Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1916-09-26

come again within range OF the Lee-Met.
| fords.
They waited and listened silently An
other tap sounded on the tarpaulin in a
different place. and they both concurred In
the belief that something had darted in
curved Night over the ledge on top of their
protecting shield.
let us see what the game is," exclaimed
the sailor. He crept 20 the back OF the
ledge and drew himself up until he could
reach over tho sheet He returned. carry
ing In his hand couple OF tiny arrows.
There are no less than seven Of these
things sticking in the canvas" he said
They don't look very terrible I suppose
that Is what my Indian friend meant by
warning me against the trees on the right"
He did not tell Iris all the Mahommedan
said. There was no need to alarm her
causelessly Even while they examined
the curious little missives another few up
from the valley and lodged on the roof of
their shelter
The shaft OF the arrow, made OF some ex-
tremely hard wood, was about ten inches
In length Affixed to II was a pointed fish,
bone, sharp. but not barbed, and not
fastened In a manner suggestive OF much
strength. The arrow was neither feathered
nor grooved for a bowstring. Altogether
IL seemed to be a childish weapon TO be used
by men equipped with lead and steel.
ADDeAT-
ance of this toy Evidently the Dyaks be-
lieved In its efficacy. or thex would not keen
on pertinaciously dropping In arrow on the
ledge.
How do they Ers rH- asked Iris. do
they throw it7'
II will soon tell yOu." he replied. reach
do not go out yet," she entreated him.
They cannot harm us. Perhaps we may
learn more by keeping quiet. They will
not continue shooting these things all day"
Again tiny arrow Travelled toward them
IN graceful parabola- This one fell short
Missing the tarpaulin. Il almost dropped on
the girls outstretched hand. She picked 1t
up. The fish-bone point had snapped by
contact with the floor Of the ledge.
She sought for and found the small tip.
"See," she said 1T seems TO have been
dipped In something. N is discolored."
jerks frowned peculiarly. A startling
explanation had suggested itself to him.
Fragments of forgotten lore were taking
cohesion In his mind
Put II down. Quicki he cried.
Iris obeyed him. with wonder in her eyes
He spilled teaspoonful Of champagne in
small hollow of the rock and stepped one
OF the fish bones in the liquid. Within a
few seconds the champagne assumed
greenish tinge and the bone became white.
Then he knew.
Good heavens I" he exclaimed, "these are
poisoned arrows shot through a blowpipe.
nave never before seen one, but l have
OFTEN read about them. The bamboos the
Dykas carried were sumpitans. These fish
bones have been STEPPED in the Juice of the
upas tree. Iris, my dear girl, II one of
them had so much as scratched your finger
nothing on earth could save you"
She paled and drew back In sudden hor-
ror. This tiny thing had taken the SEM
blance OF snake. A vicious cobra cast at
her feet would be less alarming, for the
reptile could be killed. while his venomous
fangs would only be used in self-defense.
Another tap sounded on their thrice-wel-
come covering. Evidently the DylSas would
persist in their effort to get one of those
poisoned darts home
jerks debated silently whether Il would
be better to create commotion. thus in
duoing the savages to believe they had sue
ceeded In infiicting a mortal wound, or TO
wait until the next arrow fell. rush out and
try conclusions with dum-dum bullets
against the sumpitan blowers.
He decided In favor OF the latter course
He wished to dishearten his assailants to
cram down their throats the belief that he
was invulnerable and could visit their every
effort with a deadly reprlsal.
Iris of course, protested when he ex-
planned his project But the fighting spirIt
prevailed. Their love idyll must Yield 70
the needs OF the hour
He had not long TO wait The last arrow
fell and he sprang to the extreme right of
the ledge. First he looked through that
invaluable screen of grass. Three Dyaks
were on the ground and fourth in the
FORK OF tree. They were each armed with
a blowpipe. He In the tree was just At
ting an arrow into the bamboo tube. The
others were watching him.
jerks raised his rifle, and the warrior |
In tho tree pitched headlong to the ground, |
second shot stretched a companion on |
top OF him. One man jumped into the |
bushes and got away, but the fourth tripped |