Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1916-09-16

sail until dusk. and their feet sampans
would easily cover the intervening forty
miles in hvo hours
He could not be positive that they were
actual inhabitants OF the islands TO the
south. The China Sea swarms with wan
dertng pirates, and the tribe whose animos-
ity he had earned might be equally noxious
TO some peaceabie fishing community on the
coast. Again and again he debated the ad-
visibility OF constructing n seaworthy raft
and endeavorinE 20 make the passage. But
this would be riskinG all on n frightful
uncertainty. and the accidental discovery
OF the Eagles Nest had given him new
hope. Here he could make a determined
and prolonged stand. and in the end help
must come. So he dismissed the navigation
project and devoted himself wholly TO tho
perfecting OF the natural fortress In the
rock.
That night they finished the rope ladder
Indeed Jenks was determined not 20 retire
10 rest until II was placed In stu he did not
care 20 try n second time 20 carry Iris 20
that elevated perch, and II may be re-
marked that henceforth the girl, before go
ing TO sleep. simply changed one ragged
dress for another
One OF the first things he contemplated
was the destruction. IL possible, OF the point
on the opposite cliff which commanded the
ledge. This, however was utterly imprao-
ticable with the appliances at his comma nd
The top OF the rock sloped slightly toward
the west, and nothing short OF dynamite
or regular quarrying operations would REM
der II untenable by hostile marksmen.
During the day his Lee-Metfords, at
ninety yards range, might be trusted to
Keep the place clear OF intruders But at
night-that was the difficulty. He partially
solved II by fixing two rests on the ledge TO
support a rife in exact line with the center
| OF the enemy's supposed position, and an n
variant, on the outer rest he marked line.
which corresponded with other sections of
the entire front available to the foe.
Even then he was not satisfied. When
| time permitted he made many experiments
with ropes reeved through tho pulley and
attached to q rife action, He might ba va
succeeded In his main object had not his
thoughts taken a new line. His aim was 10
achieve some method of opening and clos.
| ing the breech-block by means OF two ropes
Inc diniculty was TO secure the preliminary
ana mai lateral movement Of the lever bolt
out II suddenly occurred to him that II he
| could manage to convey the Impression
That Iris and he had left the island ths
| Dyaks would go away after a fruitlesf
search. The existence of ropes along the
race OF the rock-an essential TO his me-
chanical scheme - would betray thei,
| whereabouts. or ut any rate exclte dan,
| gerous curiosity. So he reluctantly aban.
doned his original design, though moi
wholly, as will be seen in due course.
In pursuance Of his latest idea he sed
ulously removed from the foot otrthe cliff
all traces of the clearance effected on IN,
ledge, and although he provided support,
for the tarpaulin covering he DId mo-
adjust IL. Iris and he might lie perdu ther,
for days without their retreat being found
out This development suggested the ne
cessity OF hiding their surplus stores ant
ammunition. and what spot could be NOR,
suitable than the cave7
So Jenlxs began to dig once mora I'm th,
interior, laboring manfully with pick an,
shovel In the locality of the fault with IL
vein Of antimony. II was thus that h
blundered upon the second great event o
| his life.
Rainbow Island had given him the on
thing man prizes above all else-a pur
| yet passionate love for n woman beautifu
| alike in body and mind And now IL wa
to endow him with riches that might sti