Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1913-10-11
CHAPTER XVI.
In Which We Fight For Life In the
Gave of the Treasure,

| NA TO the back of the outer
VE cave. Indeed, that was the
only safe place for US; for
constant succession Of weapons was
thrown through the opening. We need
ed no further warning to keep out Of
reach. Master Pimball was showing
himself something of a general He
was keeping US away from the en-
! trance. and with the great host of men
| at his command he was building up
the broken down heap of stones which
would presently enable them TO come
/ to US. >
1 considered what was to be done.
had four loaded pistols and, therefore,
four lives IN my hand No man could
show his head in that entrance with
out receiving shot. After that /
could account for few more. perhaps.
with sword. ak or naked fist. but in
the end they would inevitably master
me. Unfortunately, the entrance was
broad enough for three or four, or even
more. to enter abreast.
Should 1 open the battle there OF re-
| treat into the inner cave and wait?
was the question that had to be de
cided.
! Perhaps the latter would be the
| safer plan. but / had a strange unwill-
ingness to adopt it. 1t would be like
| burying ourselves, for once within we
should never get out alive, except as
| prisoners, so long as they had the out
/ er cave. And / could never dislodge
them from it. There was not much
more chance of getting out alive from
| the outer cave, for that matter, but
! still it seemed so. We could at least
see the sky and the sunlight. Should
We stay there or go further into the
/ Ill?
/ l decided upon the former course.
| 1 explained to my mistress that l
would keep the outer cave as long
as 1 could, begging her to retreat
TO the inner chamber. She demurred
at first, but when spoke to her per-
emptorily at last-God forgive me-she
! 1cceded to my request humbly enough.
l thrust the best pistol into her hand
and told her to reserve it for herself
| in case her capture was inevitable, but
| not to pull the trigger until the last
moment; and promised her faithfully
that would not foolishly or uselessly
/ jeopardlze myself, but that after / had
made what fight I could 1 would Join
her, if it were in any way possible.
She hung in the wind awhile, seem
ing loath TO go when all had been said
/ between US. Finally she approached
me. laid her hand on my arm, and
/ looked up at me.
Master Hampton" she said softly,
/ here we be, lone man and woman
among these savages and murderers
with but little chance for our lives, /
take it. / am sorry that 1 struck you
on the ship, and-you may-kiss me
| goodby.'
With that she proffered me her lips.
could face a thousand savages, a
hundred Pimbslls. without a culver of
the nerves, but at these words and
! that proffer my knees fairly smote to-
gether before this small woman.
stood staring down at her
You were oyereager once to take
/ from me what l now offer you will
| ingly," she said, half turning away.
With that I caught her to me and
once again I drank the sweetness of
her lips. forgot the sayages outside,
| the spears, the arrows streaming
| through the entrance. / held her in
| my arms and without resistance.
! could have held her there forever, quite
willing to die in such sweet embrace.
| She pushed me from her at last and ]
could swear that my kisses had been
returned, and then with a whispered
| blessing she dropped TO her knees and
crawled within the cave.
1 could have fought the world there
! after, for her kisses intoxicated me
like wine. Yet even then did not de-
lude myself. l knew that, on her part
at least, it was farewell kiss, such
as two friends might give each other
| in the face of death. To her the pres
sure of my lips had only been as the
salute of an ancient gladiator about
to die was TO the Caesar who watched
the struggle. Well, l blessed her even
| for that conde scension-
With a pistLi in each hand and the
third upon a rock close at hand wait
/ ed. had not long TO wait. There was
I Eulueu ueICtT ram VI dETOWS anu
spears, some of which struck at my
feet or by my side. ! gathered up
sheaf Of them and laid them with the
pistol on the rock.
The next instant two tremendous
savages and a white man appeared in
the opening. The shot was easy, the
target fine. couldn't miss. The first
bullet went into the brain of Master
Glibby. the next tore of the head of
the leading chief. Reserving the third
pistol. seized a spear and drove 1t
through the throat OF the other savage
/ shouted with triumph. and Mistress
Lucy has since confessed TO me that.
kneeling down and peerihg through the
opening. contrary to my explicit order.
which was for her TO seek safe cover.
she saw all. and that my call OF vic
tory was the sweetest sound she had
ever heard in her life.
/ thought we had done, hut they
were an indomitable lot those south
sea islanders. and they were well urg-
ed. -Four others took their places at
! once, spears In hand. which they
threw ar me. / jumped aside with DIFF