Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1917-08-15

v
knew by the gentle movement of her
shoulders that she lived. A canvas
covered life-ring lay nearby, stem
ciled with the name of a Fall River
line steamship.
Staring down into that exquisite
face, a look of mingled covetousness
and craft kindled in the eyes of the
man. Rising abruptly, he raked his
surroundings with furtive and suspi-
cious glances. At length satisfied that
none watched him, he stopped, gath
cred that frail young form in his arms
and dart2d swiftly away, no as he
/ had cone, but inland through the
dunes. Two short minutes sufficed for
the journey; he came into the hollow
of the huts stealthily, pausing to make
sure it was untenanted before hurrying
into his dwelling. But the luck was
not with him; without his knowledge,
| he was observed; the door had not
closed upon him and his salvage when
little japanese slipped quietly from
an adjoining hut and trotted briskly
/ toward the harbor. =.
/ The girl opened dazed, uncompre-
/ bending eyes upon scene so strange
to them that, for moment, she was
lhalf-inclined to believe that she had
died of drowning and passed in spirit
to some weird half-world. A reek of
/ brandy burned in her mouth and throat.
/ She coughed a little
AS If that sound had been a signal
door was thrown roughly open, let
+ ting in a flood of sunlight. Through
/ it entered a japanese in ragged uni
form. The voice Of the japanese
I broke the tension edg I'd with remon-
/ STRANGE:
"Senor Juarez I am informed"
The other interrupted brusquely /:
''That l have found a half-drowned
woman-Americano- the beach
and brought her here. It's true"
'You should not have done this!"
at seems l did,"
! With a sudden movement the jap
anese produced u pistol. Il regret the
/ necessity" he said, bat Baron HurO-
} ki's orders are to kill Immediately any
/ stranger who sets foot upon the
/ island"
wait :" The fingers of Senior Juarez
/ closed quickly on the wrist of the Jap
( anese and turned his pistol TO the cell
/ ing. simultaneously the Mexican lift
ed. with his other hand, a small can of
I bright tin that had stood upon near
/ by table. zone moment, Captain Hak-
usesi This can contains nitrogIycerin.
/ In the storerOOm back there'-a jerk
! of Juarez's head Indicated q door in the
back of the building-"Over one hun
bred tons of high explosives are
/ stored. The woman is miner
'Baron Huroki ="
81 deal with you-not him-and
warn you, l shall keep the woman or
blow this island of the map!"
The japanese hesitated an instant,
then conceded defeat with a shrug.
Have your way he said mildly,
and turned to 90.
But the grasp on his wrist was I'M
/ relaxed. wait another moment,
I Captain Hakuseki. l want that pis-
/ toll"
1t was surrendered without a suspi-
ciOn of contest,
"Now-go-and don't bother US
again."
Captain Hakuseki executed a right
about face and marched out Of the
hut. Senior Juarez secured the door
behind him, then turned to see the girl
struggling to a sitting position on the
cot. He FASTENED to assist her.
"You are weak, senOrita-you must
not exert yourself. Permit me -
He wound his arm around her waist,
tenderly assisting her to a chair by
the table As she sank into this, he
bent over and brought his lips close to
hers. She shrank away with a little
cry.
"Ah. no! Be not afraid of me, Sc
norita Remember, | saved your life
|. What is a kiss in payment for
that?"
The pistol he had taken from the
japanese rested on the table. Chance
guided the fingers of the girl to its
grip inspiration of despair prompted
her TO lift its muzzle to the tin of nitro
glycerin.
keep away from me-" she ordered
in accents whose feebleness could not
disguise a spirit of inhexible determi
nation. Keep away-or l pull Tho
triggerw
With a terrified ejaculation the Mex
lean sprang back to a profoundly re
spectful distance.
'Senorita--I beg of you"
Leave this house-or l pull tn,
trigger {"
Juarez threw himself madly at th'
door, wrenched it open, started gu
and-shrank back from knife-bayo
net on a rifle presented by Il stocky
deadly-lookng little japanese.
Captain Hakuseki's orders you re
main a prisoner till you give up tn,
, woman!
/, Between the devil and the deep sea
= the Mexican threw himself on the mer
cy of the girl
"Senorita--in the name Of pity
She nodded CURLY. Come in-shu
? that door--lock it. Now tel
: me where } am p