Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1925-03-25
Grant County Herald Lancaster Wisconsin March 25 1925

hold out. AS things are, such course
becomes simply impossible"
Her dependency pierced his saul.
A slow agony was consuming her.
at is hard, 1 admit" he said. "Nev-
ertheless you must bear up until night
falls. Then we will either obtain Wa
ter or leave this place"
Surely we can do neither"
1--WE may be compelled to do both. .
"But how?"
In this, his hour of EXTREMIST need,
the man was vouchsafed a shred OF
luck. To answer her satisfactorily
would have baffled Talleyrand. But
before he could frame feeble pre-
text for his too sanguine prediction, a
sampan appeared, eight hundred yards
from Turtle Beach, and strenuously
padded by three men. The vague hal
looing they had heard was explained.
The Dyaks, though to the manner
born, were weary of sun-scOrched
rocks and salt water The boat was
coming in response to their signals.
and the sight inspired jerks with
fresh hope. Like lightning flash
came the reflection that if he could
keep them away from the well and
destroy the sampan now Fastening to
their assistance, perhaps conveying
the bulk of their stores, they would
soon tire of shaking their thirst on
I the few pitcher-plants growing on the
north shore.
Come quick" he shouted, adjusting
the backsight of his rifle. Lie down
and aim at the front of that boat, a
| ~
ter if the bullets strike the sea first"
He placed the weapon in readiness
1 for her and commenced operations
himself before Iris could reach his
side Soon both rifles were pitching
! twenty shots a minute at the. sampan.
The result of their long-range prac-
tice was not long in doubt The Dy-
axis danced from seat to seat in a
state of wild excitement. One man
was hurled overheard Then the craft
lurched seward in the strong cur
rent, and jerks told Iris to leave the
rest to him.
Before he could empty a second
magazine a fortunate bullet ripped a
plank out and the sampan filled and
went down, amidst shrill yell of ex-
ecration from the back of the cliff.
!
to swim ashore, half a mile through
shark-infested reefs. The sailor did
not even trouble about them. After a
few frantic struggles each doomed
wretch flung up his arms and van
ished. In the clear atmosphere the
onlookers could see black fins cutting
the pellucid sea.
This exciting episode dispelled the
( Go1 ,i11or 1icfc
Her eyes danced and she breathed
hard. Yet something worried her.
81 hope l didn't hit the man who
fell out of the boat she said.
"Oh, came the prompt assurance, L
| took deliberate aim at that chap. He
was a most persistent scoundrel.
Iris was satisfied. jerks thought 1t
better to lie than to tell the truth,
| for the bald facts hardly bore out his
assertion Judging from the manner
of the Dyak's involuntary plunge he
! had been hit by r1cochet Dullet,
whilst the sailors efforts were wholly
confined to sinking the sampan. How
ever. let it pass. Bullet or shark, the
end was the same.
! They were quieting doWn-the
| thirst fiend was again slowly sailing
| their V61HS-Wu0u SOl1GIlituS VI q VII ~
white color f1uttered into sight from
behind the base of the opposite cliff.
| 1t was rapidly withdrawn, to reappear
after an interval. Now it was held
more steadily and brown arm be-
came visible AS jerks did not fire,
turbaned head popped into sight. 1t
was the Mohamn1edan.
| mo shoot it," he roared. ME Eng
lish speak it..
Don't you speak Hindustani?"
shouted jerks in Urdu of the Higher
Proficiency.
"Han, sahib!" Eyes, sir) was the
joyful response "Will your honor per-
nit his servant to come and talk with
him."
Eyes, if you come unarmed.'
"And the chief, too, sahib?'
eyes, but listen! On the first sign
of treachery will shoot both of you!"
"We will keep faith, sahib. May
kites pick our bones if we fall"
Then there stepped into full view
the renegade Mussulman and his lead
| er. They carried no guns; the chief
wore his kriss.
"Tell him to leave that dagger be-
hindu cried the sailor imperiously
AS the enemy demanded parley he
resolved to adopt the conqueror's tone