The Oakley herald. [volume] (Oakley, Idaho) 1908-1961, 1914-12-04
CHAPTER XVII.
This Mortal TldA

She was very certain she would
never sleep before her anxiety was
assuaged by word of Alan's fate; but
she reckoned without her host Of
trials that had bred in her a fatigue
anonymous even to her mental an
guish.
1t was not true, she told herself, that
people never die of broken hearts.
She knew that, were he taken from
her, she could no longer live.
And sleep overwhelmed her sud
denly, like a great, dark cloud
But its dominion over her faculties
was not of long duration. Slowly,
heavily, mutinously, she was rescued
from its nirvana-came to her senses
from some vast place of blacknees and
terror, to find Barcus kneeling over
and gingerly but persistentiy shaking
her by the shoulder.
And then she sat up with a cry Of
mystifed compassion; for In the brief
time that he had been absent-it had
not been more than an hour-Mr. Bar
Gus had most unquestionably been Sc
verely used.
He had acquired a long cut over one
eye, but shallow, upon which blood
had dried, together with a bruised and
swollen cheek that was badly
scratched to boot. And what simple
articles Of clothing remained to him,
after his strenuous experiences OF the
last forty-eight hours, had been re-
duced to even greater simplicity; his
shirt. for example, now lacked a sleeve
that had been altogether torn away
at the shoulder
mol" he told her, as soon as he saw
her wits were awake once more
don't waste time plying me. I'm all
right-and so is Alan! That's the
main thing for you to understand; he's
still alive and sound"
But where is he? Take me to
him!" she demanded rising with
movement of such grace and vigor
that 1t seemed hard to believe she had
ever known an instant's WEAKNESS.
That's the rub" Barcus confessed,
sQuatting on the sands and knuckling
his hair. Il dassent take you to him
Judith might object. Besides, you can
see for yourself it isn't safe to mingle
with the inhabitants of this tight
little island-and you can't get to
where Alan is without mingling con-
siderably. Sit down, and III tell you
all about 1t, and Wen try to figure out
what's best to be done. Maybe we
can manage a rescue under cover of
night"
And when the girl had settled her
self beside him he launched into a
detailed report.
Its Katama island all right" he
announced, but change has come
over the place since | visited it some
years ago. Then 1t was community
of simple-hearted villagers and fisher
men; now, unless all signs fail, it's
den Of smugglers- l noticed a num-
Der of Chinese about; and that, taken
In connection with the fact that, when
l ventured to introduce myself to the
village ginmill and ask few inno-
cent questions. the entire population,
to a child. landed on me like thou
sand brick-the two circumstances
made me think we'd stumbled on a
settlement of earnest workers at the
gentle art of helping poor Cinnamon
evade the exclusion laws"
With q wry smile. he pursued: AS
for me. landed out back of the joint,
on the nape of my neck. and took the
count surrounded by lot of unsym-
pathetic boxes and barrels that had
seen better days. And when | came to
and started to crawl unostentatiously
away, was Just In time to witness the
landing OF your amiable sister, that
gang OF cutthroats she keeps on the
pay roll. and Alan In company with as
choice a crew OF scoundrels as you'd
care to see. / gathered from few
words that leaked out of the back door
| of the barroom, that ii was as | had
thought-Judith had stolen a boat
from the ship that picked her up. and
rammed 1t on Norton's reef; and after
she gathered Alan in the schooner of
| these smugglers happened along, and
she hailed 1t and struck bargain with
the captain and signed partnership
way, her lot and the islanders were
soon as thick as thieves, and tankinf
up so socially that | actually got 6
chance to whisper a word to Alan ane