Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1916-09-02

the falling body. Roxton came back
TO us with face OF granite.
81 have been n blind simpleton." said
he bitterly. "Its my folly that has
brought you all into this trouble.
| should have remembered that these
people have long memories for blood
feuds and have been more upon my
guard"
| two OF them to lever that tree over the
| edge"
| IT could have shot him. but let him
| so. He may have had no part IN It
| Perhaps it would have been better If
I had killed him. for he must, as you
say. have lent a hand"
| Now that we had the clew TO his
action each of US could cast back and
remember some sinister act upon the
part Of the half breed-his constant
| desire to know our plans, his arrest
| outside our tent when he was over
| hearing them, the furtive looks Of ha-
| tired which from time to time one or
other of us had surprised. We were
still discussing IL, endeavoring TO adj
! just our minds to these new condi-
plain below arrested our attention.
A man In white clothes, who could
only be the surviving half breed, was
running as one does run when death
is the pacemaker. Behind him, only
| a few yards in hts rear, bounded the
huge ebony figure Of Zambo, nur de-
voted negro. Even as we looked he
! sprang upon the back of the fugitive
and flung his arms round his neck.
They rolled on the ground together.
An instant afterward Zambo rose,
looked at the PROSTATE man and then,
waving his hand joyously to us, came
running in our direction. The white
/ figure lay motionless in the middle of
/ the great plain.
Our two traitors had been destroyed,
| but the mischief that they had done
| lived after them. By no possible
| means could we get back to the pin
nacle. We had been natives of the
world; now we were natives of the
! plateau. The two things were sepa-
rate and apart. There was the plain
which led to the canoes. Yonder, be-
| yond the violet, hazy horizon, was the
/ stream which led back TO cfviliza ton.
But the link between was missing.
No human ingenuity could suggest a
means of bridging the chasm which
| yawned between ourselves and our
| past lives. One instant had altered
! all the conditions of our existence.
1t was at such a moment that 1
learned the stuff of which my three
| comrades were composed. They were
grave, it is true, and thoughtful, but
of an invincible serenity. For the mo-
ment we could only sit among the
| bushes in patience and wait the COM
ing Of Zambo. Presently his honest
black face topped the rocks and his
herculean figure emerged upon the
! top of the pinnacle.
What I do now?" he cried. you
| tell me and L do ttr'
1t was a question which it was cas-
Ter to ask than to answer. One thing
| only was clear. He was our one trusty
link with the outside world. On no ac-
count must he leave us.
"No. no. he cried. 81 not leave
you. Whatever come. you always find
me here. But no able to keep Indians.
| Already they say too much Curupuri
live on this place and they go home.
/ No" you ledNe lueH lle HO dDle W
keep them
/ 1t was a fact that our Indians had
shown in many ways of late that they
were weary OF their journey and anx-
| ious to return. We realized that Fam
DO spoke the truth and that it would
be impossible for him to keep them
with us.
Make them wait till tomorrow, Fam
| bo," / shouted; ''then I can send letter
back by them
Very good. sarr! I promise they
wait till tomorrow" said the negro.
But what do for you pOw?'
There was plenty for him to do. and
admirably the faithful fellow did it.
First of all. under our directions he
undid the rope from the tree stump and
threw one end of it across to US. 1t
was not thicker than a clothesline, but
| IL was of great strength, and, though
we could not make a bridge or it, we
might we'll find it invaluable if we had
any climbing to do. He then fastened
his end of the rope to the package OF
supplies which had been carried up.
and we We're able to drag 1t across
This gave US the means Of life for at
least week, even II we round nothing
else.
Finally he descended and carried
up two other packets of mixed goods
| a box OF ammunition and number Of
other things. all of which we got across
by throwing our rope to him and haul
ing it back. 1t was evening when lie
| ar last climbed down, with final as
surance that he would keep the Indians
| till next morning
P. S-The more 1 think the more des-
perate does our position seem. l see
! no possible hope of our return. II
there were q high tree near the edge
Of the plateau we might drop return
/, bridge across, but there is none within
| fifty yards. Our united strength could
not carry a trunk which would serve
our purpose. The rope. Of course. Is