Newspapers / The Smithfield Herald (Smithfield, … / April 27, 1906, edition 1 / Page 2
Part of The Smithfield Herald (Smithfield, N.C.) / About this page
This page has errors
The date, title, or page description is wrong
This page has harmful content
This page contains sensitive or offensive material
('I W\*-. .'Vwi.vi.W? ?u* Vs'i.'.i. 'U- ?u' M^? jj SfeWings ?f the! Jfe&a m JT ? / By LOUIS M Mornirv# m ^ ^ ^ ^ E4war4 J., CImU^ | CHAPTER VII. EFOItE night < losed their third I j day ou the Inland .tanks man III aged to construct a roomy tent ^ J house, with a framework of sturdy trees selected on account of 1 their location. To these he nailed or tied crossbeams of felled saplings, and the tarpaulins dragged from the beach supplied roof and walls. It required ?he united strength of Iris anJ himself to haul into, position the heavy sheet that lopped the structure, while he was compelled to desist from active building operations in order to fashion s rough ladder. Without some such contrivance lie could not get the top most supports udjusled at a sullieient height. Although the edifice required at least two more days of hard work liefore it would be tit for habitation Iris wished to take up her quarters there Immedi ately. This the sailor would not hear ?f. "In the cave," be said, "you are ah solutely sheltered from all the winds that blow or rain that falls. Our villa, however, is painfully leaky aud drafty nt present. When asleep, the whole body is relaxed, and you are then most open to the attacks of cold or fever, lu which ease, Miss Peane, I shall be re luctantly obliged to dose you with a concoctiuii of that tree there." Ue pom ted to a neighboring clncho tin and Iris nuturally asked why he ?elected that particular brand. "BecHUse it is quinine, not made up In nice little tabloids, but au naturel. It will not be n bad plan If we prepare a strong infusion and take a small quantity every month - "n the excel lent principle that pre -.1 is better thun cure." Tbe girl laughed. Curiously enough. the lining or the veil upon tho luiin's earlier history made these two much better friends. With more complete acquaintance there was far less tendency toward cer tain passages which under ordinary conditions could he construed as noth ing else than downright flirtation. Thenceforth for ten days they labored unceasingly, starting work at daybreak mid stopping only when the light failed, finding the long hours of sunshine ail too short for tlie manifold tasks de manded of them, yet thankful that the night brought reRt. The sailor made out a programme to which he rigidly adhered. In the first place, he com pleted the house, which had two com partments an Inner ro >111, in which Iris slept, and an outer, which served as a shelter for their meals and provided a bedroom for the man. Then he constructed a gigantic sky sign on Summit rook, the small cluster of bowlders on top of the clIIT. Ilis chief difficulty was to hoist Into place the tall poles he needed, and for this purpose he had to again visit Palm Tree rock In order to secure the pulley. By exercising much ingenuity in devis ing shear-legs he at last succeeded In lifting the masts Into their allotted re ceptacles, where they were firmly se cured. Finally lie was able to swing Into air, high above the tops of the neighlKtrlug trees, the loftiest of which he felled in order to clear the view on all sides, the name of the ship Sirdar, I - ? J 'She ruime o} the xhip. fashioned In six foot letters nailed and ?pliced together in sections and made from the timbers of that 111 fated Tea sel. Meanwhile he taught Iris how to wears a net out of tly strands of un raveled cordage. With this, weighted L by bullets, he contrived a casting net ? and caught a lot of small fish in the I lagoon. Among the fish caught they If hit upon two species which most re ? aetnbled whiting and haddock, and these turned out to he very palatable and wholesome. Jenks knew a good deal of botany and enough about birds to differentiate . between ca,l'hivU''iih? species mid those | lie (or nil mil I) rood', while the suit In their most fortunate supply of hami rendered their meals almost epicurean. From the rusty rifles on the reef Jenks brought uway the hnyouats and secured all the screws, holts und other small odds and ends which might be serviceable. From the barrels he built a bandy grate t> facilitate Iris' cook ing operations, and a careful search eai h morning amid the ashes of any burned wreck a ge accumulated a store of most useful nulla. The