Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1911-04-13


beautiful-and young, but with an in
applicable stamp Of premature age
upon 1t. 1t had not struck her at all
as a tragic face. And yet the mean.
ing of those last words of his, uttered
as they we're, had been tragic enough.
"At least you have a magnificent re-
venge," was all she said. And then
there "a another silence. Sho her
self was trying to think of something
TO say, for she realized that his con-
fession had been involuntary, and that
the silence must be distressing him.
But 1t was he himself who broke
the silence with a natural, matter-of-
fact question. "You say a searching
party has set out from the yacht?
Have they been long ashore?"
"They set out only a little after sun
rise. We came into the bay with the
last of yesterdays twilight, and the
sight of those huts, at the edge of the
shore" her voice faltered a little,
nearly made us hope that the impos-
sible might prove true. We fired our
signal cannon two or three times and
then sent up some rockets, without
getting any answer. 1t was too late
to go ashore in the dark; 81 we had
to wait a few hours for another sun
rise. The few Of us who were left
on the yacht expected them back to-
day before dark fell. But l suppose
there's nothing to worry about In
their not coming. They vel equipped
to pass a night ashore, if necessary
You don't advise me to begin worry
ing about them, do your"
He did not answer her question. He
was recalling something which his
amazing meeting with the girl out
here on the ice-fioe had, for a little
while, put quite out of his mind-the
weird, silent tragedy he had seen en-.
acted a few hours before upon the
glacier behind the headland. The
victim, the man in the leather coat.
must have been one of the party from
the yacht; but 1t was impossible that
the little band of his murderers could
be. No one freshly landed from the
yacht would have been dressed as
they were, or would have been armed
with darts.
With no better look at them than
had been possible to him as he hung
above their heads, he had been con
WINGED that they were white. certain
ly, the leather-coated man had beer
talking to them, freely enough, II
English. And yet, If white, they mus
have been Representations, IL no
of Captain Ffelding's Inflated expedi
ton, then of some other, tragic, unre
ported ship wreck.
But If they were white men-refu
gees, why had they fed from thei
hut at sight of the yacht which cam
bringing a rescue? Why had the.
driven that one luckless member o
the rescuing party who fell in will
them, into that carefully prepared am
bush, and then murdered him, silent
ly? Even Eskimos would not hav'
done a thing like that.
His long silence had alarmed thu
girl, and presently, %perceiving tina
this was SO, he drew himself up will
an affected start. II beg your par
don. drifted off, thinking Of some
thing else. Living in the sky doesn'
seem conducive to good manners. Nc
l don't believe there is anything t
worry about. Any way, as soon a
light comes back, which won't b
long now, I can set at rest any fear
you may have. I'll go and find you
party, and I'll search the land, too
for anything else that may be there
And then I'll bring you word"
you are very good" she said witt
a little hesitation, "but l can't lie
you"
He interrupted her with a laugh
TITS nothing difficult that Lam pre-
posing to do for you, you know"
THAT'S true. I had forgotten you
wings. The rocks, the ice, the stee
places, that mean so tragically muc
to them, are nothing at all to you. Blu
what are you doing now? Even 70
can't find them in the dark"
He had already begun u~nstrappin
|, the bundle he had made of his wings
and seemed to be preparing for in
mediate flight. That was what cause
, her question.
mo-" he said; Il shall wait for SUI
, rise"
"But why not here, on the yacht
i We can give you a comfortable be
there; better, certainly, than tina
i sleeping bag of yours"
/, IT am afraid" he said, that wha
: you call a comfortable bed in a yacht
! cabin would be the surest instrumer
, that could be found for keeping N
awake all night. No, / shall find
. sheltered hollow up at the top Of ths
headland yonder, where I shall slee
deeply enough. you may be sure"
; She watched him, silently, while b
! slipped the steeljointed rods int
place, drew the catgut bow string
!, taut, until they sang-until the fabri
t Of his planes shimmed In the starligl
). -Quiyered, as If they were instin,
) with a life Of their own.
A sense OF the ~unreality Of 1t q
came yelling up strongly within he
and a touch Of an almost forgotte
1 fear of him.
Good night" she said. holding OF
J her hand-"goodby."