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The Huron Expositor, 1905-12-01, Page 11DECEMBER 1119 5 444**,~01.1M10144011044i Aget.h:Tr. 4.4 " ne" metnninnee. • t. 7 By LOUTS inen'; Copyright. 1903. by • Edward J. Clod° -,;•••••• • •,:•••„::= • • 2.11. .viefee ersenwitisieeite •dilleatisloteenminiedeieisel.siovsmereilifierse Below this belt the placewas a charnel - teow, Itiso too, had beeu thinking liouse. The bones of men and animate deeply. Robert Jenks bulked large in -mingled in Weird confusion. Meet were her day dreams. Her nerves were not The Voce seas f :mere skeletons.. A few bodies—nine the sailor ceunted—yet,preserved sone resemblance ;of humanity. These lat- ter were nattered among the older rel- ies. They wore the clothes of Dyaks. Characteristic hats and weapons de- noted their nationality, The others, the first harvest of tbis modern Gol•- • gotha, raight have been Chinese coo- lies. 'When the sailor's fascinated. vi- sion could. register details he distin- • .guished yokes, baskets,) odd looking 'spades'. and picks strewn amid the •honem The animals were all of one type—sinall, lanky, with long pointed skulls. - Tat last he spied, a withered hoof. They were pigs. Over all lay a thick coating of flue sand, deposited from the eddying winds that could never reach the, silent depths. The place *as grewsome, hor-' ribly depressing. Jenks broke out into a clammy perspiration. He seemed to be looking at,the secrets of the grave. At last his superior intelligence ain serted itself. His brain became clear- er, recovered its power of analysis. He began to criticise, reflect, and this is the theory he evolved: Some one, Jong ago, had discovered valuable minerals in the volcanic rock. Milling operations were in .full blast .when the extinct volcano took its re- venge upon the bumanosants _gnawing .at its vitals and smotherell them by a deadly outpouring of carbonic acid . gas, the bottled up poisou of the ages. A. horde of pigs running wild over the. island—placed there no doubt by Chi- nese fishers—had net: the same fate while intent on dreadful orgy. Then there came a European who knew how the anh,ydrate .gas, being • heavier than the surrounding air, set. fled like water in that terrible hollow. W. too, had striven to wrest the treas- ure from the stone by driving a tunnel into the cliff. He had partly encceeded and had gone away, perhaps to obtain help, after crudely registering his kite:is-ledge on the lid of a tin canister. This, again, probably fell into the lutude of another man, who, curious but unconvinced. caused birnself to be set ashore -on this desolate spot with few inadequate stores. Possibly he had arranged to be taken off svithin a fixed time. But a sampan laden with Dyak pi- rates eame first, and the intrepid ex- plorer's bones rested near the Well, while iiia head had gone to decorate _ the hut of some fierce village chief. ' The ruunlerers, after burying their own dead- for the white man fought hard, witness the empty cartridges—searched the island. - Some o' tn.. ern, ignorantly inqiuisitive, descended to the honow. r They renialued there. The others, su- perstitious barbarians, ! fled for their lives, embarking so hastily that they took frera the cave neither tools nor «Ithoughthey would greatly prize these articles. Such was the tragi:' e web he spun, a tompound of fact and fancy. It OX - Valued all perplexities save one. What did "32 divided by In meant? Wes there yet another 'fearsome riddle *waiting solution? And then his thoughts fiew to Iris. ;Happen what zinnia, her bright picture 'was seldom absent from his brain. Zuppose, egeg hunting, she had stum- land across this Talley st death! , How toold he. hope to keep it hidden from .. Cher? Was not the ghastly knowledge letter than the horror of a chance ram- ble through the Wood and the shock of diacovery—nay, indeed, the risk of a catastrophe? - He rushed back through -the trees un- ° til he caught sight of Iris industrious- r' , 'in kneading the sago pith in one of ° thoee most usefultdish tovers. y • He called to her, led her wendering ne the track and peinted out the fatal emarry, but in such wise that she could *net took inside it. "You remember that round. hole we natefrom the summit rock?" , he said. ".ViTell, it is full of carbonic acid gas, to breathe which means unconsciousness ate death. It gines no warning to the Inexperienced. It is rather pleasant an otherwina Premise me you will P a'nnenneatt nen; this piece anaintt _ charnel house. yet quite 'wind. There was a catch in