The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1915-01-08
CHAPTER XVII.
This Mortal Tide.

This mortal Itoc.
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 fatigue
anonymous even to her mental an
guish.
For a time after Barcus had left
her she fingered upon the sands, In
the mouth of the shelter he had Sc
lected for her, staring hungrily out on
the shimmering sea that, now wholly
Invested of it's shroud, smiled up to
the heavens, whose sapphire face it
mirrored, as fair and sweet of seem
ing as though it had never yelled
heartless tragedy.
Slowly 1t darkened as the sapphire
above grew darker, blending insen-
sibly into rare ultramarine with the
slow decline of the sun, by whose al
titude above the horizon the day had
not more than ninety minutes to run.
And she thought drowsily that if
that sun sank without her learning
that her lover lived, it would not rise
again upon a world tenanted by Rose
Urine.
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 it's dominion over her faculties
was not of long duration. Slowly,
heavily, mutinously, she was rescued
from it's nirvana-came to her senses
with an effect of one who energies
from some vast place Of blackness and
terror, to find Barcus kneeling over
and gingerly but perssstently shaking
her by the shoulder. sf
And then she sat up with a cry of
mystified 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 long cut over one
eye, but shallow, upon which blood
had dried, together with 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 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
hint" she demanded, rising with a
movement of such grace and vigor
that It seemed hard to believe she had
ever known an instants WEAKNESS.
| That's the rub" Barcus confessed
squatting on the sands and knuckling
his hair. II 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 standard you can't get tc
where Alan Is without mingling con
siderably. Sit down. and I'll tell you
all about it, and we'll try to figure out
what's best to be done. Maybe we
can manage a rescue under cover Of
night"
| ~ 81 hod hnr
self beside him he launched into 6
detailed report.
"It's Katama island, all right" he
announced, "but a change has come
over the place since l visited it some
years ago. Then it was a community
of simple-hearted villagers and fisher
men; now, unless all signs fail, it's {
den of smugglers. l noticed mum
her of Chinese about; an that, takei
!. in connection with the fact that, whel
l ventured to introduce myself to tn,
village ginmill and ask a few limo
cent questions, the entire population
!. to a child, landed on me like thou
!, sand brick-the two circumstance
made me think we'd stumbled on
settlement of earnest workers at tn
gentle art OF helping poor Chinamel
evade the exclusion laws"
: With wry smile, he pursued: "A
| for me, landed out back of the joint
on the nape of my neck, and took tn
count, surrounded by lot of unsym
pathetic boxes and barrels that ha,
, seen better daye- And when ! came t
and started to crawl unostentatiousk
, away, was just in time to witness tn
, landing of your amiable sister, TIA
! gang of cutthroats she keeps on tn
, pay roll, and Alan in company with a
choice a crew Of scoundrels as YOU
care to see. / gathered from a fe,
, words that leaked out of the back doc
of the barroom, that it was as / ha
: thought-Judith had stolen a boa
, from the ship that picked her up, an
, rammed 1t on Norton's reef; and afte
she gathered Alan in the schooner @
: these smugglers happened along, an
she hailed it and struck bargain wit
} ! the captain and signed co-partnershi