presdng need for a safe yet ac cessible I. fiing place led him anil tha girl to devote one afternoon to a com plete survey of the coast line. By this time they had given nntnes to nil the chief I call! es. The northerly promon tory wis naturally christened North cape; the western. K.uropu point; the portion of the reef between their hab itation and Palm Tree rock became Filey Brig; the other section Northwest reef. The flat sandy passage across the lsluud, containing the cave, house and well, was named Prospect park, and the extensive stretch of sand on the southeast, with its guard of broken reefs, was at once dubbed Turtle buucli when Jenks discovered that an immense number of green turtles were paying their spring visit to the lsluud to bury their eggs In the sand. The two began their tour of inspec tion by passing the scene of the flrst desperate struggle to escape from the clutch of the typhoon. Iris would not he content until the sailor showed her the rock behind which he pluced her for shelter while ho searched for wuter. For a moment the recollection of their unfortunate companions 011 hoard ship brought a lui p into her throat and dimmed her eyes. "I remember In my prayers every night." she contlded to him. "It seems hi> unutterably sad that they should be loat while we ure alive and happy." The man distracted Iter attention by pointing out the embers of their first lire. It was the only way to choke back the tumultuous feelings that sud , douly stormed his heart. Ilappy! Yes, he had never before known such hnp piness. How long would it Inst? High j up on the cliff swung the Kigual to uux Ions searcliers of the sea that here would be found the survivors of the Sirdar. And then when rescue came, when Miss Deane became once more the daughter of a wealthy baronet and he a disgraced and nameless outcast! He set his teeth and savagely struck ut a l ull cup of the pitcher plant which had s > providentially relieved their killing thirst. "Oh, why did you do thnt?" pouted Iris. "Poor thing: It was a true friend lu need. I wish 1 could do something for It to make It the best and leutieat plant of Its kind on the Island." "Very well," he answered, "you can gratify your wish. A tluful of freah water from the well applied dally to Its roots will quickly achieve that end." The moroseness of his tone and man ner surprised her. For once her quick intuition failed to divine the source of his irritation. "You give your advice ungraciously," she said, "but 1 will adopt it neverthe less." A harmless Ineldeut, a kindly and quite feminine resolve, yet big with fate for both of them. Jcnks' unwonted 111 humor?for the passage of days had driven from hla fucc all Its harshness and from his tongue all Its assumed bitterness created a passing cloud until the phys ical exertion of scrambling over the rnt?hu fit Ihllliwl tlui Vnrlll mum iwxot.nmil tlieir normal relations. At last they reached the south side, and here they at once found them selves in i d .Ichtfully secluded and tiny bu,\ -a. y. tree lined, sheltered ou three do. 1 y cliffs and rocks. "Oh." , 1 1 .s excitedly, "what a lovely s l feet Smugglers' cove!" "Char I enough to look at." was the am i t i comment, "but open to the sea Ii you look at the smooth ri band of v or out there you will per ceive a i ? u:e through the reef. A greut pi c c >:? sharks. Miss Deaue, but no place l bathers." They | id ou. While traversing the coral ewn south beach, with its patches f white soft sand baking in the dire t :ays of the sun, .leaks per ceived i ees of the turtle which swarmi <u the neighboring sea. "Dellc ,us eggs and turtle soup!" he ?liuouuced when Iris nsked him why he was so iutently studying certain marks ou the sand, caused by the great sea tortoise during their nocturnal vis Its to the breeding ground "If they are green turtle," he con tinued. "we are in the lap of luxury. Tbey lard the alderman and inspire the poet. When a ship comes to our assistance 1 will persuude the captain to freight the vessel with them and make my fortune." "I suppose, under the circumstances, you were uot a rich man, Mr. Jenks," said Iris timidly. "I possess a wealthy bachelor uncle who tnado me his heir and allowed me four hundred a year, so I was a sort of Croesus among staff corps officers. Wheu the smash came he disowned me by cable. By selling my ponies and my other belong lugs I was able to walk out or my quarter* penniless, but free from debt." *And all through a deceitful wo 1 muu!" "Tea." Fhe ventured u further step. "Was