her throat as she answered: "I don't want to die. Of course I will keep away. What a horrid. island I this is! Yet it might be a paradise." • She bit her lip to sappress her tears; but, beVg the Eve in this garden, she continuene • "How did you find out? Is there anything—nasty—In there?" "Yes, the remains of animals and ether things. I would not have told'?" you were it not imperative." "Are yoinkeeping other secrets from me?" "Oh, quite a number." Te managed to conjure up a smile, and the ruse was ,effeetive. She ap- plied the words to his past history. '41 hope they will not be revealed so dramatically," she said. "You never can tell," he answered. They were in prophetic vein that Morning. They' returned in silence to the cave. '41 wish to go inside with a lamp. May I?" he asked. "May I come- too?" she demanded. He assented, with an explanation Of his design: When the lamp was in or- der he held it close to the wall and conducted a systematic survey. The geological fault which favored the con- struction of the tunnel seemed to di- verge to the left at the farther en& The "face" of the rock exhibited the marks' of persistent labor. The Entine had been hewn away by main force when the dislocation of strata ceased to be helpful. • His knowledge was -limited on the aubject, yet Jenks believed thatthe material here was a bard limeston rather than the external basalt Search Ing each inch with the feeble light, h paused once, with an exclamation. - "Whet is it?" criedlris. "I caunot.be certain," he said doubt- fully. "Would you mind holding the _lamp while I use a crowbar?". In the stone was visible a thin nein bluish white in color. He managed t break off a fair sized Iump containin a well defined specimen of the foreign metal. They hurried into the open air and e • ; 134 HURON EXPOSITOR. cross a spece of some tiiirty feet and wade up to his waist. He made the passe ith ease. Pitched against the bo o of the time was ,a long, narrow 'case vele, heavy, irore'clamped and marke with letters in bled: trianglea and th broad &mow of the British governmen "Miles, by all the gods! shouted the !nailer, ; tr. The Sirdar carried a co ieignngent ,of n Horigko,m; had decoevid istible store urlccl aerOSS And here half a cow - the p roc I one arms and amenunition fro . to Singapore. Providence that a practically inexba of cartridges should be 1 the lagoon to the island were rifles enough to equn pany. He would not risk ax in an attempt to open the case. Ile must go back for a crowber. What else was there in thin store - home, thrust by Neptune from the omen bed?, A chest ontee, seemingly undamaged; throb barrels of flour, ut- terly ruined; n. saloon chair, smashed from its pivot; a battered chronometer. Per the rest; fragments of timber in- termingled- with pulverized coral and broken crockery. . A little farther on the deep water entrance to the lagoon cured between sunken rocks. On one of them rested the Sirdar's huge funnel. Th' north- west section of the reef, Wv.s bare. Among the wreckage he towel a coil of stout rope and a pulley. He instant- ly conceived the idea of constructing an aetial line to ferry the chest of tea across the channel he had foraed. He threaded the pulley Nv4t13 the rope and climbed the tree, addinig a touch of artistic completeness to the ruin of his trousers by the operati n. He had fastened the pulley high u before he realized how mu ple it would be to break *op the trunk h more sim- n the c es where•it lay and transport lts contents In small parcels. He laughedklightly. ni an becoming addle headed," he O1d, "Anyhow, new the job is as' well make use of it." Recoiling the rope•ends, across to the reef. In such do men throw invisible dice With those two lines, he ft. few fleeting seconds cl _bankfrom eternity. Picking up the ax, h stepped into the water, that Iris, %Irving welded* sago into a fiat pancake, to the -beach and was wat o himself. one, I may, e cast them' small ways with death. ould•within •ag himself catelessly ot knowing he incipient had strolled hing him. Th . e water was hardl above bin ti • knees when there came fa wirling rush i from the seaweed. A long tentacle shot out like a lasso and gripped ble right. leg. Another celled around his waist ; "any God!" he gurgled as ahorrhl sutker closed over his mo th and nose. He was in the grip of a e villish: A deadly sensation of nausea almost overpowered him, but the Wye of life ° came to his aid and he time the guff°. g *cating,feeler from his f I ee Then the I ax whirled, and one of t4. eight arms of