The Richmond palladium. (Richmond, Ind.) 1906-1907, 1906-09-02
The People in the Story are Real and Not
Puppets, and the Plot Mr.. Tracy Has
Woven About Them is Most Ingenious

of mute assurance. the Indian followed
/ him.
Iris touched his arm and he told
| her all that had taken place. Iris be-
/ came very downcast when she grasped
! the exact state OF affairs. She was al
most certain,when the Dyaks proposed
| parley tiIat reasonable terms would
result 1t horrifeds her beyond meas
| ure To find that. she was the rock on
which negotiations We're wrecked.
| Hope died within her. The bitterness
| OF death was in her breast.
What an unlucky influence havehad
or yeHc e7istenceg' she exclaimed. III
it We're not for me this trouble at least
would be spared you. Because 1 am
here yoa are condemned. Again, be-
cause l stopped You from shooting that
wretched chief and his companions
they are new demanding your life as
forfeit. Ii is all my fault. l can
not bear it,
She was on the verge OF tears. The
strain had become too great for her.
After INDUCING in a wild dream OF
freedom, TO be tolds that they must
again endure the irksome confinement.
the active suffering. the slow horrors
of siege in that rocky prison, almost
distracted her.
jerks was very stern and curt in his
reply.
1--WE must make the best OF a bad
business he said. IF we are in a
tight place the pyaks are not much
better off. and eighteen of their num-
has. al
too. that Providence has sent us a most
useful ally in the Mohammedan. When
all is said and done, things might be
far worse than they are"
Never before had his tone been SO
cold. his manner SO abrupt. not even
in the old days when he purposely en-
deavored TO make her dislike him.
She walked along the ledge and TIM
idly bent over him.
Forgive me- she whispered 81
did forget for the moment not only the
goodness of Providence. but also your
self sacrificing devotion. / am only a
woman. and / don't want to die yet.
but 1 will not live unless you, too, are
saved
Once already that day she had ex-
pressed this thought in other words.
Was some shadowy design fitting
through her brain? Suppose they were
faced with the alternatives OF dying
from thirst or yielding to the Dyaks.
Was there another way out? jerks
shivered, though the rock was grilling
him. He must divert her mind from
this dreadful brooding.
1.-THE fact is he said, with feeble
off Of ssva RI both
hungry and consequently grumpy.
Now, suppose you prepare lunch. We
will feel ever so much better after we
have eaten"
The girl cholSed back her emotion
and sadly essayed the task of provid-
ing a meal which was hateful to her.
A few tears fell now and made little
burrows down her soiled cheeks. But
they were helpful tears, tears of resig-
nation. not of despair. Although the
obstruction that wasteth at MONDAY"
was trying her sorely, she again felt
strong and sustained.
She even smiled on detecting an in
voluntary effort to clear her stained
face. She was about to carry biscuit
and some timed meat to the sailor
when sharp exclamation from him
caused her to hasten to his side.
The Dyaks had broken cover Run
ming in scattered sections across the
sands, they were risking such loss as
the defenders might be able to infiict
upon them during a brief race to the
shelter and food to be obtained in the
other part of the island.
jerks did not fire at the scurrying
gang. He was waiting for one man.
Taung Sail. But that redoubtable
person. having probably suggested this
dash for liberty. had fully realized the
enviable share Of attention he would
attract during the passage. He there
fore discarded his vivid attire and by
borrowing odd garments made himself
sufficiently like unto the remainder Of
his crew to deceive the sailor until the
rush Of men was over. Among them
ran the Mohammedan, who did not
look up the valley. but waved his hand
When all had quieted down again
jerks understood how he had been
fooled. He laughed SO heartily that
Iris, not knowing either the cause OF
his merriment or the reason of his un-
looked for clemency to the flying foe,
feared the sun had affected him.
He at once quilted the post occupied
during so protracted a vigil.
"Now," he cried, Eve can eat in
peace. I have stripped the chief OF
his fnery. His men can twit him on
being forced to shed his gorgeous plum
age in order to save his life. Anyhow,
they viii leave US in peace until night
falls, so we must make the best OF a
hot afternoon
But he was mistaken. A greater dam
ger than any yet experienced now
threatened them. for Taung SAL. furi-
Gus and unrelenting, resolved that IL
he could not obtain the girl he would
STAY the pair Of them. and he had ter
rible weapons in his possession.
CHAPTER Kill