliff"
True enough. man had climbed
to that unhappily placed rocky table
and was, shouting something TO a con
frere high on the cliff over their heads.
AS yet he had not seen them nor even
noticed the place where they were con-
cealed The sailor imagined from the
Dyak's gestures that he wasseommu-
nicatipg the uselessness of further
search on the western part of the is
land.
When the conversation ceased. he
hoped the loud voiced savage would
descend. But no, The scout looked
into the valley. at the well, the house.
the cave Still he did not see the
ledge At that unlucky moment three
birds, driven from the trees on the
crest by the passage of thesDyaks,
gan a circling quest for some safe
perch on which to alig1t.
jerks swore with an emphasis mot
the less earnest because it was mute
and took steady aim at the Dyak's left
breast. The birds fiuttered about In
ever smaller circles. Then one of them
dropped easily on Ito the, lip of the
rock. Instantly bis bright eyes -encoun-
A. Il
off with scream that brought his
mates after him.
The .Dyak evidently noted the behav-
for of the birds-his only lore was the
reading of such signs-and gazed in
tently at the ledge. jerks he could
not distinguish behind the screen OF
grass. He might perhaps ssee some
portion of the tarpaulin covering sthe
stores, but at the distance it must re-
semble a weather beaten segment of
the cliff. Yet something puzzled him.
After steady scrutiny he turned and
yelled to others on the beach
The crucial moment had arrived.
jerks pressed the trigger, and the
Dyak hUTtled through the air, falling
headlong outiof sight.
The sound of this, the first shot,of
real warfare, awoke Rainbow island
into tremendous activity. The winged
life of the place filled the air with rau-
cous cries. while shouting Dyaks sour
ried in all directions. Several came in
to the valley. Those nearest the. fallen
man picked him up and carried him to
the we'll He was quite dead, and. al
though amid his other injuries they
soon found the. bullet wound, theyfeyf-
IDENTIFY did not know whence the tshot
came, for those to whom he shouted
had no inklipg of his motiye.and the
slight haze from the rife was instantly
swept away by the breeze.
Iris could hear the turmoil beneath,
and she TREMENDOUSLY asked:
Are they going to attack usT'
Not vet" was the reassuring an
swer. Il killed the fellow who saw US
before he could tell the Others"
1t was a bold risk, and he had taken
II, though now the Dyaks knew for