Evening star., 1927-11-01
Continued from Yesterdays star.)
CHAPTER XLH
Philip Marriott Decides.

"HE incoming tide dashed surf
high on the rocks with @ dull.
booming sound and the stars
Il twinkled one by one as Philip
Marriott lay on his cot looking
out at them and wondering desperately
what course of action he could take.
Marooned on q sandbar and physically
disabled, he had three days in which
TO obtain information which weeks OF
work on the part Of the most astute
of his agents had failed to disclose
with freedom and every resource at
their command.
Granted that he possessed such in.
formation, was he to turn traitor to
those who employed him. forswear his
honor. sell out to the enemy, with the
inevitable. terrific results which would
ensue. to save the life Of the girl he
loved. herself an avowed member Of
the third camp and the daughter OF
the man who had been his greatest
antagonist?
Marriott tried in vain to put this
superhuous question from his thoughts
---superhuous since he hadn't the in.
formation and had no means Of oh.
tanning IL. Janet must be gotten away
in safety from the island before the
three days had passed. That was the
only solution, for Marriott was a stu
dent Of men and he knew that Nor.
mans threat had been no Idle one. IL
Janet was at his mercy and the In.
formation not forthcoming. she would
disappear. tss
But how to get her to safety? The
other islands were mere sandbars like
the one on which they were held and
would offer no protection even II she
We're able to reach one Of them, and
only a swimmer Of great strength and
endurance could get to the mainland.
while with the departure of the vessel
that had brought them, together with
Its launch that morning. he was salts
fled that no craft remained on the
island or they would not have been
given unrestricted liberty.
His own observations after the de.
parture of Norman showed that the
other shack held, besides the leader
himself and the woman Crole who
acted AZ housekeeper. three as un-
godly-looking ruff1ans as he had en-
countered at any stage Of his own
desperate game: four strong men and
a woman who, would equal any two
against a disabled weakling and two
fraf girls, The latter. too. unarrned
and the former probably supplied with
a miniature arsenal. Could there be
any doubt of the result IL it came to
open combat?
Why had Janet been 10 calm and
quiet after Norman had taken himself
off? She had displayed marvellous
fortitude and self-control all through
the affair, yet she was only a little
girl, out of a convent less than three
weeks and she had heard what
amounted to practically a sentence of
Hzf fA~
ing a hair. He found himself loving
her the more for the loyal stand she
had taken in defense of her fathers
memory, but he groaned in spirit at
the thought of her awakening when
she learned the truth.
When Norman left them she had
said she wanted to be alone for q little
and later he had seen her wandering
along the shore, pathetically small
solitary figure in the gloom. He had
called Lucy and issued certain instruc.
tions. and now he lay waiting, but
neither had returned. The unequal
combat with Norman had left him
with a badly strained back. besides
innumerable cuts and bruises. but to
morrow he must manage to hobble
about and find out for himself what
possible resources the island held
Three days:
4 knock came on the partition door
and Lucy stood before him.
You are right" she reported brief
ly. Norman. the woman. and three
men, Rockets in an alright hole with
a trapdoor under the shed. and smoke
bombs and ammunition. Five rife:
in the main cabin and, of course, the,
all have revolvers, but the food suppl,
is like ours, only enough for a few
days; that vessel or another must b.
expected then"
Good work." Marriott approved. an
had Janet been there she must hav
noted the air Of frank camaraderi
between them. far removed from tha
of employer to servant.
But Janet at the moment wa
perched on a rock Just above the In
coming sweep of tide, her sorrow 10
the moment forced into the bacl
ground of her thoughts, as well as tn
new-found love, by the crisis whic
their situation had reached.
IL she should give to Norman tn
Information which she alone possessed
she was not deceived; he would cauS