The Richmond palladium. (Richmond, Ind.) 1906-1907, 1906-08-26
6be WINS Of the
Morning . :, ~. ~ !; :,
~ J
By LOUIS
TRACY
Copyright. 1905. by
Edward J. CIode

They must think we sleep soundIy
not TO be disturbed by the yolleys they
have fired already
She would have answered. but he
placed restraining hand on her Shout
der. for the Dyaks, quickly discovering
that the hut was empty, ran toward
the cave and thus came in full view.
AS well as jerks could judge the
foremost trio of the yelping horde We're
impaled on the bayonets OF the cheval
de frise, learning too late its formida-
BILE nature. The wounded men shrek
ed in agony, but their cries were
drowned in a torrent of amazed shouts
from their companions. Forthwith
there vas stampede toward the we'll.
the cliff, the beaches. anywhere to get
away from that aweSome cavern where
ghosts dwelt and men fell. manned at
the very threshold. The sailor, lean
ing as far over the edge of the rock
as the girls expostulations would per
NIT, heard a couple of men grooming
beneath, while third limped away
with frantic and painful haste.
What is it?" whispered Iris, eager
herself to witness the tumult. What
has happened:'
"They have been routed by a box of
matches and a few dried bones,' he
answered.
There was no time for further speech.
He was absorbed in estimating the
probable number of the Dyaks. Thus
far he had seen about fifty. More
over he did not wish 70 acquaint Iris
with the actual details of the artifice
that had been SO potent. Her allusion
to the box of water sodden matches
had given him the notion of utilizing
as an active ally the bleached remains
of the poor fellow who had long ago
fallen victim to this identical mob
of cutthroats or their associates. He
had gathered the principal bones from
their resting place near the well, rub
bed them with the ends of the matches
after damping the sulphur again and
arranged them with CHASTITY effect on
the pile of rubbish at the farther end
of the cave, creeping under the cheval
de frise for the purpose
Though not SO vivid as he wished,
the pale glimmering headlesS skeleton
in the intense darkness of the interior
was appalling enough in all conscience.
Fortunately the fumes of the sulphur
fed on the bony substance. They en-
dured n sufficient time to scare every
Dyak who caught a glimpse of the
monstrous object crouching in luminous
horror within the dismal cavern.
Not even the stirring exhortations of
the chief, whose voice was raised in
furious speech, could induce his adher-
&C..
spot At last the daring scoundrel him
self, still welding his naked sword,
strobe right up to the very doorway.
Stricken with sudden stupor, he gazed
at the fitful CLEANS within. He prod
ded the cheval de frise with the pa
rang. Here was something definite and
solid. Then he dragged one of the
wounded men out into the moonlight
Again jerks experienced an itching
desire to send a bullet through the
Dyak's head. Again he resisted the
impulse. And SO passed that which is
vouchsafed by fate to few men-a sec
ond opportunity.
Another vehement harangue by the
chief goaded some venturesome spirits
into carrying their wounded comrade
out of sight, presumably to the hut.
Inspired by their leaders fearless ex-
ample, they even removed the third in
jured Dyak from the vicinity of the
cave, but the celebrity of their retreat
caused the wretch to bawl in agony.
The next undertaking was no sooner
appreciated by the sailor than he hur-
riedly caused Iris to shelter herself be-
meath the tarpaulin, while he covered
close to the floor of the ledge, looking
only through the screen of tall grasses.
They kindled fire near the well. Soon
its rudy glare lit up the dark rock
with fantastic chickering's and drew
scintillations from the weapons and or
naments of the hideously picturesque
horde gathered in its vicinity.
They spoke d language of hard
vowels and nasal resonance and ate
what he judged to be dry fish, millets
and strips of tough preserved meat,
which they cooked on small iron skew
ers stuck among the glowing embers.
His heart sank as he counted siXty-one,
all told, assembled within forty yards
of the ledge. Probably several others
We're guarding the boats or prowling
about the island. Indeed, events prov
ed that more than eighty men had
come ashore in three large sampans,
roomy and feet craft. well fitted for
piratieal excursions up river estuaries
or along q coast.
They were mostly barelegged rascals,
wearing Malay hats, loose jackets
reaching to the knee and sandals. One
man differed essentially from the 9th
ers. He was habited in the conven-
tional attire Of an Indian Mohamme-
dan, and his skin was brown, while the
swartky Dyaks were yellow beneath
the dirt. jerks thought from the man
ner in which his turban was tied that
he must be a Punjabi discriminatory
likely an escaped convict from the An
damaEs.
The most careful scrutiny did not re
veal any arms of precision. They all
carried muzzie leaders, either antiQuat-
ed fintlocks or guns sufficiently mod
ern to be fitted with nipples for per-
cussion caps.
Each Dyak, of course, sported pa
rang aud dagger-Iike creese; a few bore
spears, and about a dozen shouldered