Jasper County Democrat, Volume 8, Number 10, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 10 June 1905 — the Wings of The Morning [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

the Wings of The Morning

By LOUIS TRACY

CswwlghC IMS. ky Edward J. Clads

SYNOPSIS, Chapter I—The Sirdar, having among her passengers Iris Deane, daughter of the owner of the ship, and Robert Jenks, who is working as a waiter, is wrecked. ll—All are lost save Miss Deane and Jenks, who are east 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 islaud, 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 Bngifsh army. Lord Ventnor has been mentioned on the Sirdar as affianced to Iris. Vll—lris is attacked by a party of fieroe 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 rock above their cave. IX—A rich gold mine, indicated on the mysterious chart of the island, is discovered in the cave.

He wanted to survey the work already done and to determine whether it would be better to resume operations In the morning from inside the excavation or from the ledge. Owing to the difficulty of constructing a vertical upward shaft and the danger of a sudden fall of heavy material he decided in favor of the latter course, although it entailed lifting all the refuse out of the hole. To save time, therefore, he carried his mining tools into the open, placed in position the cheval de frise long since constructed for the defense of the entrance, and poured water over the remains of the fire. This was his final care each night before stretching his weary limbs on his couch of branches.' It caused delay in the morning, but he neglected no precaution, and there was a possible chance of the Dyaks failing to discover the eagle’s nest If they were persuaded by other indications that the island was deserted.

He entered the hut and was in the act of pulling off his boots when a distant shot rang sharply through the air. It was magnified tenfold by the intense silence. For a few seconds, that seemed to be minutes, he listened, cherishing the quick thought that perhaps a turtle, wandering far beyond accustomed limits, had disturbed one of" the spring gun communications on the sands.' A sputtering volley, which his trained ear recognized as the firing of muzzle loaders, sounded the death knell of bis last hope. The Dyaks had landed! Coining silently and mysteriously in the dead of night, they were themselves the victims of a stratagem they designed to employ. Instead of taking the occupants of Rainbow Island unawares they were startled at being greeted by a shot the moment they landed. The alarmed savages at once retaliated by firing their antiquated weapons point blank at the trees, thus giving warning enough to wake the seven sleeper*. Iris, fully dressed, was ont in a moment. “They have come!” she whispered. “Yes,” was the cheery answer, for Jenks face to face with danger was a very different man from Jenks wrestling with the Insidious attacks of Cupid. “Up the ladder! Be lively! They will not be here for half an hour if they kick up such a row at the first difficulty. Still, we Will take no risks. Cast down those spare lines when you reach the top and haul away when I say ‘Ready!’ You will find everything to hand up there.” He held the bottom of the ladder to steady it for the girl's climb. Soon her voice fell, like a message from a stur: “All right! Please join me soon!” The colled up ropes dropped along the face of the rock. Clothes, pick, hatchet, hammer, crowbars and other useful odds and ends were swung away into the darkness, for the moon as yet did not illumine the crag. The sailor darted into Belle Vue castle and kicked their leafy beds about the floor. Then he slung all the rifles, now live in number, over his shoulders and mounted the rope ladder, which, with the spare cords, he drew up and colled with careful method. CHAPTER XI.

mHB sailor knew so accurately the position of his reliable sentinels that he coaid follow each phase of the imaginary conflict on the other side of the Island. The first outbreak of desultory firing died away amidst a chorutv of protest from every feathered inhabitant of the isle, so Jenks assumed that the Dyaks had gathered again on the beach after riddling the scarecrows with bullets or slashing them with their heavy razor edged swords. A hasty council was probably held, and, notwithstanding their fear of the silent company In the hollow, an advance was ultimately made along the beach. Within a few yards they encountered the Invisible cord of the third spring gun. There was a report and another fierce outbreak of musketry. This whs enough. Not a man would move a step nearer that abode of tlie dead. The next commotion arose on the ridge near the North cape. “At this rate of progress,” said Jenks to the girl, “they will not reach our house until daylight” “I almost wish they were here,” was the quiet reply. “1 find this waiting and listening to be trying to the nevet”

