The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1911-03-29
PAGE TEN
9he Xiingdom Of
Slender 3words

ana WITH IL, as though lHe 'oASe VI
the day ITSELF there went out over the
water, above the sweep of the wind,
single piercing sweet note of music,
like the cry of great. splendid BIRD
calling to the sunrise. Fishermen IN
tossing sampan, and sailors on heav-
inc Junk heard it, and whispered that
it was the cry of the kamlnarl, the
thunder animal, or of the kappa that
lures the swimmer to his death. An
icy blast seemed to shoot past the
Glider into the zenith. Staring, Daunt
realized that one of the great planes
the propeller, the after framework
with the man who had clung to 1t,
were utterly gone-that the Glider
like a dead bird caught by the thud-
ding tWinge OF bullet, was lunglng
by it's own momentum-to its fall!
Had Phil fallen, or was it
Suddenly he felt himself flung back
ward, then forward on his face. The
spreading vanes, crumpled edgewise,
like squares of cardboard, were slid
inc down. He saw the shipping OF
the bay spread beneath him-the twin
lighthouses, one red, one white, on
the ends of the breakwater-the black
dreadnaughts steamer with Drlgnt
red funnels-a fleet of fishing sampan
putting out. All were swelling larger
and larger. The wind, blowing up
ward around him, stole his breath,
and he felt the blood beating in his
temples. He heard ships bells strik-
ing and across the sound a temple
bell doomed clearly. A mist was COM
ing before his eyes. Just below him
was a white yacht; it seemed to be
rushing up to meet him like a swan.
Thoughts darted through his brain
like live arrows. The battleships
were saved! No shameful suspicion
should touch Japan's name in the
highways of the world! What matter
that he lost the game? What did one
any one-count against so much?
He thought of Barbara. He would
never know now what she had been
about to tell him that night at the
Nikko shrine! He would never see
her again! But she would know <.
she would know!
The sound of the sea-a great roar
ing in his ears.
CHAPTER Ii.
Into the Sunlight.
On the deck of the white yacht the
captain rose to his feet. The battle
fought on that huddle of blankets fol-
the life of the man so hardly snatched
from the sea had been close one, but
it had been won. His smile of salts
faction Overran the group of observ
ant faces at one side, the bishop
watching with strained anxiety, and
the girl, who pillowed in her arms that
unconscious head with it's drenched
brown curls.
Don't you be afraid, Miss Fairfax,
he said with bluff heartiness. Hell
be all right now!"
The assurance came to Barbara S
heart with an infinite relief that he
could not guess. At the first sight OF
the huge bird-like thing slipping down
the sky she had known the man cling
ing to it's framework was Daunt. The
stricken moments while the wreck of
the great vanes lay outspread on the
water-the launch Of the yachts boat,
and the lifting of the limp form over
its gunwale-the cruelty kind minis
trations that had brought breath back
to the inert body-these had seemed
to her to consume dragging hours of
agony. A thunder of guns roared
across the water, but she scarcely
heard. Her eyes were fixed on the
face to which the tide of life was re-
turning.
Again the roar, and now the sound
pierced the saturating darkness. 1t
called the numbed senses back to the
sphere of feeling-to consciousness
of an immense WEAKNESS and gentle
motion. 1t seemed to Daunt as though
his head rested on pillow which rose
and fell to an irregular rythm. He
stirred. His eyes opened.
Memory dawned across them.
Haru's story-the windy flight on the
Elider-the sick sense of failure-the
plunge down, and down and the wa
ter leaping toward him. Had he
failed? A third time the defamation
rang out He started, made an effort
to rise. His gaze swept the sea. There
with flags flying, bands playing, line
of dreadnaughts was steaming down
the harbor.
1.-THE battleships!" he said, and
there was triumph in his eyes.
He turned his head and saw the
bishop, the silent crew, the relieved
countenance of the captain. Realiza-