Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1911-01-05
CHAPTER XVII.
A a%ata o. sleos.

CHAPTER XVII.
A STATE Of Siege.
Cayley's discovery Of the tracks fur.
nished the last element Of tho drama
which was to play itself out that win.
tor upon this stage which had been
80 strangely set for It. IL was Just
three days since. flying slowly nsFth.
ward before Q mild southeriy b. ..
the ice pack below him, he caught his
first glimpse of the unknown land
where Captain Fielding had met his
tragic fate 30 many years before. Three
days since he had witnessed. from
aloft, the murder Of . man he might
have saved. the man to whom, had
he saved him. he might have turned
for exoneration from stain upon his
name which was now inera6icable.
Three days ago he had thought his
world was empty. swept clean Of hu.
man concern and human affection.
Three days ago no had not known that
Jeanne Fielding existed.
As for the identity of the monster
who had left the proof Of his existence
in those tracks which Philip had dis
covered in the snow. they Of course
had no certain knowledge; nevorthe.
less. they entertained but little doubt
that he was Roscoe himself. The foot
prints were immense, Cayley said. and
their distance apart bespoke the stride
Of q giant.
II it were Roscoe who had been
crouching there behind the boulder,
then it seemed to them unlikely that
he was here alone; unlikely that he
had not at least two or three Of his
crew with him.
them. brought little added terror with
it. The person Of the monstrous muir
derous ruffian, who was the chief.
dwarfed his subordinates to pygmies.
Yet when they came to think over the
situation, reasonably, this uncertainty
rs to the number of their enemy
proved a vital element in it. It put
an unequivocal veto upon Cayley's
first plan, which was to start out at
once and take the aggressive against
their enemy, before he should have
time to move against them.
This bit OF beach where the hut
stood was practically fortified. The
Cliff behind it was absolutely sheer,
and was capped with deep. perpetual
snow. Half . milo to the westward
was the promontory, and about half
q mile up the beach from the hut, 70
tho eastward, the glacier projected
its ice masses in q long foe out to
seward. This glacier provided the
only practicable means Of entrance to
the interior valley and the ledge
where the gold was.
By means Of . large scale map. Cay
ley pointed out to Jeanne this advan-
tage Of their position. so long as
we stick to this bit Of beach," he said,
I'VE can't be rushed nor surprised. No
one can attack US without either COM
ing down the glacier at one end. or
around the promontory at the other.
From either direction they've got to
approach without cover. OF course
If there are q lot of them, we saa'n't
have any chance. But it may be
there's only one. and It's likely that
there are not more than three"
But at night" said the girl. at
night there'll be nothing to prevent
their coming as close IS they
please. They may be out there. not
q dozen yards away"
They're not doing much il they are.
We're securely barracaded here, and
they can't attempt to break In with
out giving us fair warning. Unless
there are too many OF them We should
beat them at that game. No: the time
to look out for them IL when we're
outside the hut, out On the beach do
ing the things we'll have to do-bring-
ing in Arewood. looking for moro
game. and 50 on"
"shall We have. to do that? Cant
We Just stay In here. safe?''
1.-THE daylight will answer that ques-
ton for me-" he said. we must mako
the most Of It. A month from now
theren be but little. We mustn't make
prisoners Of ourselves until the wints.