Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1916-07-25

into an unbraided queue, tied tightly at tht
back and the queue then brought forward
to the top Of the forehead. His helmet lay
in the grass at his feet.
AT the nearer approach Of the party e
the cliff-top the watcher turned and melted
into the forest at his back
He was Oda Yorimoto, descendant OF
powerful Daimio OF the Ashilaga dynasty
Of shoguns, who had fed japan with hi'
faithful Samurai nearly three hundred ant
fifty years before upon the overthrow oi
the AshikRga dynasty.
JJpon this unfreauented and distant Japa.
nese isle the exiles had retained all OF theil
medieval military savagery to which hed
been added the aboriginal ferocity Of the
head-hunting natives they had found there
and with whom they had intermarried The
little colony. far from making any ad'
vances In arts or letters, had on the con.
trary, relapsed into prlmeval Ignorance as
deep as that Of the natives with whom they
had cast their lot only in their arms and
armor their military training and discipline
did they show any of the influence OF thelr
civilized progenitors.
They were cruel, crafty, resourceful wild
men, tricked out in the hablllments of o
dead past and armed with the keen weapons
OF their forebears. They had not even the
crude religion of the Mnlaysians they had
absorbed, unless highly exaggerated pro-
penslty for head-hunting might be dignifed
by the name of religion.
To the tender mercies of such as these
were the castaways of the Halfmoon likely
to be consigned for what might sixteen men
with but four revolvers among them accom-
push against near n thousand savage Sa-
murai7
Theriere, Ward, Simms and the remain
ing sailors at the beach busled themselves
with the task of retrieving such of the
wreckage and salvage OF the Halfmoon as
the waves had deposited in the shadows of
the beach. There were casks of fresh water,
Kegs of biscuit, clothing, timed meats and
similar heterogeneous mass Of 1otsam.
This Rrduous labor consumed the best
part OF the afternoon, and IL was not until
1t had been completed that Divine and his
party returned to the beach.
They reported that they had discovered
spring Of fresh water some three miles
east Of the cove and about half mile In
land, but 1t was decided that no attempt
be made to transport the salvage or the
party to the new camp site until the follow
ing morning.
Therlere and Divine erected a rude shelter
for Barbara Harding close under the foot
of the cliff and as far from the water as
possible, while above them oda Yorimoto
watched their proceedings with beady, gilt
tering eyes. This time a half dozen of his
fierce Samural crouched at his side.
Besides their two swords. these latter
bore primitive spears OF their mothers
savage tribe.
Oda Yorimoto watched the white men
upon the beach. Also he watched the white
girl-more closely possibly than he watched
the men. He saw the shelter that was
being built, and when 1t was complete he
saw the girl enter 1t. and he knew that It
was for her alone.
Oda Yorimoto sucked in his lips and his
eyes narrowed even more than nature had
intended that they should
A fire burned before the rIIde dnp,tcIIa
that Barbara Harding was to occupy. and
another larger fire roared a hundred Yards
to the west. where the men were congre-
gated about Blanco. He was attempting to
evolve meal from the miscellany of his
larder that had been cast up by the sea.
There seemed now but little to Indicate
that the party was divided into two bitter
factions, but when the meal was over
Therere called his men to a point midway
between Barbara's shelter and the main
campfire. Here he directed them to dis
pose of themselves for the night ns best
they could. building a fire of their own if
they chose. for with the coming of dark
ness the chill OF the tropical night would
render a. fire moro than acceptable.
All were thoroughly exhausted SO that