Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1916-08-02

of sight before he showed himself" And
the man shuddered visibly at the thought.
Days ran into weeks and still the two
remained upon their little island refuge,
Byrne found first one excuse and then an
other to delay the march to the sea, He
knew that It must be made sooner or later,
and he knew too, that its commencement
would mark the beginning of the end OF
his association with Miss Harding, and that
after that was ended life would be dreary
waste
Either they would be picked up by a
passing vessel or murdered by the natives,
hut in the latter event his separation from
the woman he loved would be no more
certain or absolute than in her return to her
own people
For Billy Byrne knew that he didn't
belong" in any society that knew Miss
Barbara Harding and he feared that once
they had regained civilization there would
be return on the girls part to the old
naughty aloofness. and that again he would
be TO her only n creature Of a lower order,
such as she and her kind addressed as
my man"
He intended Of course, to make every
possible attempt to restore her TO her home
but, he argued, was 1t wrong to snatch
few golden hours of happiness in return
for his service. and as partial recompense
for the lifetime Of lonely misery that must
be his when the woman he loved had
passed out OF his life forever?
Billy thought not, and so he tarried on
upon Manhattan Island, as Barbara had
christened IT, and he lived in the second
finest residence in town upon the opposite
side of Riverside drive from the palatial
home of Miss Harding.
Nearly two months had passed before
Billy's stock of excuses and delay ran out,
and definite date was set for the COM
mencement of the Journey
II believe" Miss Harding had said, that
do npf ~ gh IN, ha in1 n
of your reasons for postponing the trip
have been trivial and ridiCulous-possibly
you are afraid of the dangers that may
lie before us" she added banteringly.
I'm afraid you've hit 1t off about right"
he replied with a grin. 81 don't want to
be rescued, and 1 am very much afraid of
what lies before-me."
Before your
I'm going to lose you, any way you
look at 1t, and-and-oh. can't you see that
| love you?" he blurted out, despite all his
good intentions.
Barbara Harding looked at him for a
moment, and then she did the one thing
that could have hurt him most-she
laughed.
The color mounted to Billy Byrnes face,
and then he went very white.
The girl started to say something, and
at the same instant there came family to
them from the mainland the sound Of hoarse
shouting and of shots.
Byrne turned and started on a run in
the direction Of the firing, the girl follow
ing closely behind. At the Islands edge he
motioned her to stop
Wait here-it will be safer" he said.
There may be white men there-those
shots sound like 1t, but again there may
not. l want to find out before they see
you. whoever they are"
The sound of firing had ceased now, but
loud yelling was distinctly audible from
down the river RyrOp tDOk "a hpXNn ha
bank toward the water.
wait I" whispered the girl Here they
come now-we can see them from here in
a moment" and she dragged the mucker
down behind bush.
In silence the two watched the approach
ing party.
They're the chinks," announced Byrne,
who insisted on using this word to de-
scribe the proud and naughty Samurai.
''Yes, and there are two white men with
them" whispered Barbara Harding, n note
of suppressed excitement in her voice
prisoners" said Byrne. some of the
precious bunch from the Halfmoon, doubt
less"
The Samural were moving straight up
the edge of the river In a few minutes
they would pass within a hundred feet of
the island Billy and the girl crouched
low behind their shelter.
II don't recognize them" said the man.
"Why--why-ah, Mr. Byrne, 1t can't be
possible! !" whispered the girl with sup
pressed excitement Those two men are
Captain Norris and Mr.. Foster, mate of
the yacht Lotus"
Byrne half rose to his feet. The party
was opposite their hiding place now
"Sit tight" he whispered. I'm gOin' TO
get EN-" Then tlercey: For your sake
because love you. Now laugh! - and he
was gone.
He ran lightly down the river bank un-
noticed by the Samurai. who had already
passed the island In one hand he bore the
long war-spear of the head-hunter he had
slain. At his belt hung the longsword of
Oda Yormoto. and in its holster reposed
the revolver of the Count de Cadenet
Barbara Harding watched him as he
forded the river and clambered up the oppo-
site bank. She saw him spring rap dly
after the Samurai and their prisoners She
saw his spear hand go up and then from
the deep lungs of the man rose savage
yell that would have done credit to a whole
tribe of Apaches
The warriors turned in time TO see the
heavy spear flying toward them; and then.
as he dashed into their midst, Billy Byrne
drew his revolver and fired to right and left.