she very bml to you. Sir. Jenks?" lie stopped und laughed?actually roared at the suggestion. "Ibid to me!" he repeated. "I hud nothing to do with her. She was hum bu icing her husband, not me. Fool that 1 was, I could nut mind uiy own business." So Mrs. Costobell was not flirting j with the man who suffered on her ac ' count. It is ii regretti.oie but true ! (tab incut that Iris would willingly have hugged Mrs. Costobell at that mo ment. Rounding Europu point, the sailor's eyes were fixe I on their immediate surioundliiVH. but Iris gazed dreamily ahead. Ileico it was that she was the Unit to cry In umazeiuent: "A boat! See. there! On the rooks!" There was no mistake. A ship's boat was perched high and dry on the north side of the cape. Even as they scrambled toward It Jenks understood how it had come there. When the Sirdar parted amidships the after section fell buck into the depths beyond the reef, and this boat must have broken loose from its davits and been driven ashore here by the force of the western current. Was It Intact? Could they escape? Was this ark strunded on the island for their benefit? If it were seaworthy, whit1!or shonld they steer to those Is lands whose blue outlines were visible on the horizon? These und a hundred other questions coursed through his bruin during the ruce over the rock*, but all such wild specula tious were promptly settled whfti they reached the craft, for the keel and the whole of the lowwr tim bers were smashed Into match wood. Kilt there were stores on board. Jenks remembered that Captain I toss' foresight hud secured the provlsloulnf of all the ship's boats soon efter the first wild rush to steady the vessel after the propeller was lost. Musts, sails, ours, seats?all save two water casks hud gone, but Jeuks, with eager bands, unfastened the lockers, and hers he found a good supply of tinned meats and biscuits. They had barely recovered from the excitement of this find when the sailor noticed that be hind the rocks on which the craft was firmly lodged lay a small natural basin full of salt water, replenished and freshened by the spray of every gale and completely shut off from ull sea ward access. It was not more than four feet deep, beautifully carpeted with sand and se cluded by rocks on nil sides. Not the tiniest crab or fish was to be seen. It provided an Ideal bath. Iris was overjoyed. She pointed to ward their habitation. "Mr. Jenks," she said, "I will be with yen at teatlme." He gathered all the tins he was able to carry and strode off, enjoining her to fire her revolver if for the slightest reason she wanted assistance, and giv ing a parting warning that if she de layed too long he would come and shout to her. "I wonder," said the girl to herself, watching his retreating figure, "what he Is afraid of. Surely by this time we have exhausted the unpleasant sur prises of the island. Anyhow, now for a splash!" She was hardly In the water before she began to be afraid on account of Jenks. Suppose anything happened to him while she was thoughtlessly enjoy ing herself here! So strongly did the thought possess her that she hurriedly dressed again and ran off to find him. He was engaged In fastening a num ber of bayonets transversely to a long piece of timber. "What are you doing that for?" she asked. "Why did you return so soon? Did anything alarm you?" "I thought you might get into mis chief," she confessed. "No. On the other hand, I am trying to make trouble for any unwelcome visitors," he replied. "I intend to set this up in front of onr cave in case we are compelled to defend ourselves against an attack by savages. With this barring the way they cannot rush ! the position." On the nineteenth day of their resi j donee on the island the sailor climbed, as was his invariable habit, to the j Summit rock while Iris prepared break fast. At this early hour the horizon was clearly cut as the rim of a sap phire. He examined the whole arc of the sea with his glasses, but not a sail was in sight. According to his calcu lations the growing a uy as to the fate of the Sirdar r t long ere this have culminated ii be dispatch from Hongkong or Sin- a pore of a special search vessel, while British warships in the China sea would be warned to keep a close lookout for any traces of the steamer, to visit all islands on their route and to question fishermen whom they encountered. So help might come any day or it might be long deferred. He could not pierce the future, and it was useless to vex his soul with ques tionings as to