Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1916-09-22
CHAPTER XII


TNHOUGH his eyes. like live Goals, glow
lered with suilen fire at the strip OF sand
and the rocks in front. his troubled brain
paid perfunctory heed to hts task The
stern sense OF duty. the insrained force
Of long years Of military discipline and
soldlerly thought, compelled him 10 keep
watch and ward over his fortress. but he
could not help asking himself what would
happen II Iris were seriously wounded.
There was one enemy more potent than
these sltulling DyalSs. n foe more irresist-
ble In his might, more pitiless In his
strength. whose assaults would tax to the
utmost their powers of resistance. In an
other hour the sun would be high in the
heavens, pouring its ardent rays upon
them and drying the blood In their veins.
Hitherto. the active life OF the island.
the shade OF trees hut or cave. the power
OF unrestricted movement and the pos
! session of water I'm any desired quantity,
robbed the tropical heat OF the day OF It's
chief terrors. Now all was changed. In
stead Of working amid grateful foliage,
| they were bound to the brown rock. which
| soon would glow with radiated energy and
| give on scorching gusts like unto the
| opening OF furnace door.
This he had foreseen all along. The
| tarpaulin would yield them some degree of
| uneasy protection, and they both were in
L
| wounded! II the extra strain brought fever
In It's wake That way he saw nothing
| but blank despair. to be ended. for her, by
delirum and merciful death. for him by q
Berserk rush. among the Dyaks. and one last
mad fight against overwhelming numbers
Then the girls voice reached him, self.
reliant, almost cheerful
"You will be glad TO hear that the cut
has stopped bleeding. It is only .
| scratch"
|
So kindly Providence had spared them
yet a little while. The cloud passed from
his mind. the gathering mist from his
eyes. In that instant he thought he detected
slight rustling among the trees where
the cliff shelved up from the house. Stand
ing as he was on the edge Of the rock.
this was point he could not guard against.
When her welcomed assurance recalled
his scattered senses. be stepped back to
speak to her. and in the same instant a
couple of bullets crashed against the rock
overhead. Iris had unwittingiy saved him
! from a serious, perhaps fatal. wound.
He sprang to the extreme right of the
ledge and boldly looked into the trees
beneath. Two Dyaks were there. belate{
: | wanderers cut of from the main body
! | They dived headlong into the underground
I for safety. but one of them was too late
Y The Lee-Metford reached him. and its re-
? verberating concussion. tossed back aud
forth by the echoing rocks, drowned III,
parting scream.
In the plenitude of restored vigor the
= sailor waited for no counter demonstra.
: tion. He turned and crouchingly ap
preached the southern end of his parapet
J Through his screen Of grass he could dis
I Germ the long black hair and yellow face
of a man who lay on the sand and twisted
8 his head around the base of the further
| cliff. The distance, oft measured. wai
ninety yards the target virtually six-incf
buIseye. jerks too careful aim. fired
S and a whiff OF sand blew up.