the octopus lost some of its length. Yet a fourth flung itself arOund his left examined the .fragraent with curiou eyes. The' sailor picked it with hi knife, arid the substance in the vein came off in laminated layers, small brittle scales. - "Is it sliver?" Iris was almost ex cited. "I do not think so. I am no expert, but I have a vague idea—I have 'seen"— He wrinkled his brows and pressed. away the furro*ss With his hand, that physical habit of his,when perplexed. "I have it," he cried. "It is anti- mony." Miss Deane pursed her lips in dis- dain. e Antimony! What was anti- mony? "So much fuss for nothing," she,said. "It is used in alloys and medicines," he explained. "To us it is useless." He threw the piece of rock contemp- tuously among the bushes. But, bet lug thorough in all that he uhnertook, he returned to the cave and. again conducted an inquisition. • The silver hued vein became more strongly mark- ed at the. point where it disappeared downward into a collection of rubble and sand. That WaS all. Did men give their toil, their lives, for this? So it would appear. Be that as it might, he bd more pressing work. If the cave still held a secret it roust remain there. Iris had gone back -to her sago kneads ing.°1 Shouldering the ax, he walked to the beach. Much debris from the steam- er as lying high and dry, It was an easy task for an athletic man to reach the palm tree, yet the sailor hesitated with almost imperceptible qualms. "A. baited rat trap," he mutteren, Then he quickened his pace. With the first active spring from rock to rock his unacknowledged doubts vanished. He might find stores of priceless Util- ity. The reflection inspired him.. jumping and climbing like a cat, in •two minutes he wasinear the tree. He could now see the true explana- then of its growth in a seemingly im- possible plaid Here the bed of the sea hedged 11pm-tiedin a small sand cay, which silted. round the base of a limestorie rock so different In color and formation front the coral reef. Na- ture, whose engineering contrivances can force springs to mountain tops, managed to deliver to this isolated ref- uge a sufficient supply of water to nourish the -palm, and the roots, firmly lodned in deep` crevices, were well pre- tected from the waves. Between the sailor and the tree In- tervened a sm I stretch of shallow wa- ter. Landw*r4 this submerged saddle shelved steel into the lagoon. Al- though the wat r -in the cove wee twen- ty fathoms in dIepth, its crystal- clear- ness was rem rkablen The b.ottont, composed of m4arvebously White nand and broken co al, rendered other ob- jects conspicuo s. He could see plenty of fish, but not a single shark, while n the inner slope of the reef was lainly visible 41o.destroyed fore part f the Sirdar, Jwhlch had struck be - and the tree, r latively to his present standpoint Ile had wondered why n� boats were cast ashore. Now he saw .0 ankle. , A few feet away, out of range n of the! ax and liftin_g itanif bodily out . of the water, *Ili The -dread forih et the cuttle, apparently.sl head, with distended gills and mons rous eyes. - The sailer's feet were planted wide apart. With frenzied effort he hacked at the murderous. tentereles, but the water hindered brim ad be Was forced to lean back in superhuman strain to avoid losing his balance. If' once this terrible assailant got 111M • down he knew he was lost. The very need to keep his feet prevented him from at- tempting to deal aefaaort I blow. The cuttle was ancho ed by three of its tentacles. Its remai ing arm darted the reason. T ree of them were still fastened to th • davits and carried down with the 1uh1. Seaward the ater was not so clear. The waves ere ted patches of foam, and.lang submai1ne plants swayed gens tly in the undere rrent To reach Pal - Tree rock gin ite SOW 110t WO/ Ills remaining arm darted to again dutch The tnan's faci and .neck. with sinuous activitjy to again clutch /the man's face or neck. With the ax he smote madly at ithe curling feeler, diverting its airh tiM, and again, bUt failing to deliver \an /effective stroke. With agonized pitescience the sailor knew that he iras Vielding. Were the devilfish a giant ofl its tribe lie could not have held out the k!reature conk streng)thenIng its g coils, pulling and plumping at its prey with -remorseless ceetainty. • He was nearly spent. In a paroxysm of despair he resolved to give way and with one mad effert seek to bury the ax in the monsters brain. But ere he could execute this cuttle would have into the frallirkg shots rang out le quick