The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1913-09-08

she had stepped out by my side. The two of us presented a fair mark for any weapon. One might have escaped but hardly two.
 "Get back,'' cried harshly.
 ''I stay where you are,'' she answered firmly. See, I too am armed" Her little hand lifted heavy pistol
 'I can talk with the two of you just as well as with one,'' said PimbaI.
 ''Talk on and be brief" I returned, seeing that there was no use arguing with my little mistress.
 You have found the treasure'' he began; there is no use denying 1t. We have it from our savage friends that the things are there. In years gone by they sacrificed here and on the cone yonder; but for generations the island has been taboo. The white man has broken the ban and we are here to take the treasure"
 '1ndeedI' said sarcast1ca11y, where at he turned pale with anger but still mastered himself.
 'fWe offer you,'' he continued, "safe- ty. We cannot take you with us, but we will leave you here on the island after we have taken the treasure, and," his eyes turned from me to my com panion, 'if you are willing to give up the woman I will enroll, you with our following and we will all get away together on the Rose of Devon.''
 What of the ship?' asked.
 It was a hard thing to control my temper, but wanted the information.
 "She was badly stove up but not en- t1rely wrecked We fought the saw ages, conquered them, made them our fTiondG "a fT1 nd you can navigate her or we can do without you for that matter and make shift to get back to the South Amer ican coast at 1east.'
 "So you offer me free passage and my share of the treasure if I will give up Mistress Wi1berfore, do you?'
 '@That is it.' answered Pimball, t.Eh, mates ?" whereat a deep chorus of ap- proval came from G1fbby and the men.
 And this is my answer I said furfousIy, 1eveling my pistol at him. "Get back, you villain, or you will have looked your last on life"
 ''But the flag of truce?" he cried, dropping his weapon.
 ''It is not meant to cover such propo- sttions as yours. As for the treasure you shall have it when you can get ft.'
 As spoke he sprang behind the tree
  1 was too quick for him, and we were safely within the cave when the sound of the reports came to us.
 Now what is to be done?'' said my little mistress
 ''The next move,'' I answered, ''is with them.''
 Shall we go further back into the caveT"
 eNo,' I replied. eve will stay here for the present"
 We were not long left in suspense, | for could hear them breaking through | the woods and rushing toward the opening. Missiles in the way of weap- l ons there were none in the cave, but | picked up a skull that lay on the floor | and hurled it out of the opening into | the unseen crowd below. A shriek told | me that had hit some one, but saw at once that the game was one I | could not play. The white men had | some skill at warfare. They had post ed covering parties to protect the workmen. I crept cautiously toward | the entrance, where could see them working hard, piling up the stones to enable them to get at us, while back of them stood others with drawn bows and presented weapons.
 I didn't come off unscathed, for as I sprang back after having thrown an other skull and taken my look an ar row hit me in the heshy part of the arm. My mistress noticed it instantly. The stone head had broken off, and it was the work of an instant to draw out the slender wood shaft. It was not a bad wound, but it was painful. The next thing she did amazed me beyond measure, for before I could prevent it she had put her lips to the wound.
 What mean youF' 1 cried, when I could recover myself k @'It might have been poisoned,' she said, quietly looking at me with lumi- nous eyes, land I cannot have you die!''
 I was amazed, astounded even, at her hardihood in sucking any possible poison out of that wound in my arm at SO great a risk to her own life, if the weapon had been envenomed. And was most profoundly touched too. But had had my lesson. I viewed it as done out of common humanity and to preserve a life useful to her-nothing more. Meanwhile, in my turn, took such nasty precautions for her safety as could. I bade her rinse out her mouth thoroughly with cold water and then with the strong spirit of which I still had in my flask.
 CHAPTER XVI. In Which We Efoht For ife Tn the |