Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1906-01-25

laugh, lest his words should falter
"You can console yourself with the
thought, Miss Deane, that your pres
ence on the island will in no way affect
my fate at the hands Of the Dyaks.
Had they caught me unprepared today
my head would now be covered with a
solution Of the special varnish they
carry on every foreign expedition"
And yet these men are human be-
ingsr'
For purposes of classification yes.
Keeping to strict fact, it was lucky for
me that you raised the alarm and gave
me chance to discount the odds of
mere numbers. 30, you see. you really
did me good turn"
What can be done now to save our
lives? Anything will he better than to
await another attack"
THE first thing 10 do is to try TO
get some sleep before daylight. How
did you know was not IN the castle?"
II cannot tell you. awoke and
knew you were not near me. If l wake
in the night can always tell whether
or not you are in the next room. So
I dressed and came ont"
"Ah" he said quietly. Evidently
] snore."
Iris retreated, and the sailor. tired
out at last. managed TO close his weary
eyes.
Next morning he hastily constructed
a pole OF sufficient length and strong
enough to bear his weight by tying two
study young trees together with ropes.
Iris helped him to raise it against the
face of the precipca vnd he at once
climbed to the ledge.
Here he found his observations of the
previous night abunGantly verified. The
ledge was even wider than he dared to
hope, nearly ten feet deep in one part,
and it slopcd sharply downward from
the outer lip of the rock. BY lying fiat
and carefully testing all points Of view
lie ascertained that the only possible
positions from which even glimpse
of the interior floor could be obtained
were the branches of few tall trees
and the extreme right of the opposing
precipice, nearly ninety yards distant.
There was ample room to store water
that even some sort of shelter from the
fierce rays of the sun and the often
piercing cold Of the night might be
achieved by judiciously rigging up a
tarpaulin.
This is a genuine bit of good luck, :.
he unused. Here, provided neither of
us is hit, we can hold out for a week
Tnf q ,inn Lou I,x,
possible that l should have lived on
this island so many days and yet hit
upon this nook Of safety by mere
chance, as it were:'
Not until he reached the level again
could he solve the puzzle. Then he
perceived that the way in which the
cliff bulged out on both sides prevent
ri the ledge from becoming evident in
profile, while, seen in the glare Of the
sunlight. it suggested nothing more
-han a slight indentation.
He rapidly sketched to Iris the de-
fensive plan which the eagles nest
suggested. Access must be provided
by means Of rope ladder, securely
fastened inside the ledge and capable
of being pulled up or let down at the
will of the occupants. Then the place
must be kept constantly stocked with
a judicious supply OF provisions, water
and ammunition. They could be COW
cred with a turpaulin and thus kept in
fairly good condition.
I'VE ought to sleep there every
night" he went on, and his mind was
so cnsrossed with the tactical side OF
the preparations that he did not notice
how Iris blanched at the suggestion.
Surely not until danger actually
threatens?' she cried.
Danger threatens us each hour after
sunset. 1t may come any night, though
| expect at least fortnight's reprieve
Nevertheless | intend to act as If to-
night may witness the first shot of
the siege
DO you mean thatT" she sighed
And my little room is becoming SC
very cozy."
jerks always accepted her words lit
orally.
We'll" lie announced, after pause
ut may not be necessary to take VI
our quarters there until the eleventh
hour. After l have hoisted up our
stores and made the ladder | will en-
deavor to devise an efficient Gordon OF
scntinels around our position. We will
see"
Not another word could Iris get out
of him Oh the topic. Indeed he provided
her with plenty Of work. BY this time
she could splice rope more neatly
than her tutor, and her particular bust
ness was to prepare no less than sixty
rungs for the rope ladder. This. was
an impossible task for one day, but
after dinner the sailor helped her
They tolcd late, until their fingers
We're sore and their backbones creakeC
as they sat upright
Meanwhile jerks swarmed up the
pole again and drew up after him 6
crowbar, the sedge hammer and the
pickaX. With these implements lie SCI
TO work to improve the accommodation
or course he did not attempt seriously
to remove any large quantity of rock
but there We're projecting Jumps here
and inequalities of floor there which