Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1916-07-27
THE CHEERFUL CHERVB

A-M-AZSA
stni the daimio shook his head neg
atively.
"A hundred thousand-name your owr
price, II you will only not harm me-"
"Silencer growled the man. What are
even n million koku to me, who only
know the world from the legends of my
ancestors. We have no need for kol{u here
and had we. my hills as full of the yellow
metal which measures It's value, No, you
are my woman. Conner
"But wait! l wish to speak with you
away from all these women" and she
turned her eye toward the door at the op.
posite side of the chamber.
Oda Yorlmoto shrugged his shoulders
That would be easier than fight he
argued and SO he led the girl toward the
doorway that she had indicated.
Within the room all was dark but the
dalmio moved as one accustomed TO the
place, and as he moved through the black
ness the girl at his side felt with stealthy
fingers at the mans belt
At last Oda Yorlmoto reached the far
side of the long chamber.
"well7" he said. and took her by the
shoulders.
"well" answered the girl in low, tense
voice, and at the same instant Oda Yori
moto, Lord of Yoka. felt quick tug at his
belt. Before he guessed what was to hap
pen, his own shortsword had pierced his
throat.
with a gurgle that could not have been
heard outside the room, the daimlo slumped
gently to the floor
Again and again Barbara Harding
plunged the sword of the brown man into
his body, until she was certain that her
enemy was forever powerless TO injure her.
Then she sank. exhausted and trembling,
upon the dirt floor beside the corpse.
For several minutes Barbara Harding lay
where she had collapsed. She was in a half
stupor that took cognizance only of a freez.
ing terror and exhaustion.
Presently, however. she became aware
of her contact with the corpse beside her.
and with stified cry she shrank away
from 1t.
Slowly the girl reEained her self.control,
and with It came the realization of the
extremity OF her danger. She rose to a
sitting posture and turned her wide eyes
toward the doorway to the adjoining room.
The women and children seemed yet
wrapped In slumber 1t was evident that
the mans choking gurgle had not disturbed
them.
Barbara gained her feet and moved softly
to the doorway. She wondered IL she could
cross the intervening space to the outer exit
without detection. Once in the open she
was a chance, at least. that she might find
her way to the coast and Therlere,
She gripped the shortsword which she
still held. and took step into the larger
room. One of the women turned and half
aroused from sleep, The girl shrank back
into the darkness of the chamber she had
just quilted.
The woman sat up and looked are und
Then she rose and threw some sticks upon
the fire that burned at one side of the
dwelling. She crossed to n shelf and took
down n cooking utensil.
Barbara saw that she was about to COM
mence the preparation of breakfast.
All hope OF escape was thus ended, and
the girl cautiously closed the door between
the two rooms. Then she felt about the
smaller apartment for some heavy object
with which to barricade herself; but her
search was fruitless.
Finally she bethought herself of the
corpse. That would hold the door against
the accident of n child or dog pushing 1t
could she bring herself to to-ch the loath-
some thing?
The instinct of self-preservation will
work wonders, even with a frail and deli
cate woman. Barbara Harding steeled
herself to the task. and after several mo-
ments of effort she succeeded in rolling
the dead man against the door. The scrap
into position sent cold shivers up and down
her spine.
She had removed the mains longsword
and armor before attempting to shift him.
and now she crouched beside the corpse
with both the swords beside her. She
would sell her life dearly.
Therieres words came back to her now
as they had when she was struggling In
the water after the wreck OF the Half
moon:
but pardieu. I shall go down fighting!"
Well, she could do no less.
She could hear the movement of several
persons in the next room now. The voices
of women and children came to er dis
tInctly. Many of the words were Japa-
lese, but others were OF tongue with which
she was not familiar.
Presently her own chamber began to
tighten. She looked over her shoulder and
saw the first faint rays OF dawn showing
through small aperture near the roof and
II the opposite end OF the room.
She rose and moved quickly toward 1t.
By standing on tiptoe and pulling her
self up a trihe with her hands upon the
sill she was able 10 raise her eyes above
he bottom Of the window frame,
Beyond she saw the forest, not a hum
ired yards away but when she attempted
% crawl through the opening she discov-
,red, to her chagrin. that It was too small
% permit the passage OF her body.
And then there came a knocking on the
ioor she had Just quilted, and a woman's
'oice calling her lord and master 20 his
morning meal.
Barbara ran quickly across the chamber
o the door, the longsword raised above
Ter head in both hands.
Again the woman knocked. this time
much louder and raised her voice as she
allied again upon oda Yorimoto TO come
nut.
CONTINUED TOMORROW