The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1906-06-07
Painting and crouching, Winterslea
groped his way among them.

CROPPED his way among them.
Come" he said.
They followed him in silence, unloos-
Ing their holsters and grimiy ready. A
pair of handouts clinked in Hatch's
jumper. They inhaled the deep breath
of tried and resolute men, Injured to
danger and accustomed to give and re-
ceive an unflinching loyalty.
There" said Winterslea.
The path opened out ON a little clear
ing among the trees and showed them,
set on high, the outlines of native
house. Like all Tahitian houses, it
was on the model of Il birdcage, and
the oval wall of bamboo, set side by
side, let through vertical streaks OF
light from the lamp or fire within. AS
the whole party drew nearer they heard
deep below them OH the other side the
pleasant sound of falling water and
realized that the cliff they We're mount
ing overlooked little river at it's foot.
Here in exquisite seclusion Jack Gar
rard had chosen the spot for his moral
suicide.
Creeping up to the house and looking
through the cracks of the bamboos, his
comrades saw him sitting within dress
ed like n native in tapa cloth, with bare
chest and flowers in his tawny hair. He
was sitting in a hammock, and with
her head against his knee, a beautiful
girl was looking up into his face, one
pretty women she was the one that
outshone them all. Tehea, the sister of
the king, for whose sweet favor every
man on board had sought In vain. And
here she was, with her long hair loos-
ened and her eyes swimming with love.
looking up at the lad who had given
name and honor to win her heart. The
pair We're hardly more than children,
and Brady, a sentimentalist of forty,
with red hair, sighed as he peepel
through the caves and thought of his
own dear girl at home.
Garrard laid down the pipe he had
been smoking and in happy uncon-
seriousness of any audience but the wo-
man at his feet began to sing. His
voice had always been his greatest
charm and the means of gaining him
himself 1t had won Hadow. 1t had
won Francis.
Jack lay back in the hammock and
with wonderful tenderness and feeling
sang GLOW Gently, Sweet Alton" re-
peating the last verse several times
over 1t was plain that something in
it-some phrase or line-had deeply
moved him, for he suddenly bent over
and laid his face in his hands, shaking
with strange emotion. Tehea arose
and, throwing her arms round his neck
and forcing away his hands, pressed
her lips to his wet eyes. Even as she
did so Brady gave the signal for the
whole party to move round to the door,
He entered first, the others close be-
hind him. Jack leaped to his feet,
white and speechless, his wide open
eyes those of an animal at bay. Brady,
Winterslea, Stanbury-J Zones, Hotham,
Hatch, the familiar faces haunted him
like the sight of ghosts. Friends no
longer, they We're now avengers with
the right to track him down and kill
him.
Jack" cried Brady in stifled voice.
The lad took step back. The girl
moaned and tried to run between
Hatch and Stanbury- Jones. The old
seaman caught and shook her like
dog tearing away the whistle she put
to her lips and dashing it to the floor.
Jack put up his hand and snatched
pistol hidden in the thatch of the roof.
Brady on the instant leveled his own
and Numbered out:
drop it, or I'll shoot!"
"Shoot and be hanged!" returned
Jack, and with that he turned his pis-
tol on himself, and, placing the muzzle
against his forehead, pulled the trigger.
1t missed fire.
Before he could try again Brady had
caught him around the neck, while
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