The Mena weekly star., 1911-03-09
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.

ly, only pace or two away His first
act then, even before speaking, was to
take out his pocket electric bull's-eye
and turn 1t full upon her.
It's just to make sure you're not
hurt-that really got down here In
time" he apologized Il wish might
have saved you the terror, but II
wasn't until you cried out that I
knew"
I'm not hurt" she assured him.
I'm little dazed that's all.-No,
not with fright. with wonder. hard
ly had time to be frightened. But I
thought you'd gone this morning. that
you had abandoned us Just as you said
you would. And yet, when I cried
out just now, for help, 1t was you that
l called TO. And then you
came, out of the sky, just as I was
sure you would. For ! was certain,
with the same certainty one has in
dreams Now, that it's over, l find
myself wondering again II you are
real. I'm not hurt at ALL"
Before he could find anything to say
in answer. they heard another shot,
muffied in the fog, from the direction
of the Aurora. and in prompt reply to
1t, another volley.
Wasn't there firing before?" she
asked. Can any one be attacking the
yacht? There is no one there but
Tom, you know, and he's disabled
Can't we-cant I, get out there any
way? The boat ! came ashore in is
right here"
Without making her any answer. he
carried the unwieldly bundle his wings
made into the hut and left it there.
then returned to her and offered her
his hand
"Well go down and look for your
boat" he said.
Along the waters edge they
searched. aided by the little beam from
his bull's-eye, the sound of intermit-
tent firing from the yacht urging haste
all the while. But 1t did not take long
to force the conviction upon them that
the boat was gone. Blown adrift,
most likely. was Cayley's explanation.
He felt her trembling. Whether
with cold or dread, he did not know.
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 az you
think. I'll tell you when we get 10
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:
Il don't think Fanshaw is 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 WaIrus
people have undoubtedly attacked
them. but they shouldn't have any
trouble In beating them off. They out
number them and they are better
armed; in fact, so far as | know, the
Walrus people aren't armed at ali
They knew--your people mean
that the yacht was likely to be attack
ed told them so myself, and then
their pretended guide confessed"
How did you know about the Wal
rus?" she asked curiousiy
"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
well. he made clean breast of It. He
knew nothing of the details of his
leaders plans; but the mere fact that
he had been delegated to guide the
party into a place from which II was
to be expected they could never get
ont, was conclusive as to his inten-
tions at least"
He had spoken rather disconnected
ly, hts sentences punctured by the
sounds of firing from the yacht. BY
the time he finished they were almost
continuous.
why does II sound so much fainter