what might happen next week. The great certninty of the hour was Iris?the blue eyed, smiling divin ity who had come into his life?wait lug for him down there beyond the trees, waiting to welcome him with a sweet voiced greeting, and he knew, with a fierce devouring Joy, that her cheek would not pnle nor her Up trem ble when he announced that ut least another sun must set before the ex pected relief reached them. He replaced the glasses in their case and dived into the wood, giving a pass ing thought to the fact that the wind, after blowing steadily from the south for nearly a week, had veered round to the northeast during the night. Did ! the change portend a storm? Well, they were now prepared for nil such ! eventualities, and lie had not forgot | ten that they p issessed. among other treasures, a box of books for rainy dry*. And a rainy day with Iris for co cany' 'A'lit gale that ever blew c iuIiI oTer such compensation for en forced ldle::"s?? The in irn'n: aped In uneventful work. Iris did not neglect her cherish ed pitcher plant. After luncheon It j was her custom now to carry a dish ful of water to its apparently arid roots, and she rose to fulfill her self lm J posed task. "Let me help you," said .lenks. "I am not very busy this afternojn." "No, thuuk you. I simply won't al low you to t wch that shrub. The deur thing looks quite glad to see me. It drinks up the water as greedily as a thirsty animal." Iris had been gone perhaps live min utes when he heard a distant shriek, twice re|ieuted. and then there came faintly to his ears his own name, not "Jenks," but "Robert," In the girl's voice. Something terrible bad hap pened. It was a cry of supreme dis tress. Mortal agony or overwhelming terror alone could wring that name from her lips. Precisely In such mo liients tills man aeted with the deci sion, the unerring judgment, the in stantaneous acceptance of great risk to accomplish great results, that marked I him out as a horn soldier. He rushed into the house and I snatched from the rack one of the ri- [ Hes reposing there in apple pie order, i each with a filled magazine attached and a cartridge already In position. Then he ran with long strides not through the trees, where he could see nothing, but toward the beach, whence I (n flirt V rnrlla till rilunn nrkase T of a probubly was would become visible. At ouce be saw ber struggling In the grasp of two ferocious looking Dyaks, oue by bis garments a person of conse gueuce, tbe otber a half naked savage, bldeous and repulsive lu appearance, ?round tbem s'veu men armed with guns and parangs were dancing with excitement. Iris' captors were endeavoring to tie ber urms, but sbe wus u strong and ac tive Englishwoman, with muscles well knit by tbe constant labor of recent busy days and u frame developed by years of horse riding and tenuis play ing. The pair evidently found her a tough handful, and the Inferior I>yak, either to stop her screams?for she was shrieking, "ltobert, come to me!" with all her might or to stifle her into sub mission, roughly placed, his huge baud over her mouth. These tliiugs the sailor noticed In stantly. Some men, brnve to rashness, ready as he to give his life to save her, would have raced unidly over the Inter vening ground, scarce a furlong, anil attempted a heroic combat of one against nine. Not bo Jenks. With the methodical exactness of the parade ground he settled down on oue knee and leveled the rifle. None of the Dyaks saw him. All were Intent on the sensational prize \?. _a= ??" In the grasp of .tiro feroclons looking Dytikn. they had secured, a young and benutl ful white woman so contentedly roam ing about the shores of this fetish is- | laud. With the slow speed advised I by the liomau philosopher the back } sight and fore sight of the rifle euuie j into liue with the breast of the coarse brute clutching the girl's face. Then something bit him above the [ heart and simultaneously tore half of his back into fragments. He fell, with a queer sob, and the others turned to face this unexpected danger. iris, knowing only that she was free from that hateful grasp, wrenched her self free from the chief's hold and ran j with all her might along the beach to i Jenks and safety. ? Again and yet again the rifle gave , Its short, sharp snarl, and two more ' Dyaks collapsed on the sand. Six were left, their lender being still uncon sciously preserved from death by the figure of the flying girl. A fourth Dyak dropped. The survivors, cruel savages, but not | cowards, unslung their