They were lying on a number of ragged garments hastily spread on the ledge and peering intently into the moonlit area of Prospect park. The great rock itself was shrouded in somber shadows. Even if they stood up none could see them from the ground, so dense was the darkness enveloping them. He turned slightly and took her hand. It was cool and moist. It no more trembled than his own. ‘‘The Dyaks are far more scared than you,” he murmured, with a laugh. “Cruel and courageous as they are, they dare not face a spook.” “Then what a pity it is we cannot conjure up a ghost for their benefit. All the spirits I have ever read about were ridiculous. Why cannot one be useful occasionally?” The question set him thinking. Unknown to the girl the materials for a dramatic apparition were bidden amid the bushes near the well. He cudgeled his brains to remember the stage effects of Juvenile days, but these needed limelight, blue flares, mirrors, phosphorus. The absurdity of hoping to devise any such accessories while perched on a ledge in a remote island, a larger reef of the thousands in the China sea, tickled him. “What is it?” asked Iris. He repeated his list of missing stage properties. They had nothing to do but to wait, and people in the very crux and maelstrom of existence usually discuss trivial things. “I don’t know anything about phosphorus,” said the girl, “but you can obtain queer results from sulphur, and there is an old box of Norwegian matches resting at this moment on the shelf in my room. Don’t yon remember? They were in your pocket, and you were going to throw them away. Why, what are you doing?” For Jenks had cast the rope ladder loose and was evidently about to descend.

“Have no fear,” he said. “I will not be away five minutes.” “If yon are going down I must come with you. I will not be left here alone.” “Please do not stop me,” he whispered earnestly. “You must not come. I will take no risk whatever. If you remain here you can warn me instantly. With both of us on the ground we will incur real danger. I want you to keep a sharp lookout toward Turtle beach in case the Dyaks come that way. Those who are crossing the island will not reach us for a long time.” She yielded, though unwillingly. She was tremulous with anxiety on his account

He vanished without another word. She next saw' him in the moonlight near the well. He was rustling among the shrubs, and he returned to the rock with something white In his arms, which he seemingly deposited at the mouth of the cave. He went back to the well and carried another similar burden. Then he ran toward the house. The doorway was not visible from the ledge, and she passed a few horrible moments until a low hiss beneath caught her ear. She could tell by the creak of the rope ladder that be was ascending. At last he reached her side, and she murmured, with a gasping sob: “Don’t go away again. I cannot stand it.” He thought It best to soothe her agitation by arouslug interest. Still hauling in the ladder with one hand, he held out the other, ou which luminous wisps were writhing like glowworms’ ghosts.

"You are responsible,” he said. “You gave me an excellent Idea, and I was obliged to carry it out.” “What have you done?” “Arranged a fearsome bogy in the cave.” "But howr _ _ _

“ft was not exactly a pleasant operation, but the only laws of necessity are those which must be broken.” She understood that he did not wish her to question him farther. Perhaps curiosity, now that he was safe, might have vanquished her terror and led to another demand for enlightenment, but at that instant the sound of an angry voice and the crunching of coral away to the left drove all else from her mind. “They are coming by way of the beach, after all,” whispered Jenks. He was mistaken in a sense. Another outburst of intermittent firing among the trees on the north side of the ridge showed that some at least of the Dyaks were advancing by their former route. The appearance of the Dyak chief on the flat belt of shingle, with his right arm slung across his breast, accompanied by not more than half a dozen followers, showed that a few hardy spirits had dared to pass the valley of death, with all its nameless terrors.

