Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1916-09-15
CHAPTER vm-tcontlnued)

Nt1i-NtonttnuedD
LIE GATHERED the guns. swords and
IL krisses of the slain. with all their un-
couth belts and ornaments In pursuance OF
a vaguely defined plan OF future action he
also divested some OF the men OF their coarse
garments and collected six queer-looklng
hats. shaped like inverted basins. These
things he placed In n heap near the pitcher
plants Thenceforth. for half an hour, the
plac d surface OF the lagoon was disturbed
by the black dorsal nns OF many sharks.
To one of the sailors temperament there
was nothing revolving in the concluding
portion Of his task. He had God-given
right to live II was his paramount duty,
remitted only by death itself, 10 endeavor
to save Iris from the indescribable fate
from which no power could rescue her II
ever she fell into the hands of these vim
dctive savages. Therefore, II was war be-
tween him and them, war to the bitter end.
war with no humane mitigation of its hor-
rors and penalties. the last dread arbitra-
ment Of man forced to adopt the methods
OF the tiger.
His guess at the weather conditions
heralded by the change of wind was right.
As the two partook OF their evening meal
the complaining surf lashed the reef and
the tremulous branches OF the taller trees
voiced the approach OF a gale. tropical
storm, not typhoon, but a belated burst
Of tho periodic rains. deluged the island
before midnight. Hours earlier Iris re-
tired, utterly worn by the events of the day,
Needless to say. there was no singing that
evening. The gale chanted a wild melody
in mournful chords, and the noise OF the
watery downpour on the tarpaulin roof OF
Belle Vue Castle was such as to render
conversation impossible, save in wearyins
shouts.
Luckily. Jenkss carpentry was effective
H~N.- aNgN
tight. and he had calked every crevice with
unraveled rope until 1ris's apartment wai
free from the tiniest draught.
The very fury OF the external turmoil
acted as a lullaby to the girl. She wa:
soon asleep. and the sailor was left TO his
thoughts
Sleep he could not He smoked steadily
with a magnificent prodigality, for his small
stock OF tobacco was fast diminishing. HI
ransacked his brains to discover some meth
cd of escape from this enchanted island
| where fairies Jostled with demons, ant
hours OF utter happiness found their ban'
in moments OF frightful peril.
OF course. he ought to have killed thos'
fellows who escaped. Their sampan nigh
have provided a last desperate expedient u
other savages effected landing. Well
there was no use in being wise after thu
event, and, scheme as he might he could de
wise no way to avoid disaster during thu
| next attack.
This, he felt certain, would take place a
night The DyalSs would land In force, rusl
| the cave and hut and overpower him b,
sheer numbers. The fight, II fight ther'
was, would be sharp. but decisive Perhaps
| II he received some warning. Iris and HI
might retreat In the darkness to the cove
Of the trees A last stand could be mad
among the boulders on Summit Rock. Blu
OF what avail to purchase their freedom un
til daylight? And then
II ever man wrestled with desperate prob
| lem, Jenks wrought that night He smoke'
and pondered until the storm passed. and
| with the changefulness of n poets muse
| a full moon flooded the island in glorious
| radiance.
| without listening for a little while 20 tn
roaring of the surf and the crash OF tn
broken coral swept from reef and shore b
| the backwash.