Jasper County Democrat, Volume 8, Number 8, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 27 May 1905 — the Wings of the Morning By LOUIS TRACY Copyright. 1903, by Edward J.Clode [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

the Wings of the Morning By LOUIS TRACY Copyright. 1903, by Edward J.Clode

By LOUIS TRACY

SYNOPSIS. Chapter I—The Sirdar, having among her passengers Iris Deane, daughter of the owner of the ship, and Robert leaks, who is working as a waiter, is wrecked. ll All are lost save Miss Deane and Jenks, who are cast ashore on an Islet in the Pacific. Jenkins recovers stores and weapons from the wrecked vessel. He finds the skeleton of a European on the island. IV—A cave on the Island is fitted up as a habitation. A chart of the island, mysteriously marked, is found on the skeleton. V—Jenks finds a hollow filled with human skeletons, the remains of a mining party. He Is rescued from an octopus by Iris while recovering riles from the wreck of the Sirdar. Vl—Jenks tells Iris that his real name Is Anstruther and that, through the machinations of Lord Ventnor, he has been unjustly dismissed in disgrace from the English army. Lord Ventnor has been mentioned on the Sirdar as affianced to Iris, Vll—lris is attacked by a party of fierce Dyaks (Polynesian natives). They are beaten off by Jenks, three, however escaping in their boat. The castaways dread their return. Vlll—Anstruther prepares to defend Iris and himself, fortifying a ledge of rook above their cave. IX—A rich gold mine. Indicated on the mysterious chart of the island, is discovered in the cave.

IFETopeneOHer' blue eyes very wide at this intelligence. It took her breath away. But her first words betokened her Innate sense of fair dealing. “You and I! Wealthy!” she gasped. “I am so glad for your sake, but tell me, pray, Mr. Jenks, what have I got to do with It?” “You!” he repeated. “Are we not partners in this island? By squatter’s right If by no better title we own land, minerals, wood, game and even such weird belongings as ancient lights and fishing privileges.” “I don’t see that at all. You find a gold mine and coolly tell me that I am a half owner of It because you dragged me out of the sea, fed me, housed me, saved my life from pirates and generally acted like a devoted nursemaid in charge of a baby. Really, Mr. Jenks”— “Really, Miss Deane, you will annoy me seriously If you say another word. I absolutely refuse to listen to such an argument.” For some time they stood In silence until the sailor commenced to reproach himself for his rough protest Perhaps he hud hurt her sensitive feelings. What a brute he was to be sure! She was only a child in ordinary affairs, and he ought to have explained things more lucidly and with greater command over his temper. And all this time Iris’ face was dimpling with amusement, for she understood him so well that had he threatened to kill her she would have laughed at him. “Would you mind getting the lamp?” he said softly, surprised to catch her expression of saucy humor. “Oh," please may I speak?” she inquired. “I don’t want to annoy you, but I am simply dying to talk.” He had forgotten his own injunction. “Let us first examine our mine,” he said. “If you bring the lamp we can have a good look at it.” Close scrutiny of the work already doue merely confirmed the accuracy of his first Impression. While Iris held the light he opened up the seam with a few strokes of the pick. Each few inches It broadened into a noteworthy volcanic dike, now yellow in its absolute purity, at times a bluish black when fused with other metals. The additional labor involved caused him to follow up the line of the fault. Suddenly the flame of the lamp begun to flicker in a draft. There was an air passage between cave and ledge, _____ They came back Into the external glare. Iris was now so serious that she forgot to extinguish the little lamp. She stood with outstretched hand.

“There is a lot of money In there,” she said. “Tons of it” “No need to quarrel about division. There is enough for both of us.” “Quite enough. We can even spare some for our friends.” The hour drew near when Jenks climbed to the Summit rock. He shouldered ax and rifle and set forth. Iris heard him rustling upward through the trees. She set some water to boil for tea and, while bringing a fresh supply of fuel, passed the spot where the torn scraps of paper littered the sand. She was the soul of honor for a woman, but there was never a woman yet who could take her eyes ofT a written document which confronted her. She could not help seeing that one small morsel contained her own name. Though mutilated, it had clearly read—- “ Dear Miss Deane.” “So it was intended for me!” she cried, throwing down her bundle nnd dropping to her knees. She secured that particular slip and examined it earnestly. Not for worlds would she pick up all the scraps and endeavor to sort them. Yet they had a fascination for her, and at this closer range she saw another which bore the legend—"l love you!” Somehow the two seemed to fit together very nicely. Yet a third carried the same words—“l love you!” They were still quite coherent She did not want to look any further. She did not even turn over such of the torn pieces as had fluttered to earth face downward. Opening the front of her bodice, she brought to light a small gold locket containing miniatures of her father and mother. Inside this receptacle she carefully placed the three really material portions of the sailor's letter. When Jenks walked down the hill again he heard her singing long before he caught sight of her eeduloosly tendIng the Are,

