Tensas gazette. [volume] (St. Joseph, La.) 1886-current, 1911-10-06

Whether


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 as you
think. I'll tell you when we get to
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 Walrus
people have undoubtedly attacked
them. but they shouldn't have any
trouble in beating them on. They out
number them and they are better
armed; in fact. sc far as ! know. the
Walrus people aren't armed at all.
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 curiously.
The Portuguese was one of them;
he had guided your first party down
into a 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
we'll, he made a 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 place from which Il was
to be expected they could never get
out, was conclusive as to his inten-
lions at least"
I, He had spoken rather disconnected
! ly, his sentences punctured by the
| sounds of firing from the yacht. BY
the time he finished they were almost
continuous.
why does it sound so much fainter
than 1t did," she asked. IT'S not
nearly so loud as that first volley we
heard"
Its a trick of the fog. very likely"
he said. Fog Is a frightfully treach-
erous thing. II deceives mems ears as
well as their eyes. There's no judS-
Ing distance through 1t. When you
cried out just now, couldn't tell
whether you were so feet below me or
500 feet l was up above 1t. you sec.
and hadn't any way of telling how
deep it was.-Therei Do you hear?"
he went on. The firing has stopped
altogether. Your people are almost
certainly safe"
will you let me go inside this hut"
he asked, land see II 1t is habitable?
II 1t is, you'd better go in and let me
make you as comfortable as can.
don't think you need have any fears
about the Walrus people. And worry
ing wouldn't do any good any way.
There's nothing we can do but wait
for daylight. Nothing can happen any
where until then"
He had. very distinctly. in mind
what might happen then II the Walrus
people we're repulsed from the yacht
Unless they were ell destroyed in the
attack, they would undoubtedly make
trouble as soon as morning revealed
the fact that they had two hostages
in their hands. But he could fight
them of better from the doorway of
the hut than from anywhere else. And
there was no need of troubling the
girl with that consideration. not for
the present, at least.
ITS all right in there" she said.
II spent ] don't know how many
hours there reading before you came.
But the candle has burned out"
The open door behind them gave ac-
cess into a tiny shed, protruding from
the corner of the hut and serving, evil
IDENTIFY. as a vestibule for 1t. The In
ner door, a heavier and stronger af-
fair. opening at right angles to 1t.
gave access to the interior of the hut
Cayely switched on his bull's-eye
and cast a brief glance about the |
room. There were two or three rude.
fiimsy-looking doors which undoubted-
ly opened into small, cabin-like bed
rooms; but the principal part of the !
hut was taken up by the room in |
which they found themselves.
Cayley set his little bull'-eye on a |
shelf where they could make the most |
of its thin pencil Of light. He then |
turned his attention to the door, and |
after a little struggle succeeded in |
getting 1t shut, and, what was more, |
securely bolted, by means of a heavy |
wooden bar which dropped into an |
iron crotch. II they were attacked
with the first Of the daylight, this |
place would afford them security until |
the people from the Aurora could |
come TO their rescue. His revolver |
was Colt, 40, and his belt was full Of |
cartridges. With that weapon, he re-
membered that he had once been con-
sidered the best shot in the army.
The girl, when he turned to look at |
her. was seated on the edge of bunk |
at the other side of the hut Her pal |
lor. the traces of tears he could see |
in her eyes, the pathetic droop to her
lips. all emphasized the thing her !
voice had told him already, namely, |
that some emotional crisis, which |
she had been through In those recent |
hours. had left her quite exhausted.
Without word. he turned to his |
bundle which he had deposited In
corner of the room, and fished out |