succession. Iris had readied the nearest rock. The third bullet gave the octopus cause to reflect. fit squirted forth a torrent of dark cOored fluid. Instantly the water became Week., opaque. The teutticle, flourishing in air, thrashed the surface With impotent fury: That around Jenks' Waist grew taut and rigid. The aic flashed with the inspira- tion of 'hope. Another arm was sev- ered. The huge diOmembered coil slack- ened Peed aw o long. As it was, afford . to wale, .asp, tightening its fatal project, for the instantly swept him ieeds, five revolver -ret *as Ile anchored immovably. He turned to look at Iris. She never for- got the fleeting expression of his face. $o might Lazarus have looked from ilia° tomb. "The rope!" she screamed, dropping the revolver and seizing the loose ends lying at her feet She drew them tight and leaned back, pulling with all her strength, The Bailor filing the ax to the rocks and grasped. the two ropes. • He raised him- self and plunged wildly. He was free. With two convulsive strides' he was at the girlts side. He stumbled to a owider and drop- ped in complete collapse After a time he felt Iris' band placed timidly on hie shoulder. He raised his head and saw her eyes shining. "Thank you," he said. "We are quits now." CHAPTER VL IERCE emotions are necessarily transient, but for the hour -they exhaust the psychic capacity. The sailor had gone' through such mental stress befol.e it was yet noon thaile was benumbed, wholly in- capable ot. further sensqtion. Being in good condition, he soon res covered his physical powers. He wine outwardly little the worse for the en- counter with the devilfish. The skin around his mouth was sore. His waist and legs were bruised. One sweep of the ax had cut clean through the bulg- ing leather of his left boot without touching the flesh, In a word, he was practically uninjured. He had the doglike habit of shaking himself at the close of a fray. He -did so now when be stood up. Ieihowed clearer signs of the ordeal. Her face was drawn and haggard*, the pupils of her eyes dilated. She was gazing into depths illimitable, unexplored. Com- passion awoke at eight of her.. "Come," said Jenks gently. "Let us get back to island." He quietly resumed predominanee; helping her over the rough pathway of the reef, almost lifting her when .the difficulties were great. He did not ask her how it happened that %he came so speedily to his assist - *nee. 4nough that she had done it; daring all for his sake. She, was weak and trembling. Reaching the firm sand, she could 11,1k alone. "Did—the thing—grip -you?"' she nervously inquired. "All over at once, it felt 'like. The. beast attacked me with five arms." She shuddered. "r don't know how you could fight it," she said. "How strong, how brave, you must be!" This amused Inns. "The veriestcow- ardwill try to save his own life," b� an. swered. "If yeu use such adjectives to me, what words can I find to do juss tice .to you, who dared to come elope to such a vile looking creature and , kill it. I must thank my stars tbat you carried the revolver," "Atilt' she said. "That reminds me. You do not practice what you preach. I found your pistol lying on the stone hi the come. That is --One reason why I followed you." It was quite true. He laid the weapon aside when delving at the rock n d forgot to replace lein his belt. "It was stupid of me," he admitted, "but I adi not sorry.", "Why?" I "Because, as it is, I owe you my,. owe me bethifig," he Snapped. "It is very thoughtless of you to run such r!sks. What will become of me if anything happens -Co you? My point of view is purely selfish, you see." "Quite so. Purely selfish." He smil- ed sadly. "Mesh people of your type are -somewhat rare % Miss Deane." She moved toward the cave, .but he cried,: "Wait one minute. I want to get a couple of crowbars" "What for?" "I must go back there." He jerked his head in the (direction of the reef. She uttered a little sols of dismay. "I will incur no danger this time," he explained. "I found rifles there. We must have them; they may mean sal- vation." - When , Iris was determined about anything her chin" dimpled. It puck- ered delightfully now. "I will come with you," she announc- ed. "Verf well. I wIll wainfor you. The tide wi I serve for another hour!? ,s He k eve he had decided rightly. She 2 could not bear to be alone—yet. Soon the crowbars were secured, and they I returned to the reef. Scrambling now with difficulty over the rough and dane c gerous track, Iris was secretly amazed by the remembrance of the