As he came near he perceived the remains of his useless document. He stooped and gathered them up, forthwith throwing them among the glowing logs. “By the way, what were you writing while I had my bath?” inquired Iris demurely. “Some information about the mine. On second thoughts, however, I saw it was unnecessary.” “Oh, was that all r “Practically all.” “Then some part was impracticable?” He glanced sharply at her, but she Wfag merely talking at random. “Well, you see,” he explained, “one can do so little without the requisite

plant. This sort of ore requires a crushing mill, a smelting furnace, perhaps big tuuks filled with cyanide of potassium.” “And of course, although you can do wonders, you cannot provide all those things, can you?” Jenks deemed this query to be unanswerable. They were busy again until night fell. Sitting down for a little while before retiring to rest, they discussed for the hundredth time the probabilities of speedy succor. This led them to the topic of available supplies, and the sailor told Iris tbe dispositions he had made.

CHAPTER X. after night the Pleiades swung higher in the firmament. Day after day the sailor perfected his defenses and anxiously scanned the ocean for sign of friendly smoke or hostile sail. This respite would uot have been given to him were it not for the lucky bullet which removed two fingers and part of a third from the right hand of the Dyak chief. Not even a healthy savage can afford to treat such a wound lightly, and ten days elapsed before the maimed robber was able to move the injured limb without a curse. Meanwhile each night Jenks slept less soundly. Each day his face became more careworn. He began to realize why the island had not been visited already by the vessel which would certainly be deputed to search for them. She was examining the great coast line of China and Slam. It was bis habit to mark the progress of time on the rudely made sundial, which sufficiently served their requirements as a clock. Iris happened to w r atch him chipping the forty-fourth notch on the edge of the horizontal block of wood. "Have we really been forty-four days here?” she Inquired after counting the marks with growing astonishment. “I believe the reckoning is accurate,” he said. “The Sirdar was lost on the 18th of March, and I make this the Ist of May.” “It seems to be a tremendous time; Indeed, in some respects, it figures in my miud like many years. That is when I am thinking. Otherwise, when busy, the days fly like hours.” “It must be convenient to have such an elastic scale.” “Most useful. I strive to apply the quick rate when you are grumpy.” Iriß placed her arms akimbo, planted her feet widely apart and surveyed Jenks with an expression that might almost be termed impudent They were great friends, these two, now. When the urgent necessity for continuous labor no longer spurred them to exertion during every moment of daylight they tackled the box of books and read, not volumes which appealed to them In common, but quaint tomes in the use of which Jenks was tutor and Iris the scholar. It became a fixed principle with the girl that she was very ignorant and she insisted that the aallor should For_ instance, among the

