The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1913-10-23
Bv CYRUS TOWNSEND BRADY
Copyright. 1912. BY Cyrus Townsead Brady


, and left. Still 1t was we'll in the en-
| trance. We had not yet clear pas
sage.
I was mad now, as mad as I had
been in the inner cave fighting for her.
The blood rushed to my face. mist to
! my eyes. l stopped down and with
my hands l seized one piece of that
rock and. with such strength as Her
cules might have used, thrust it aside
My mistress stood staring at me in
awe, also in terror. The way was
opened.
We stepped out upon the sand. My
clothes We're torn to rags; blood was
clotted in my hair and on my fore
; head; my face was black with sweat
and dust. There were wounds on my
arms and legs. was CORY and hor-
rible spectacle. Mistress Lucy had
suffered no wounds, but her clothes
were rent and torn. Her face was
; grimy and beneath the dust and earth
stain it was as white as the cap of
wave.
"Thanks to Cod" she said at last.
land you, we have Wont!
I thought she would have tainted.
caught her by the arm, sat her down
upon the island and sprinkled the wa
ter from the brook in her face until
presently she revived.
1--WE are not safe yet" l urged.
''There were hundreds Of savages upon
the island. They could not all have
been in the cave. We must go warlly.
We cannot rest now"
81 am ready" she said with great
spirit. getting to her feet and stretch
ing out her hand: IF you will help me
/ can go anywhere
still had my sword. l drew it and
led on, keeping we'll under the shelter
of the cliffs. We walked up the end
toward the giant stairs. There were
men. islanders. at the top Of the wall.
but my first glance told me that we
had nothing to fear from them, for the
stairs were gone They were but
scattered heap Of stones. The earth
quake had crumbled the work of the
builders Of bygone years, and as the
stairs had fallen away they had left
the cliff sheer and bare for hundred
feet. They couldn't come at us.
at is an act of Cod" said l. that
has broken down the stairs"
"But there may be another way of
descent" she said after a moment.
"Oh, let us leave this dreadful island"'
I had no hope that the dinghy had
been spared. but its place was not far
away, and we walked to it in silence.
It was gone. A tidal wave had follow
ed the earthquake. The canoes IN
which the islanders had come had been
dashed to pieces and their keepers kill
ed. The survivors were prisoners on
the island unless their friends came to
their help and even then until they
could devise some way Of getting down
the cliff. And we. 80. were prisoners.
Some of our gear The compass. some
provisions which J had stored in tho
erannies of the rock were still there.
but they were useless to us. Some
Thing else had happened. The earth
quake had broken the vast barrier
teef. Before us was practicable pas
sage to the sea!
If we only had boat! turned to
the canoes hopeful of finding one sea-
worthy, and as did so my little mis-
tress caught me by the arm.
"Lookv' she cried, pointing far up
tie horizon. a-r
1 turned, and there, bottom upward,
Heated the dinghy. The sight Of her
was like draft Of wine. turned and
ran up the sand, followed by my lady.
When opposite the boat kicked of
my shoes-I had on little else but shirt
Ind trousers-jumped into the lagoon,
swan to the dinghy and towed her
ashore Assisted by Mistress Lucy,
turned her over. then hunted up the
few things we had saved, with little
store Of cocoanuts which we had ac-
rumulated in one of the caves, shipped
Tue oars. which, being tied to the row.
locks. had not been washed away, and
showed off.
The mast was still dashed to the
thwarts, and boat cloak had been
raught under the forward thwart. The
painter was still fastened to q ring
bolt III the bow. and 40 soon as ] had
rowed through the narrow entrance 4
ltepped the mast and irnpr ov1Dsd : sall a
With the boat cloak md the paintee.
ne - blew 0o3tlY. We paDUe