Forest City press. (Forest City, Potter County, D.T. [S.D.]) 1883-19??, 1911-01-26

- DO sure. We were not to be af-
frtghted by a single sentry, though he
carried Y rifle in his hand; but the
certainty that others would be with
In call. and that q single cry might
bring them upon US. robbed US for the
moment OF n clear idea and held us
prisoners of the cave.
"TWOuld have been the firing that
I heard syne." the boatswain whis-
pered.
turned to Okyada and asked him
what We should do. His own uncer-
tainty was reflected IN his attitude. He
stood as still as q figure OF marble.
The master watt" he said present.
". II think that I shall know IL the
master wait. Let the lantern be cov-
cred. I shall see by the darkness"
I told him that I forbade him to go
and that 1t was madness to suppose
that the sentry would stand there
alone. He did not heal me, disappear
Ing Immediately upon his words, and
being lost to our view as completely
as though the earth had opened and
swallowed him up. I shall always say
that a quicker, lighter footed, more
faithful fellow never lived nor earned
The gratitude Of an Unconditional mas
ter. My own confidence in him found
~ ~SSS SARA 0SAO4A III SlAO SVAIkOldC0IICy
with which ! waited for his news. He
would kill the sentry IL need be-of
that I felt IRE and there was sOme-
thing horrible in the thought that a
living man. whose figure we could see
In the dim light beyond the cavern.
stood upon the very brink Of eternity
and might have spoken his last word
on earth. This reflection was my own.
The stolid boatswain made nothing Of
1t. He covered the lantern methodical-
ly and %squatted back against the rock.
lyon yellow laddie's Ane." he whis-
pered; "'twould be az good as dead
the man were. Has your honor such
q thing as a bit Of baccy upon We?
No: well. I'll do we'll wanting it."
I smiled. but did not answer him.
In truth. I a begun to find the min
utes of waiting intolerable. What with
the oppressive atmosphere Of the tun-
mel. the heated. steam laden air. and
upon this the ghostly fascination Of the
specter at the cavern's mouth. it came
to me that my own strength might
not carry me safely through the ordeal.
What kept Okyada? The sentry, on
his part. did not appear to have moved
since I had. first seen him. There was
the kissing steam behind us. 1 could
not discover h little figure Of my
servant, though I was looking from
the darkness toward the light. Had
he come to the conclusion III it was
dangerous to go on? This seemed pos
steps toward the tunnels mouth when
his figure suddenly emerged into the
light. and, standing side by side with
the sentry he uttered that soft, pur-
rims whistle which called to IN to
come on.
"Yon's n Of our own. then" tho
boatswain said. starting to his feet
clumsily.
Then some one has gone under and
he is keeping watch over him." I re-,
piled; God send that it is not one OF
III crew.
"Amen t o that. sir, though 'twere
In a Christian man to say that we
mawn all die when the day comes
But not in this cursed island. Tho.
day will be an unlucky one IL it comes
here, my man. Put our best foot
foremost and say that 1t shall not"
MY words were Greek to him. OF
course; and he answered me with q
strange oath and an expression OF opin-
lon upon Portuguese and others which
was quite ~valueless. My owe curiosity
now turned. however. to the odd fact
that the sentry remained motionless.
and that Okyada did not appear to
have changed a single word with him.
Who. then. was the man, and what
hcpI iiliu III VHdL STOteSQue attitude?
At a distance of SO yards from the
light I could not have told you-but
at 70 yards I understood. The wretched
man was stone dead as his fellow who
lay upon the path. A bullet from an
unknown rifle had shot him through
the heart as he stood in ambush watt
ing for me. So much I hazarded on,
the instant. The truth must be made
known to me pom the yachts deck. {
I say the yacht: and this is to tell
you In a word that. coming out Of the
pit. we espied her lying off the head
land. 9 picture OF life and light upon;
the still water. There below. upon the
shore. stood the friends who had known,
so many anxieties suffered upon my ac-i
count such weary days Of waiting. such
long hours Of strenuous labor, since
had left them. And now l had but to
scramble down the rugged cliff side
and clasp their hands, and to tell them
that all was we'll with me.
CHAPTER XII.
We rowed to the yacht without an
lnstant's delay n made known the