They advanced cautiously enough, as though dreading a surprise. The chief carried a bright parang In his left hand; the others were armed with guns, their swords being thrust through belts. Creeping forward on tiptoe, though their distant companions were making a tremendous row, they lookedamurderous .gangas they peered across the open space, now brilliantly illuminated by the moon. Jenks had a sudden intuition that the right thing to do now was to shoot the whole party. He dismissed the thought at once. Ail his preparations were governed by the hope that the pirates might abandon their quest after hours of fruitless search. It would be most unwise, he told himself, to precipitate hostilities. Far better avoid a conflict altogether, if that were possible, than risk the immediate discovery of his inaccessible retreat. In other words, he made a grave mistake, which Bhows how a man may err when overagonized by the danger of the woman he loves. The bold course was the right one. By killing the Dyak leader he would have deprived the enemy of the dominating influence in this campaign of revenge. When the main body, already much perturbed by the unseen and intangible agencies which opened fire at them in the wood, arrived in Prospect park to find only the dead bodies of their chief and his small force, their consternation could be turned into mad panic by a vigorous bombardment from the rock.

Probably in less than an hour after their landing the whole tribe would have rushed pellmell to the boats, cursing the folly which led them to this devil haunted island. But it serves no good purpose to say what might have been. As it was, the Dyaks, silent now and moving with the utmost caution, passed the well and were about to approach the cave when one of them saw the house.

Instantly they changed their tactics. Retreating hastily to the shade of the opposite cliff, they seemed to await the coming of re enforcements. The sailor fancied that a messenger was dispatched by way of the north sands to hurry up the laggards, because the distant firing slackened, and five minutes later a fierce outbreak of yells among the trees to the right heralded a combined rush on the Belle Vue castle. The noise made by the savages was so great, the screams of bewildered birds circling overhead so incessant, that Jenks was compelled to speak quite loudly when he said to Iris: “They must think we sleep soundly not to be disturbed by the volleys they have fired already.” She would have answered, but he placed a restraining hand on her shoulder, for the Dyaks, quickly discovering that the hut was empty, ran toward the cave and thus came in full view.

As well as Jenks could judge the foremost trio of the yelping horde were impaled on the bayonets of the cheval de frise, learning too late Its formidable nature. The wounded men shrieked In agony, but their cries were drowned in a torrent of amazed shouts from their companions. Forthwith there was a stampede toward the well, the cliff, the benches, anywhere to get away from that awesome cavern where ghosts dwelt and men fell maimed ut the very threshold. The sailor, leaning as far over the edge of the rock as the girl’s expostulations would permit, heal'd a couple of men groaning beneath, while a third limited away with frantic and pufnful haste. “What is it?” whispered Iris, eager herself to witness the tumult. “What has happened?” "They have been routed by a box of matches and a few dried bones,” he answered.

There was no time for further speech. He was absorbed in estimating the probable number of the Dyaks. Thus fpr he had seen about fifty. Moreover, he did not wish to acquaint Iris with the actual details of the artifice that bad been so potent. Her allusion to the box of water sodden matches had given him the notion of utilizing as an active ally the bleached remains of the poor fellow who had long ago fallen a victim to this identical mob of cutthroats or their associates. He had gathered the principal bones from their resting place near the well, rubbed them with the ends of the matches after damping the sulphur again and arranged them with ghastly effect on the pile of rubbish at the farther end of the cave, creeping under the cheval de frlse for the purpose. Though not so vivid as he wished, the pale glimmering headless skeleton in the intense darkness of the interior was appalling enough In all conscience. Fortunately the fumes of the sulphur fed on the bony substance. They endured a sufficient time to scare every Dyak who caught a glimpse of the monstrous object crouching In luminous horror within the dismal cavern. Not even the stirring exhortations of the chief, whose voice was raised In

furious speecErcbuld induce bIT adherents to again approach that affrighting spot. At last tbe daring scoundrel himself, still wielding his naked sword, strode right up to the very doorway. Stricken with sudden stupor, he gazed at the fitful gleams within. He prodded the cheval de frise with the parang. Here was something definite and solid. Then he dragged one of the wounded men out into the moonlight Again Jenks experienced an itching desire to send a bullet through tbe Dyak’s head. Again he resisted the impulse. And so passed that which is vouchsafed by fate to few men—a second opportunity. (to be continued.]

We want your eggs, highest market price paid. Fendig’s Faib. Just received, our Hominy Meal at Rensselaer Feed Store. Buy your farm leases, deeds, mortgagee, etc., blanks at The Democrat office.

They advanced cautiously.