daring ac- b tivity she displayed during her earlier y passage along the same precarious 0 • IrIs1;cratched the operation in sileime: The sailor always looked at this bet when hard at wo*. The half sullen, wholly self contained -expressioer left his face, which lit up with enthusiasm and concentrated intenigence. That which he = essayed he did with all his might. -He, toiling with steady persistence, felt not the inward spur which sought relief in'speech, but -Iris was compelled to say something. "I suppose," she conimented with an air of much wisdom, "you are contriv- ing an overhead railway for the safe transit of yourself and the goods?" "Why are you so doubtful about it?" "Because I personally intended to Walk across. The ropes will serve to convey the packages," She rose imperiously. "I absolutely forbicl you to enter the water again. Such a suggestion on your part is quite sharbeful. You are taking a grave risk for no very great gain that I can Bee, and if anything happens to you shall be left all alone in this awful place.". She could think of no better argu- ment. Her ,only resource was a wo- tean's expedient—a plea for pratection against threatening ills. The sailor seemed to be puzzled how I best to net. "Miss Deane," he said, "there is no such serious danger as you imagine. Last time the cuttle caught me nap- ping. Ile will not do so again. Those rifles I must hat*. If it will serve to reassure you, I will go along the line myself." Without another word he commenc- ed operations. There was plenty of rope, and the plan he adopted was simplicity Welt When each package was seeurely fastened he attached It to a. lodp that passed over the line stretch- ed from the tree to the crowbar. To this loop he tied the lightest rope he could find and threw the other end to Iris,' By pulling slightly she was able to land at her feet even the cumbrous rifle chest, for the traveling angle was so acute that the heavier the article • the more readily it sought the lower level: i could lay hands on not ing more of They : tolled in silencli until Jenks 'tattle, i Then, observing due care; be quickly passed tie channel. -,For an Instant' the girl gazed affrIgtedly at the sea until the sailor stood. at her side • again. -. Tine 'tide had turned. In a few imi▪ n- utes the teef would* be partly !sub- merged To carry the case of riiis to the mainland was a manifestly imp ss sible feat, so Jenks now did that veh ch done Oilier weuld have saved him some labor. He broke open the chest and fonnd that the weapons were ap- parently in excellent order. He snappednl the locks and squinte down the barrels of half a dozen to test them. These he laid on one side. Then be rapidly constructed a small raft from loose timbers, binding them roughly with rope, and. to this argosy he fastened the box of tea, the barrels of flour, the broken saloon chair and other small articles which might be of use. He avoided any difficulty in launching the raft,. by building it close to the water's edge. When all was ready the rising tide fleeted it for him. Ile secured it to his longest rope and gave it a vigorous push off into the la- goon. Then Lin "dung four rifles across his shoulders, ahked Iris te carry the remaining two in like manlier and be gap to *maneuver the raft lendeyea "While you land the goods I will prepare dinner," announced the girl. "Akan be careful not tit+ slip on the rocks," he Said. ‘4I am concerned about the rifles. If you fell you might dam- age them, and the incoming tide will so hopelessly rust those I leave behind that they will be useless." "I will preserve them at any cost, though with six in our possession there Is a margin for accidents. Efowever, to rCaseure you, / will go back quickly." Before he cold protest she started off at a run, jumping lightly from rock to rock. Disregarding his shouts, she per- severed until she stood safely on the sands. Then, saucily waving a fare- well, she set off toward the cave. Had she seen the look of fierce de- spair that settled down upon Jenks' face as he turned to bis task of guld- ng the raft ashore she might have wondered what, it meant. In any case be would certainly have behaved din, erently. By the time the sailor had safely ended his cargo Iris bad cooked their midday meal. She achieved a fresh ulinary triumph. The eggs were fried! "I am seriously thinking of trying to oil a ham," she stated gravely. "Have ou any idea' how long it takes to cook ne properly?" "A quarter of an hour- for each ound." 