Gilpin observer., 1911-05-18
Whether


but he took her arm and steadied her
with the pressure of his own. =
Come back to the hut" he said
"The situation isn't as bad as you
think. I'll tell you when we get to
shelter where we can talk"
She turned obediently, and breasted
the icy slope with him. Neither spoke
again until they were safe in the lee
Of the hut. Then he said:
II don't think Fanshaw 10 alone
there on the yacht. The relief party
and the first party from the Aurora
got together some time this afternoon
and started back toward the shore.
They should be aboard the yacht by
now, though when the fog fell It put
an end to my activities. The Walrus
people have undoubtedly attacked
them. but they shouldn't have any
trouble In beating them OF. They out
number them and they are better
armed; in fact, SO far as know, the
Walrus people aren't armed at all.
They knew-your people I mean
that the yacht was likely to be attack
cd. I told them 20 myself. and then
their pretended guide confessed"
How did you know about the Wal
rus?" she asked curiously.
"The Portuguese was one OF them;
he had guided your first party down
into little valley Of perpetual fog.
under orders to abandon them there.
When he saw me sailing about over
head-through the fog. you know-he
broke down and confessed and then
we'll, he made a clean breast of 1t. He
knew nothing of the details Of his
leaders plans; but the mere fact that
he had been delegated to guide the
party into place from which 1t was
to be expected they could never get
tions at least"
He had spoken rather disconnected
ly, his sentences punctured by the
sounds of firing from the yacht. BY
the time he finished they were almost
continuous.
why does It sound SO much fainter
than 1t did?" she asked. TITS not
nearly SO loud al that first volley We
heard"
ITS q trick of the fog. very likely"
he said. Fog is frightfully treach-
erous thing. 1t deceives mems ears as
well as their eyes. There's no 1udg-
ing distance through it. When you
cried out Just now, I couldn't tell
whether you were so feet below me or
500 feet. was up above it, you see,
and l hadn't any way Of telling how
deep It was-There! Do you hearr
he went on. "The firing has stopped
altogether Your people are almost
certainly safe"
"Will you let me go inside this hut"
he asked, "and see II 1t is habitable?
II 1t is, you'd better go in and let me
make you as comfortable as I can. l
don't think you need have any fears
about the Walrus people. And worry
ing wouldn't do any good any way.
There's nothing we can do but wait
for daylight Nothing can happen any
where until then"
He had, very distinctly, in mind
what might happen then IL the Walrus
people were repulsed from the yacht.
Unless they were all destroyed in the
attack, they would undoubtedly make
trouble as soon as morning revealed
the fact that they had two hostages
in their hands. But he could fight
them of better from the doorway Of
the hut than from anywhere else. And
there was no need of troubling the
girl with that consideration, not for
the present, at least.
Its all right in there" she said.
II spent I don't know how many
hours there reading before you came.
But the candle has burned out"
The open door behind them gave ac-
cess into tiny shed, protruding from
the corner of the hut and serving, evil
IDENTIFY, as a vestibule for it. The In
ner door, a heavier and stronger af-
fair, opening at right angles to 1t,
gave access to the interior of the hut.
Cayely switched on his bull's-eye
and cast brief glance about the
room. There were two or three rude,
flimsy-looking doors which undoubted-
ly opened into small. cabin-like bed
rooms; but the principal part of the
hut was taken up by the room in
which they found themselves.
Cayley set his little bull-eye on a
shelf where they could make the most
OF its thin pencil OF light. He then
turned his attention to the door, and
after little struggle succeeded in
getting II shut, and, what was more
securely bolted. by means OF a heavy
wooden bar which dropped into an
iron crotch. II they were attacked
with the first OF the daylight, this
place would AFFORD them security until
the people from the Aurora could
come to their rescue. His revolver
was Colt. As. and his belt was full Of
cartridges. With that weapon. he re-
membered that he had once been con-
sidered the best shot in the army.
The girl, when he turned to look at
her, was seated on the edge of bunk
at the other side OF the hut. Her pal
lor tho trpcea of feara bo could coo