* ■ d <5-*N books he found a treatise on astronomy. It yielded a keen delight to both to Identify a constellation and learn all sorts of wonderful things concerning It. As a variant Jenks introduced a study of Hindustani. His method was to write a short sentence and explain in detail its component parts. She knitted her brows in the effort to master the ridiculous complexities of a language which, Instead of simply saying “Take” or “Bring,” compels one to say “Take-go” and “Take-come.” One problem defied solution—that of providing raiment for Iris. The united skill of the sailor and herself would not induce unraveled cordage to supply the need of thread. It was either too weak or too knotty, and meanwhile the girl’s clothes were falling to pieces. Jenks tried the fibers of trees, the sinews of birds—every possible expedient be could hit upon—and perhaps after experiments covering some weeks he might have succeeded. But modern dress stuffs, weakened by aniline dyes and stiffened with Chinese clay, permit of no such exhaustive research. It must be remembered that the lady passengers on board the Sirdar were dressed to suit the tropics, and the hard usage given by Iris to her scanty stock was never contemplated by the Manchester or Bradford looms responsible for the durability of the material. As the days passed the position became Irksome. It even threatened Complete collapse during some critical moment, and the two often silently surveyed the large number of merely male garments In their possession. Of course in the matter of coats and waistcoats there was no difficulty whatever. Iris had long been wearing those portions of the doctor’s uniform. But when It came to the rest— At last one memorable morning she crossed the Rubicon. Jenks had climbed, as usual, to the Summit rock. He came back with the exciting news that he thought—he could not be certain, but there were indications inspiring hopefulness—that toward the west of Jthe faroff island he could discern the smoke of a steamer. Though he had eyes for a faint cloud of vapor at least fifty miles distant, he saw nothing of a remarkable change effected nearer home. Outwardly Iris was attired In her wonted manner, but if her companion’s mind were not wholly monopolized by the bluish haze detected on the horizon he must have noticed the turned up ends of a pair of trousers beneath the hem of her tattered skirt. It did occur to him that Iris received his momentous announcement with an odd air of hauteur, and it was passing strange she did not offer to accompany him when, after bolting his breakfast, he returned to the observatory. He came back in an hour, and the lines on his face were deeper than befora “A false alarm,” he said curtly in response to her questioning look. And that was all, though she nerved herself to walk steadily past him on her way to the well. This was disconcerting, even annoying, to a positive young woman like Iris. Resolving to end the ordeal, she stood rigidly before him. “Well,” she said, “I’ve done it!” “Have you?” he exclaimed blankly. “Yes. They’re a little too long, and I feel very awkward, but they’re better than—than my poor old dress unsupported.” Slie blushed furiously, to the sailor’s complete bewilderment, but she bravely persevered and stretched out an unwilling foot. “Oh, I see!” be growled, and he, too, reddened.

And during the remainder of the day he did not once look at her feet. Indeed, he had far more serious matters to distract his thoughts, for Iris, feverishly anxious to be busy, suddenly suggested that it would be a good thing were she able to use a rifle if a fight at close quarters became necessary. The recoil of the Lee-Metford is so slight that any woman cau manipulate the weapon with effect, provided she is not called upon to fire from a standing position, in which case the weight is liable to cause bad aiming. Though it came rather late in the day, Jenks caught at the idea. He accustomed her in the first instance to the use of blauk cartridges. Then when fairly proficient in holding and sighting—a child can learn how to refill the clip and eject each empty shell—she fired ten rounds of service ammunition. The target was a white circle on a rock at eighty yards, and those of the ten shots that missed the absolute mark would have made un enemy at the same distance extremely uncomfortable.

Iris was much pleased with her proficiency. “Now,” she cried, “instead of being a hindrance to you I may he some help. In any case, the Dyaks will think there are two men to face, and they have good reason to fear one of as.” Then a new light dawned upon Jenks. “Why did you not think of it before?” he demanded. “Don’t you see, Mias Deane, the possibility suggested by your words? I am sorry to bo compelled to speak plainly, but I feel sure that if those scoundrels do attack us in force it will be more to secure you than to avenge the loss of their fellow tribesmen. First and foremost, the seagoing Dyaks are pirates and marauders. They prowl about the coast looking not so much for a fight as for loot and women. Now, if they return and apparently find two well armed men awaiting them, with no prospect of plunder, there is a chance that they may abandon the enterprise.” Iris did not flinch from the topic. She well knew its grave importance. “In other words," she said, *T must be seen by them dressed only in male clothing?” . „ ..

“Y r es; as a last resource, that is. I have some hope that they may not discover our whereabouts owing to the precautions we have adopted. Perched up there on the ledge, we will be profoundly uncomfortable, but that will be nothing If it secures our safety.” She did not reply at once. Then she said musingly; “Forty-four days! Surely there has been ample time to scour the China sea from end to end In search of us! My father would never abandon hope until he had the most positive knowledge that the Sirdar was lost with all on board.” The sailor, through long schooling, was prepared with, an answer: “Each day makes the prospect of escape brighter. Though I was naturally disappointed this morning, I must state quite emphatically that our rescue may come any hour.” “ — — : [TO BE CONTINUED. J

160 Acres Free! Walk, Write or Telegraph.

In the best spring wheat belt in the world, in the clear sunshine where health is improved, Then waste no time; if you cannot come and look for yourself, have the locator of government land to file for you. Write for particulars. B. F. Gaines & Co. Hanley, A§ea.

“I love you !"