Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1925-02-11

of rain and sun had extended the weak
point thus exposed in the bold pam
oply of stone
He surveyed the ledge from differ
ent points of view. 1t was quite in
accessible, and most difficult to esti-
mate accurately from the ground lev
ell. The sailor was man of action.
He chose the nearest tall tree and be-
gan to climb. He was not eight feet
from the ground before several birds
flew out from its leafy recesses, filling
the air with shrill clucking.
"The devil take them!' he growled,
for he feared that the commotlon
would awaken Iris. He was still la
boriousiy worming his way through
the inner maze of branches when a
well-known voice reached him from
the ground.
"Mr. jerks, what on earth are you
doing up there?'
ooh! so those wretched fowls
aroused your" he replied.
yes; but why did you arouse
them?"
81 had fancy to roost by way of
change"
please be serioU $"
81 am more than serious. This tree
grows a variety of small sharp thorn
that induces a maximum Of gravity
before one takes the next step"
But why do you keep on climbing?"
at is sheer lunacy, I admit. Yet on
such moonlit night there is some
reasonable ground for even mad
excuse"
"NIr. jerks, tell me at once what
you are doing"
Iris strove to be severe, but there
was touch of anxiety in her tone
that instantly made the sailor apollo
getic. He told he1 about the ledge, and
explained his half-formed notion that
here they might secure a safe retreat
in case of further attack-a refuge
from which they might defy assault
during many days. 1t was, he said, abb
solutely impossible to wait until the
morning. He must at once satisfy him
self whether the project was imprac-
ticable or worthy of further investi-
cation.
So the girl only enjoined him to be
careful, and he vigorously renewed the
climb. At last, some twenty-five feet
from the ground, an accidental parting
in the branches enabled him to get a
good look at the ledge. One glance set
his heart beating joyously. 1t was at
least fifteen feet in length; it shelveG
back until it's depth was lost in the
blackness of the shadows, and the
floor must be either nearly level or
sloping slightly inwards to the line
of the fault.
n1o
nest. A chamOis could not reach it
from any direction; it became Access
sible to man only by means of a lad
der or q balloon.
More excited by this discovery than
he cared for Iris to know, he endeav-
ored to appear Unconcerned when he
regained the ground.
Well" she said, "tell me all about
it,
He described the nature of the cav
ity as we'll as he understood it at
the moment, and emphasized his prev
ious explanation of it's virtues. Here
they might reasonably hope to make
a successful stand against the Dyaks.
"Then you feel sure that those aw
full creatures will come back?" she
said slowly.
only too sure, unfortunately"
"How remorseiess poor humanity is
when the veneer is stripped off! Why
cannot they leave us in peace? l sup
pose they now cherish a blood feud
against u.s. Perhaps, if I had not been
here, htey would not have injured
you Somehow [ seem to be bound ur
with your misfortunes.
"I would not have it otherwise were
it in my power" he answered. For an
instant he left unchallenged the girls
assumption that she was in any way
responsible for the disasters which
had broken up his career. He looked
into her eyes and almost forgot HIM
self Then the sense of fair dealing
that dominates every true gentleman
rose within him and gripped his wav-
ering emotions with ruthless force.
Was this a time to play upon the
high-strung sensibilities of this youth
full daughter of the gods, to seek to
win her from her confession of love
that a few brief days or weeks might
prove to be only a spasmodic, but
momentarily all-powerful, gratitude
for the protection he had given her?
And he spoke aloud, striving to
laugh, lest his words should falter-
''You can console yourself with the
thought, Miss Deane, that your pres
ence on the island will in no way af-
feet my fate at the hands of the Dy-
axis. Had they caught me unprepared
today my head would now be covered
with a solution of special varnish they
carry on every foreign expedition"
"Varnish?" she exclaimed.
eyes, as a preservative, you under.
stand"
"And yet these men are human be-
ings!"
For purposes of classification, yes.
Keeping to strict fact it was lucky for
me that you raised the alarm, and
gave me a chance to discount the odds
of mere numbers. So, you see, you re-
ally did me a good turn"
what can be done now to save our
lives? Anything will be better than to
await another attack"
""The first thing to do is to try to
get some sleep before daylight How
did you know / was not in the
Castle?"
81 cannot tell you. I awoke and
knew you were not near me. If /
wake in the night l can always tell
whether or not you are in the next
room. So I dressed and came out"
"Ah!" he said, quietly. Evidently l
snore."
This explanation killed romance.
Irsi retreated and the sailor, tired