'roadway., Then she darted from rock'to rock with the -fearless certainty of a cha- mois. Her only stumble was caused, she recollected; by an absurd effort to. avoid wetting her dress. She laughed "A.dnaleablef But we can measure either hours nor pounds." , "I think we can do both—. I will onstruen a balance of some kind. hen, with a ham slung to one end and rifle and. some cartridges to the other, will tell you the weight of the ham o an outice. To ascertain the time 1 ave already determined to fashion a undial. , remember the requisite 'visions with reasonable' accuracy, nd a little observation will enable us correct any mistakes." "You are really very clever, Mr. enks," said Iris, with childlike candor. Have you spent several years of your fe in preparhig for residence on a sert island?" "Something of the sort. I have led queer hind of existence, full of use - ss purposes. Fate has driven me ili- a corner where my odds and ends kilo's/ledge are actually valuable. uch aceidents make men millionaires." "Useless purposes!" she -repeated. "1 n hardly credit that. One uses such phrase to describe fussy people, alive ith foolish activity. Your worst ene- y would not place you in such a tegory." "My worst enemy made the phrase ective at any rate, Miss Deane." "You mean 'that he ruined your ca- reer?" "Well—er—yes. I suppose that deo scribes the position with fair accura- cy!, teeree xeiy great eceundrelr' nervously when they reached. the place. .p This time Soaks lifted her across the a intervening channel. They were standing on the landward t side of the -shallow water jIn which he h fought the octopus, j s Already the dark fiuhl emitted by his' assailant in its final discomfiture 'was', a passing away owing to the slight nnove- to merit of the tide. "Now that you have brought me here with xo much difficulty, what are you % going to *do?" she said. "It will be n madness for you to attempt to ford ue that passage again." Where there is a one of those horrible things there are i " l others, I suppose." e I to • "That is one reason why 1 brought ' of the crowbars," the explained. "If you s will sit down for a little while I will have everything properly fixed." I He delved with one of the bars until /it lodged in a' crevice of the coral. - w Then a few powerful blows with the In back of the ax wedged it firmly enough ea to bear_ any ordinary strain. The rope ends reeved through the pulley on the • en tree were lying where they fell from the girl's hand at the close of the struggle. He deftly knotted them to the rigid bar, and a few rapid turns of a piece of wreckage passed between the two lines strung them into a tautness that could not be attained len ameent et Milling. any "He was and is." Jenks spoke With quiet , bitterness, The girl's words had evokea a enddeu flood of recollection, tor in moment he ' did not notice hdw bd had i been trapped into speaking of 1 selfnor did he see the quiet onte on hi' face when she elicited the Ii orrnatio that his chief foe was in, m ' 4 cer- tain tremulous hesitan' y 1r her man- ner when she next sp ke gbt have Warned hirn, but hie h gry pen' caught only the warm s Mp hy of ner words, which fell like ramn !I parehed ,vshall HW 1 nilra‘wil't It soil. , "You are tired," she you smoke for a little to me?" He produced his pipe dnfi Jjobacco. "That is a first-rate she de- e'eared. "My father alw id. that a - straight stem, with the bow i at a right angle, was the correct shep You evi- dently agree with him." "'Absolutely," "You will like my f meet him. He is the alive, I am sure." "You two are great friendthen?" "Great friends! He is the enlY friend I possess in the world." "What! Is that quite aectOate?" "Oh, quite. Of course, 1Me. Jenks, E can never forget how milich I, owe to you. I like you inareenSe:t -too, al- though you are so—so plate to noe at times. But—hut—yon sec, emy father and I have alwfsys Amen1 togethen eave neither brother no leister, not ven-a cousin. Sly dear Mother died teamasome horrid fever *hen I was quite a little girl. My fettle* is every- thing to me." "Dear child!" he murmiuVed, appar- ently uttering his thought e rath- er than addressing her d1t1y. "So you find me gruff, eh?" = Wiren you best man "A regular bear when you cture me. But that is only oceasionall I You can be very nice when you like hen you forget your past troublesO 4.nd. pray, why do you call me a.chil "Have I done so?" !! "Not a _moment age. 