Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1925-03-18


was pale beneath its mask of sun
brown. She was bent over her Bible.
and jerks did not know that she was
reading the 91st Psalm. Her lips muir
INJURED
81 will say unto the Lord, He is my
refuge and my fortress; my God, in
Him will I trust"
The chief was listening intently to
the story of the Dyak who saw the
dead man totter and fall. He gave
some quick order. Followed by a
score or more of his men he walked
rapidly to the foot of the cliff where
they found the lifeless body.
And Iris read
"Thou shalt not be afraid for the
terror by night; nor for the arrow
that flieth by day"
jerks stole one more hasty glance
at her The chief and the greater num-
Der of his followers were out of sight
behind the rocks. Some of them must
now be climbing to that fatal ledge.
Was this the end?
Yet the girl, unconscious of the
doom impending, kept her eyes stead
lastly fixed on the book.
For He shall give His angels
charge over thee, to keep thee in all
thy ways
"They shall bear thee up in their
hands, lest thou dash thy foot against
a stone.
"He shall call upon me, and I will
answer him: l will be with him in
trouble: I will deliver him and hon
our him.
Iris did not apply the consoling
words to herself. She closed the book
and bent forward sufficiently in her
sheltering niche to permit her to gaze
with wistful tenderness upon the man
whom she hoped to see delivered and
honored. She knew he would dare all
for her sake She could only pray and
| hope. After reading those inspired
verses she placed implicit trust in the
promise made. For He was good: His
was the mercy that "endureth forev-
err" Enemies encompassed them with
words of hatred-fought against them
without cause-but there was One who
should Judge among the heather" and
"fill the places with dead bodies"
Suddenly clamor of discordant
! yells fell upon her ears. jerks rose to
his knees. The Dyaks had discovered
their refuge and were about to open
| fire. He offered them a target lest per-
chance Iris were not thoroughly
screened.
keep close" he said "They have
found us. Lead will be flying around
| soon"
She f1inched back into the crevice
the sailor fell prone. Four bullets spat
into the ledge, of which three pierced
the tarpaulin and one fattened itself
against the rock.
Then jerks took up the tale. So
curiously constituted was this man,
that although he ruthlessly shot the
savage who first spied out their re
treat, he was Swayed only by the die
tates of stern necessity. There was a
feeble chance that further bloodshed
might be averted. That chance had
passed. Very we'll The enemy must
start the dreadful game about to be
played. They had thrown the gage and
he answered them. Four times did the
Lee-Metford carry death, unseen, al
most unfelt, across the valley.
Ere the fourth Dyak collapsed limp
ly where he stood, others were there
firing at the little puff of smoke above
the grass They got in few shots
most of which sprayed at various
angles off the face of the cliff. But
they waited for no more. When the
lever of the Lee-Metford was showed
home for the fifth time the opposing
crest was bare of all opponents save
two, and they lay motionless.
The fate of the f1anking detachment
was either unperceived or UNDECIDED
by the Dayks left in the vicinity of
the house and we'll. Astounded by the
firing that burst forth in mid-air
jerks had cleared the dangerous rock
before they realized that here, above
their heads, were the white man and
the maid whom they sought.
With stupid zeal they blazed away
furiously, only succeeding in shower
ing fragments of splintered stone into
the Eagles Nest And the sailor
smiled. He quietly picked up an old
coat, rolled it into ball and pushed
it into sight amidst the grass. Then
he squirmed round on his stomach and
took up position ten feet away OF
course those who still carried loaded
guns discharged them at the bundle
of rags, whereupon jerks thrust his
rifle beyond the edge of the rock and
leaned over.
Three Dyaks fell before the remain
der made up their minds to run. Once
convinced, however, that running was
good for their health, they moved with
much celebrity. The remaining cart
ridges in the magazine slackened the
pace of two of their number jerks
dropped the empty weapon and seized
another. He stood up now and sent a
quick reminder after the rearmost pi-
rate. The others had disappeared
towards the locality where their lead
er and his diminished troupe were
gathered, not daring to again come
within range of the whistling Dunn
dums. The sailor, holding his rifle as
though pheasant-shooting, bent for
ward and sought belated opponent,
but in vain. In military phrase, the
terrain was clear of the enemy. There
was no sound save the wailing of
birds, the soft sough of the sea, and
the yelling of the three wounded men
in the house, who knew not what ter
rors threatened, and vainly bawled for
Succor.
Again jerks could look at Iris. Her
face was bleeding. The sight mad
dened him.
MY Cod" he groaned, "are you
wounded?"
She smiled bravely at him.
1T is nothing" she said. "A mere
splash from the rock which cut my
forehead"
He dared not go to her. He could
U hot