Okolona messenger. (Okolona, Miss.) 1900-current, 1911-05-18
He felt her trembling.


~ F40
Come back to the hut" he said
The situation isn't as bad as you
.hink. I'll tell you when we get to
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 1t put
end to my activities. The Walrus
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 l know, the
Walrus people aren't armed at all
They knew-your people l mean
that the yacht was likely to be attack
ed. l told them so myself, and then
their pretended guide confessed
How did you know about the Wal
rus?" she asked c%uriously.
1.-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 1t. 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 1t was
to be expected they could never get
out, was conclusive as to his inten-
tons at least"
He had spoken rather disconnected
", his sentences punctured by the
sounds of firing from the yacht. by
the time he finished they were almost
continuous.
"Why does it sound 80 much fainter
than 1t did?" she asked. Its not
nearly SO loud as that first volley we
heard"
TITS a trick Of the fog, very likely
he said. Fog is a frightfully treacn
erous thing. 1t deceives mems ears al
we'll as their eyes. There's no 1udg
ing distance through 1t. When you
cried out just now, l couldn't tel
whether you were 80 feet below me o.
500 feet. l was up above it, you see
and l hadn't any way Of telling hoV
deep it was.-There! Do you hear!
he went on. "The firing has stopped
altogether. Your people are almos
certainly safe"
"Will you let me go inside this hut,
he asked, "and see If it is habitable
If it Is, you'd better go in and let m
make you as comfortable as can.
don't think you need have any fear
about the Walrus people. And worry
ing wouldn't do any good any wa
There's nothing we can do but wa
for daylight. Nothing can happen an!
where until then"
He had, very distinctly, in min
! what might happen then If the Wairu
people were ~repulsed from the zach
: Unless they were all destroyed in tn
!, attack, they would undoubtedly mai
trouble as soon as morning reveale
the fact that they had two hostage
!, in their hands. But he could hgl
them off better from the doorway
. the hut than from anywhere else. All
there was no need of troubling II
r girl with that consideration, not #
the present, at least,
Y Its all right in there" she sal
II spent I don't know how mai
J. hours there reading before you cam
e But the candle has burned out"
g The open door behind them gave q
cess into a tiny shed, protruding fro
the corner of the hut and serving, e.
!. IDENTIFY, as a vestibule for 1t. The
ner door, a heavier and stronger
fair, opening at right angles to
y gave access to the interior Of the h,
Cayely switched on his bulls-e
and cast a brief glance about t
room. There were two Of three rue
flm~sy-looking doors which undoubtt
. ~ opened into small, cabin-like BIZ
a rooms; but the principal part of t
a hut was taken up by the room
. which they found themselves.
Cayley set his little bull-eye on
. shelf where they could make the mt
a of it's thin pencil Of light. He tn
4 turned his attention to the door, a
after a little struggle succeeded
i getting 1t shut, and, what was mo
securely bolted, by means of a hea
wooden bar which dropped into
iron crotch. If they were attack
4 with the first Of the daylight, t
. place would afford them security III
4 the people from the Aurora col
4 come to their rescue. His revol'
. was a Colt, As, and his belt was full
4 cartridges. With that weapon, he
. membered that he had once been C
. sidered the best shot in the army.
The girl, when he turned to look
. her, was seated on the edge Of a bu
4 at the other side Of the hut. Her !
. lor, the traces Of tears he could
4 in her eyes, the pathetic droop to
. lips, all emphasized the thing
voice had told him already, name
n that some emotional crisis, VIII
she had been through IN those rec