Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1916-07-28
CHAPTER xIi-toontlnued,.

UIHE girl within was panc-striclSen What
i should she do2 with but a little respite
she might enlarge the window sufficiently
to permit her to escape into the forest, but
the woman at the door evidently would
not be denied.
Suddenly an inspiration came to her. II
4 was forlorn hope, but we'll worth putting
TO the test
Hush" |" she hissed through the closed
door. "oda Yorlmoto sleeps 1t is his
wish that he be not disturbed"
For a moment there was silence beyond
the door Then the woman grunted, and
Barbara heard her turn back, muttering to
herself.
The girl breathed a deep sigh of re-
lief-she had received a brief reprieve
from death
Again she turned to the window, where
with the shortsword she commenced the
labor of enlarglng It to permit the pas
sage of her body. The work was neces-
sarly slow because of the fact that 1t
must proceed noiselessly.
For an hour she worked, and then again
came an Interruption at the door. This
time IL was a man.
"oda Yorimoto still sleeps" whispered
the girl. go away and do not disturb
him. He will be very angry II you awaken
him"
But the man would not be put of SO
easily as had the woman. He still In
sisted.
''rhe dalmio has ordered that there shall
be great hunt today for the heads Of
tho sei-yo-tIn who have landed upon Yoke" :"
indeed IL we do not call him In time to
accomplish the task today. Let me speak
with him, woman. / do not believe that
Oda Yorimoto still sleeps. Why should 1
believe one of the sel-yo-jn2 1t may
be that you have bewtched the daimio."
and with that he pushed against the door.
The corpse gave a little, and the man
glued his eyes to the aperture. Barbara
held the sword behind her, and with her
shoulder against the door attempted to
reclose 1t.
go away" she cried 'I shall be
killed IL you awaken Oda Yorimoto and II
you enter you, too, shall be killed !"
The man stepped back from the door,
and Barbara could hear him in low con-
verse with some of the women of the
household. A moment later he returned,
and without a word of warning threw his
whole weight against the portal.
The corpse slipped back enough to per-
init the entrance Of the mans body, and
as he stumbled into the room the long
sword of the Lord of Yoka fell full and
keen across the back of his brown neck
without a sound he lunged to the floor,
dead.
The women without had caught a feet
ing glimpse of what had taken place within
the little chamber, even before Barbara
Harding could slam to the door again. With
shrieks of rage and fright they rushed into
the main street OF the village, shouting
at the tops OF their voices that Oda Yori-
moto and Hawa Nisho had been slain by
the woman OF the sei-yo-jn.
Instantly the village swarmed with
Samurai. women, children and dogs. They
rushed toward the hut OF Oda Yorimoto,
illing the outer chamber, where they
jabbered excitedly for several minutes, the
warriors attempting to obtain a coherent
story from the moaning women Of the
daimio's household.
Barbara Harding crouched close to
tho door, listening. She knew that the
crucial moment was at hand: that there
were at best but few moments for her
90 live.
A silent prayer rose from her parted
lips. She placed the sharp Point of Oda
Yorimotos shortsword against her breast
and waited--waited for the coming OF the
men from the room beyond, snatching
few brief seconds from eternity ere she
drove the weapon into her heart.
Therere plunged through the jungle
at q run for several minutes before he
caught sight of the mucker.