Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1906-02-01

east along Turtle beach or Ivy way OF
the lagoon. Prospect park was desert
ad. They were securing botn sections
Of the island in full force.
The quiet watcher on the ledge took
no needless risks Though ii was i'm
possible to believe any stratagem had
been planned for his special benefit. an
accident might betray him. With the
utmost Crcumspection he rose on all
fours and, with comprehensive glance.
examined trees, plateau and both strips
Of beach for signs of lurking foe. lie
need have no fear. OF all places in the
island the Dyaks least imagined that
their quarry had lain all night within
cnrshot 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 lest she should forget her
surroundings. he placed a warning fin.
ger on his lips.
"Oh." she said in whisper "are
they still here
lie told her 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
uce. they could be seen only by bird
or by man standing on the distant
rocky shelf that formed the southern
extremity of the opposite cliff and the
sailor kept 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.
NO" no said smilngy. Scraps
should hc the first course next time
We must not waste an atom Of food"
How thoughtlcss of me- she OK.
claimed please tell me you think
they will 30 away today"
But the sailor flung himself fiat on
the ledge and grasped rifle.
"Bc still. OH your life" he said.
squeeze into your corner. There is a
Dyali on the opposite cliff"
True enough n man had climbed
to that unhappily placed rocky table
and was shouting something to n 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 was commu-
| nicatn9 the usclessness 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 the Dyaks,
few down the face of the cliff and be-
gan Il circling quest for some safe
| perch on which to alight.
jerks swore with an emphasis not
the less earnest because it was mute
and took steady aim at the Dyak's left
breast. The birds fluttered about in
ever smaller circles. Then ono of them
dropped easily on to the lip of the
| rock. Instantly his bright eyes encoun-
! tered those Of the man. and he darted
off with scream that brought his
mates after him.
The pyalS evidently noted the behav-
! Tor of the birds-his only lore was the
t..
tently at the ledge. jerks he could
not distinguish behind the screen of
grass. He might perhaps see some
portion Of the tarpaulin covering the
stores, but at the distance it must re-
spmblo Il weather beaten segment OF
the cliff, Vel something puzzled him.
After n steady scrutiny he turned and
yelled to others on the beach.
The crucial moment had arrived.
jerks pressed the trigger. and the
pyak hurtlcd through the air, falling
headlong out of sight.
The sound of this, tho first shot of
real warfare, awoke Rainbow island
into tremendous activity. The winged
life of the place filed the air with ral-
| tDllS CRIES, WulIt SHOUTING 'AHkS SUR
ried iNall directions. Several camd in
TO the valley. Those nearest tho 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, they evi
IDENTIFY did not know whence the shot
came. for those to whom he shouted
had no inkling of his motive, 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 10 attack u.s."
Not yet" was the reassurinC an
swer Il killed the fellow who saw us
before he could tell the others.
1t was a bold risk. and he had takcr
it, though now the Dyaks know fol
certain their prey had not escaped
there was noIprospcct OF their speedy
departure. Nevertheless the position
was not utterly hopeless. None Of the
enemy could tell how or hy whom thei,
Communion had been shot Man,
among the excited horde iahhering be
meath actually looked mt tho cliff over
and over again, yet failed to note The
potentialities of the ledge. with its few
tufts of grass growing where seeds hat
apparently been blown by the wind ~