'H4 - Old are you, Mr. Jenks? I am tWeilt —tWenty last December." "And I," he saki, "will terentY- eight in August." , „ .eekuod gracious!" she ga: .e Lee see veryesorry, but I really ht you Vrere forty at least." fl look it, no doubt. Let'hie equal- ly candid and admit tha 7011, ;too, show your age markedly." She smiled nervously. " at al. 14 ef trouble you must hair to—to— to give yeti those little wr k1s- in the corners of your molith an es," she said. "Wrinkles! How terrible! "I don't knew. I tin suit you. Besides, it wa to imagine you were so old. exposure to the sun create and you must have lived open air," • y rathee Id of ane Suppose tinkles, 11 in the "Early rising and late 0114 to bed are bad for tho complexioV” he de- clared solemnly. c . tie _ I often wonder how ar y officers manage to exist," she sa "They never seem to get enough s eep, in the d: east at any rate!' "So you assume I have WO in the ,. army?" "I am quite mire of it." "May I ask why?" "Your manner, your voice, ybur quiet air of authority, the very:474y you Walk, all betray eiCa0 'Theler' he said badly, "I w 11 not at- .empt to deny the feet. I lued a clom- 1 eelegiee le tbe Team attereige:ps 29r eine years. It *114 tL hohW of iithie, Miss Deane, to make myself accettaliit, ed with the best means of t,elctealilig my men and keeping then! in geed health under all Sorts of fanniful 'con- ditions and in every kind nf. climate, especially under eircumstannes when ordinary stores were not eavailable.- With that object in view 1' read up every possible country in evihich my reginaent might be engage learned the local names of common ,nntieles of food' and ascertained particuiaely what provision ioatere made to seetale life. The study interested me. Once:\ dur- ing the Sudan campaign, it Was really. useful and procured me promotion." "Tell me &sent it." "During some operations in the desert it was necessary for my Irefipto fol- low up a sniall party of rebel* thotinte& on canaels, winch, as you probably know, can go Without water Vide long-; er than horses.. We were aleetist with -t in strikingdistance when horsesi' completely gave out, but I luckily non - Head indications which sbaered' that there was water beneath it portion eel the plain much, below the general leveln = Half an hour's spade Workpreved that I was right. We took up the pursuit; again and ran the quarry to lenrth, and! I got my captaincy." ; "Was there no fight?" He paused an. appreeiatle time be- fore replying: Then he evnie tly made up his mind to perform sOme glisagree. able task. The watching OW could see the 4chfinge in his fape, the sharp transition from eager int rest to angry resentment "Yes," he went on at la. t, "there was a fight It was a rather stiff eiffair, be- cause a troop of ,British , avaleY Which should have 'supported the had turned back (mime to the want of neater al- ready mentioned., But that. Inid not save the officer in charge of thie Twen- ty-fourth lancers from eing/ Severely reprimanded." ' 0 . "The Twenty-fourth, anCe I cried Iris. "Lord Ventnor's r gime e _ "Lord Ventnor was the 4cer in question." 1 Her face • crimsoned!. "Tben you know him?" she said. i "I do." eytmd, is he your enemy?" "And thet is why you wer 50 agi- I ated 11)at last day on tIie eird n!when Peer Lady Tozer askecl me 1± 1 were (men god to him ?" "How could it affect you? YOu did - fee even knew my nainO then?' 'It affeeted me bec ese the Sudden reenenn of his n,i3 iiecalletl my Own diagrave. I quitted the army six eeniths ago, Miss Deane, under, very 1.‘° circumstanees. general court rzartiv.1 found me guilty of conduct Ineeeconiieg alt olllcer AO:Utile - man. 1 was not even given a Mince to resign. I was caehiered." He pretended to speak with eool. truculence. He thotight to compel her into shrinking contempt. Yet lee face blanched somewhat, and, though he steadily kept the pipe between Ails teeth and smoked voith studied uncon- cern, his lips .twitched a little.. And be dared not look at her, for the girl's wondering eyes were fixed upon.