The commonwealth. (Scotland Neck, N.C.) 1896-1929, 1914-11-12
THE FIFTH MAN
Continued from Page Three.

some water, l called. But the,
needed me not at all.
Presently Joan regained conscious
ness-and slipped some water-ant
then put her face between the bar
and said:
John, perhaps 1t was cruel to say,
your life. For they will keep you nov
In that cage-as they have kept me
here in my own cage. And to live 81
Is worse than death-far worse"
Dear l replied, remember I have
you to live for
She understood. And-yes, l kissed
her square on the lips.
For two long years we remained
thus, cellmates. all but for those in
tercepting bars. Night and day we
would hold each others hands and
keep each other from going mad. BY
day We would tell each other stories of
our past lives. BY night we would lie
close together by the bars, still hold
ing hands. Strangest wooing, strangest
love under the strangest conditions
ever man experienced
And SO passed the two years-two
long years of torture.
l noticed that frequently now the
old scientist and the black man quar-
relied. Once, near our cages, the two
madmen came to blows. What if they
were to kill each other and leave us in
these cages-to starve? could see
that the same thought was in Joan's
mind. But neither of US spoke The
thought of what would happen to us
If those two madmen should destroy
each other was too horrible.
Came then the great day when. al.
most mad with desire for liberty. I
tore frantically at the bars of nv
cage. And what happened? To my
amazement and JOY l felt one of the
oars yielding to my Juggling grasp
I The bars are worm-eaten," / cried
to Joan. by all the gods, the bars of
THIS cage are worm-eaten"
; Pull! cried Joan. pull hard
There! There! Oh. God-you are
free!"
Yes, I was free. First one bar then
another had broken in the middle.
where worms had so weakened them
that they readily yielded in the hands
or the desperate man whom they had
imprisoned for two years
And now yours" l cried to Joan
running to her cage. Now to free
you,"
You can't she walled They put
new bars to my cage only month ago.
While the bars Of your cage have
never been renewed in my memory"
We'll, then. III free you with club
as lever-same as I did before"
And l went In search of a stout
stick.
Fly. john fly" cried Joan. her
voice ringing with fear Run away
quick! They are coming. Don't stop
for me-"
III return with help, dear" was all
4 had time to say to nv darling
joan-and then l heard the footsteps
VI the two madmen approaching-
and l ran, ran for dear life.
how long / ran nor how far 7 shall |
never know. For when l awoke it was |
~ see the sun rising on new day I |
must have ran till fell exhausted and
unconscious. Fer / remembered MOTH
Ing OF this place in which l now found
myself. 1t was a place amid trees.
yet sandy. Yes, there was white sand
under my feet.
Sand l exclaimed This means
that the sea is near"
onward l fastened toward the
rising sun-for 1 knew that the sea-
coast lay directly east All that day
hastened eastward, stopping only
ong enough at streams to drink and
battle my fevered head.
res, feVered. For now I felt steal
ng over me that terrible, all-gone feel.
ng mat precedes tropical fever. But
still l must reach the coast. and reach
t before the fever made too great r,v.
ages upon my physical strength.
AND SO, fever-stricken and exhaust.
a. at last reached the sea. Fisher
men found me and carried me to their
lone. There they nursed me back to
lealth.
tolo them my story and begged
mem to form little expedition and
ome with me into the forest to save
ny Joan from her Imprisonment at
ne hands of the madmen.
The natives-Spanish-A American fish.
rmen-well. could see that they he.
leved, from my strange and incredible
tory, that 1t was I who was mad
ot the two men Of whom told them
The result was that while thew
tilted what they believed to be NV
rental inf1rmity, they would not raise
hand to help me-
Inen came fishing smack into the
arbor She would proceed thence
nth cargo of fish. 1 learned. to the
earest large port. l determined that
~ best plan to aid Joan would he tn
'ork my way on this vessel to where
clip could be had.
l applied to the captain of the shin
'r berth. He gladly accepted me
member of the crew, being short
anded When the vessel reached tia
honduras port. again told my story
the natives there, and again none
ould believe my tale. Not man
ouid ind to volunteer to 20 into the
.ter1or with me to rescue my darling
irl.
A ship was sailing for New York.
last induced the captain to shin
l0 as one Of tho GROW, A..