The Odanah star. [volume] (Odanah, Ashland Co., Wis.) 1912-1916, 1916-05-26

even as he pushed her back Of him
and faced the strange being from
| whom she mad escaped.
Once more Kitty felt surge across
her the feeling that after all, she was
weak, and always must be weak;
whereas, he, her late enemy, was
strong and always would be strong.
She was content to cover down behind
him and leave the event to him.
The noise of the oncoming melee be-
hind them grew in volume now as
Count Frederick turned to face the
| shaggy figure of the man who but now
had been the captor of Kitty Gray.
The muzzle Of the pistol pressing to
his face spoke louder than any words
seemed, indeed, to restore to him a
part of the reason he had lost through
| dwelling here among the savages, on
| a shore upon which he had been cast
unknown years earlier. He threw up
his hands now. "Avast, there, cap.
tain!" he cried. 81 surrender"
WHO are your" demanded Count
Frederick. Cor what are you?"
| The half-demented creature passed
a hand across his face. BLESSED if l
could tell you the truth about that,
SIR he said, 'and that's the truth. But
| seems to me I remember I was once
Old Jimmy Wainwright of the ship Ad-
venture, out of Clyde. It's maybe we
were cast away somewhere, years
since, and I'm thinking Adam was
then boy. Delay all! Friend, cap
tain. your honor, don't shoot old Jim
my Wainwright. If so be am him."
| "But what are you doing down here,
under the earth, man."
| Captain, your honor, sir, I came
here to live safe. kill some of them
black folks once in while. They
think I'm crazy, and maybe they're
right. How can l tell, captain, your
honor. sir?"
"You know this placer" exclaimed
Frederick. Thus far we are safe, but
listen to them coming"
"Ay. ay. sir: fighting like cats and
dogs. They always do. We must cut
and run, or they'll kill us all, and put
us in the big fire yonder. Don't
know? I've seed sights plenty, up
| there. I couldn't a-beared to seen the
| white lady burned"
LEAD on!" said Frederick, quickly.
1--WE must hide, or it will be too late"
This way, captain, your honor, sir!
| And bear hand lively!"
Count Frederick and Kitty Gray fol-
| lowed him as he fed deeper into the
| cayernous interior of the lava hill.
Theysturned corner after corner, until
| at length the sounds of the pursuit be-
came fainter and died away far at the
| rear.
"'Ere's my 'ome, SIR began the old
sailor at last, as they paused before a
| rude cabin, which showed some ami
We'll be safe ERE, I'm thinking"
But they were not safe for long. The
| keen instinct of the savage trailers,
| hot in the blood lust which now, pos
sessed them, brought them on fulti-
mately along the trail, and to it's end.
They heard the savage shouts Of their
| pursuers gaining in volume, heard the
| thud of their bare feet on the rocky
| floors. A moment, and the yelling band
stood before the entrance to their
cavern.
The natives were spearmen, and
their shafts were cast with strength
and accuracy. Those beleaguered ones
| had no shields with which to parry
such weapons, and yet for one instant
a barrier was offered to the assault.
With a savage, half-animal roar,
| the old sailor-whose full history
| never was to be knOWn-caSt himself
in front Of his new friend, opposing
| his shaggy breast to the leveled
| spears. He fell pierced by a dozen
shafts, still roaring his defiance. Above
his body now spoke again and again
| the weapon Of Count Frederick. A
| half dozen dusky forms fell and filled
| up the opening. The savages behind
| gave back and sought to flee.
This instant of their hesitation gave
| Frederick one more opportunity.
Catching Kitty by the arm he passed
back to the rear of the little cavern
in the hope there might be egress
that way-for surely the wall of steel
in front could not be passed. He
| found ia narrow passageway. Pant
ing and breathless, stumbling, falling
and rising, the two hurried on until
at length they heard no more in their
| ears the din of fighting.
The passage way now seemed grad.
ually to rise, its walls closing in. At
length, far ahead, they saw a FAINT
tinge Of light. 1t deepened as they
! advanced until at length it became
visible through a broken aperture be-
yond which shone the full light of
| day. Gasping their joy at this, they
| hurried up and on until at length their
| feet stood upon the surface Of that
| earth to which they had been accus-
| toned.
It was strange and new scene
which lay before them now. There
was no path that they could see-the