* him, and the blush had disappeared quickly as it came. .1'1 remember something of this," she said slowly, neer epee avertieg her gaze. "There was Some gossip, con- cerning it when I flint came to Hong- kong. You are Caplaln 'Robert An- struther?" "I am," "And you public] tbraJieds Ventnor as the resultof a qu net about a woman?" "Your recollection 14 quite accurate "Who was to blame?" "The lady said that e was." r "Wes it true?" .Robert Anstruthert late captain ot ,1 Bengal cavalry, rose: to his feet He preferred to take his Puniehment stand- , ing. "The court martial agreed with her, Miss Deane, and I are a prejudiced witness," he replied. "Who was the—lad, "The wife of my colohel, Mrs. Cote.. ell." "Ohl" - Long aielerward he remembered the agony of that momemt and winced even at the remembrance. • But he had decided upon a fixed policy, and he was not a man to Much from conse- quences: Miss Deane, must be taught ' to despise him, elsiesiiGod help them both—she might leareto love him WI he now loved her. So. Ilinundering toward his goal, as inert alwits blunder where a woman's heart is efincernefl, be blOd- ly persisted in alio ng her to make such nalse deductio • as she chose from his words. Iris was the first te regain setae measure of self coal* . "I are glad you ha* been so candide Captain .Anstruthereel she commenced, . but he broke in abruPpyt "Jenks, if you -pleese, Miss Deane: Robert Jenks. "Certainly, Mr, Zeialts. Let me equally explitit beeire we quit tint! subject Ilave met MeS,VoStobell, do not like her. 1 Onsider her a ceitful woman. Year - court ma might have found e . different erd1et %ad its members bee* of her sex,. for Lord. Ventnor, be is nothing to met, -Itis true he asked -Teo father to be Reef...e- mitted to pay bis addresses to me, ba, my dear old dad left the matter whollye to my decision, and I certainly never. gave Lord Ventnor encourage-; ment. I believe now that Mrs. Costoe,d bell liedeand that reord Ventnor lied! when they attributed. any dishonorable: action to you, and I AM glad that yon' ,beat him in the club. I am quite sure', *he &Served it," Not one word did Als strange, Mate vouehsafe in reply. He„started vio- lently, seized the ax. lying at his feet and went straight Among the trees,' keeping his face turned from Iris He - that she might riot see the tears in Ithe eyes. As for the girl, she began to went her -cooking utensils ;with- much ) ergy and soon eommenced a. song. Ceme sidering that she was eompelled to 61- • tautly endure the ceinpanY et a, de- graded officer, -who lieed been eeediele freni thb service with -Ignotiliny, she was absurdly contented. Indeed, with the happy .inconsequente of youth, she quickly threw all care to the winds ant devoted her thoughts , to planning ,te *. Nerpriee for the next 1 y by preparing 4 -- some tea, proyided she could stump* tiously open the chest* 07% - CHAPTER, VII. 1 Ele0E night elesed the r thiretl day on fthe' isbend Jenits ittaa- aged to eOnStrnet a Downy tent hose, with a; framework of sturdy trees selected i on aecount of their location.- To twee he nailed oer„ tied erailebeams of felled.saplings, era the tarpaulins dragged from the beach supplied roof aed walls. It required the malted strength onris and hinteelt to haulinto position the heavy *elect net topped the structure, while to Was compelled to detest froni aetive building operations in Order to fashion a neigh ladder. Without some such . contrivance he mile not get the top- most supports adjuitee at a sufficient height Although the edifice required at least to more days of lia4 work before it would be fit for habitation Iris wished to take up her quarters there immedi- ately. This the sailor would not bear of. "In the cave," he std, "you are ab- serAely sheltered fro all the wind* that iilow or rain thatfalls. Our villae however, is painfully' at present. When ae body is relaxed, and open to the attacks of which case, Misa Dea ky and ieep, the wire* u are then mat Cold or fever, I* e, I shall be re. inctantly obliged to dose you with A concoction of that tree there." He pointed to' a neighboring cincho- na., *and Iris naturally asked Why he selected that nartiocul r breed. ii (To be tontj nod.) MISERABLE NIGHTS. • Nothing ho demoralizes an infant and enslaves the parents as to take a +cross or wakeful baby from the be•d and -walk ,thim up and; down the floor durixtethe night. The baby tries be - bans° it is not well—generally be- cause its stomach is sour, its little' bowels congested ani its skin hot and feverish. Relieve this and baby !will *deep soundly all : 'ght, growing stronger +and better e ery day. Just what mothers need.- o d keep baby healthy and make hi sleep soundly, RS Baby's Own Tab s -wilich cure altetomaelebowei anil tcethingtrou- hies, and 'thus pr ate natural. health !giving sleep: Mrs. William Holmes, More, Ont., 4 ys l'.311y baby was troubled with' so r stotnaoh,and was 'constipated iaost of the time, and was always cross end restless. I gave him Baby's Ow* Tablets and found them a complete 6t1.CCOS8, and would not now be *Ithout them." 1,-froouro: eaajany drereut ggBisar 00;,libOykwiuvnianilTe:aub(tIlne2tt! itoneannitss, eller:tux thinyetwoorit: the Dr-. 'civil-,