Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-07-01
afraid modification has set in. 1t is ter

afraid modification has set in. 1t is ter
! rible.
! Poor little woman" Beatrice put her
/ arm about the slender figure and drew
! her closer. Lay your head on my lap
and sleep a little. You can do no good
! just now.
/ You will wake me if anything happens,
won't YOU?
Yes. | promise" 1t gave Beatrice
! sense Of comfort TO have Lois near her.
| Very gently she passed her hand over the
aching forehead, and presently Lois fell
into a sleep of absolute exhaustion. BY
mutual consent Mrs. Carmichael and Bea-
| trice ceased to talk. but when suddenly
! there was movement close to them and
dim light flashed over the partition,
! they exchanged a glance of meaning.
THAT is my husband" Mrs. Carmichael
whispered Something is going to hap
| pen. Listen
| She was not wrong in her suppositon.
| The colonel had entered the next room,
| followed by Nicholson and Saunders. and
! had closed the door carefully after him.
All three men carried lanterns. They
s, glanced instinctively at the wooden parti-
ton which divided them from the four
| women but Carmichael shook his head.
| It's all right he lid. They must
| he fast asleep, poor souls Let's have a
| look at these fellows" He went over to
huddled-up figure lying in the shadow.
| The corner of a military cloak had been
! thrown over the face. He drew il on one
/ side and then let il drop. Gone" he
said. laconically. He passed TO the
next. There We're in all three men ranged
| against the wall. Two of them were
/ dead. Martins told me they couldn't
| last Col Carmichael muttered. 1T is
| better for them. They out Of 1t
| little sooner. that's all. The third man
was Travers. He lay on his back. his
/ face turned slightly toward the wall, his
eyes closed He seemed asleep. The
colonel nodded somberly. Another ten
| hours" he calculated.
/ Hc came back to the table, where tho
| his pocket
| Give me Your light moment, Nichol-
| SON.. he said
No one spoke while he examined tho list
| before him. All around them was
| curious hush a new thing in their strIg-
/ gle, and one that seemed surchargcd
| with calamity. After a moment col. car
| michael looked up. lie was many years
the senior of his companions. but just
| then there seemed no difference i'm wears
! between them They were three wan,
haGgard mon, weakened with hunger. ax-
F.. hausted with sleepicss watching. That
| week had killed the youth in two OF
them.
''Geoffries has just given me this Car
michael said. 1T is list OF our provi
sions. We have enough food. but there
l. no fresh water. Tie enemy has cut
off the supply. We could not expect them
as neither spoke. he went on: II have
spoken with the others. You know, gem
tlemen, we cannot go on another twenty
four hours without water. We have made
| a good fight for II. hut this is the end
We must look the fact In the face"
| Surely they must know at headuuar-
tiers what state we are in" Saunders
began
| The colonel shrugged his shoulders.
mo doubt they know. but they cannot
help in time. This Is not petty frontier
business. 1t is something worse-a rising
with leader. rising with leader is
a lengthy business To tackle and IL re-
quires it's victims. In this case we are
the victims He smiled grimly. We
have only one thing left to do-make a
dash for it while We have the strength
You must know well as do that there
is scarcely anything worth calling a hope
but it's a more agreeable way of dying
than being starved out like rats and then
butchered like sheep. know these
devils" He glanced around the shadowy
room with a curious light in his eyes.
my hest friend was murdered In this
ROOM he added. personally, I prefer a
fair fight in the open
When do you propose to make the
start, colonel" Nicholson asked.
Within an hour. The night fsvors US.
The women must be kept in the center