guns. The sail j or, white faced, grim, with an unpleas ant gleam in his deep set eyes and a lower jaw protruding, noticed their preparations. "To the left!" he shouted. "Run to ward the trees!" Iris heard him and strove to obey.! but her strength was failing her. and | she staggered blindly. After a few de , ?l>alrlnp- eirorts slip lurched feebly to tier kilt-en and tumliletl face downward on the broken coral that had tripped her faltering footsteps. Jeuks wan watching her, watching the remaining Dyuks, from whom a spluttering volley came, picking out his ijuarry with the murderous ease of a terrier in a rat pit. Something like a bee in a violent hurry hummed past his ear. and a rock near his right foot was struck n tremendous blow by an unseen agency. He liked this. It would be u buttle, uot a battue. The fifth Oyak crumpled Into the distortion of death, and then their leader took deliberate aim at the kneel ing marksman who threatened to wipe him and his baud out of existence. Ilut his deliberation, though skillful, was too prof mud. The sailor fired first and was professionally astonished to see the gaudily attired Individual tossed violently backward for many yards, finally pitching headlong to the earth. Had be been charged by a bull In full career he could not have been more utterly discomfited. The Incident wus sensational, but Inexplicable. Yet uuother member of the bund was prostrated ere the two as yet unscath ed thought fit t < beat a retreat. This they now did with celerity, but they drugged their chief with them. It was no part of Jenks' programme to allow them to escape. He aimed again at the man nearest the trees. There was a sharp click and nothlug more. The cartridge w?s a misfire. He hastily sought to eject it. and the rifle jammed. Springing to I is feet, with a yell, he ran forward. The flying men taught a glimpse of him and accelerated their movements. Just as he reached Iris they vanished among the trees. Bliuglng the rifle over his shoulder, be picked up the girl in bis arms. She wag couscious, but breathless. "You are not hurt?" he gasped, his eyes blazing into her face with an in tensity that she afterward remembered as appalling. "No," she whispered. "Listen," he continued in labored Jerks. "Try and obey me?exactly. I will carry you?to the cave. Stop there. Shoot any one you see- till I come." She heard him wonderlngly. Was he going to leave her, now that be had her aafely clasped to his breast? Im possible! Ah, she understood. Those men must have landed in a boat. He Intended to attack tliem again. He was going to fight them single handed, and she would not know what happen ed to him until it was all over. Grad ually her vitality returned. She almost smiled at the fantastic conceit that she would desert him. Jenks placed her on her feet at the entrance to the cave. "You understand," he cried, and with out waiting for an answer ran to the house for another rille. This time, to her amazement, he darted back through Prospect park toward the south beach. The sailor knew that the Ilyaks had lauded at the sandy bay Iris hud chris tened Smugglers' cove. They were ac quainted with the passage through the reef and came from the distant islands. Now they would endeavor to escape by the same channel. They must be prevented at all costs. He was right. As they came out into the open he saw three men. not two, pushiug off a large sampan. Oue of them was the chief. Then Jenks un derstood that liis bullet had hit the lock of the Dyak's uplifted weapou, with the result already described. By a miracle he had escaped. He coolly prepared to slay the three of them with the same calm purpose that distinguished the opening phase of this singularly one sided conflict. The distance was much greater, per haps 800 yards from the point where the boat came into view. He knelt and fired. He judged that the missile struck the craft between the trio. "I didn't allow for the sun on the side of the fore sight," he said, "or per haps I am n bit shaky after the run. In any event they can't go far." A hurrying step on the coral behind him caught his ear. Instantly he sprang up and faced about?to see Iris. "They are escaping," she said. "No fear of that," he replied, turning away from her. "Where sre the others?" "Dead!" "I>o you mean that you killed nearly all those men?" "Six of them. There were nine in all." He knelt again, lifting the rifle. Iris threw herself on her knees by his side. There was something awful to her in this chill and businesslike declaration of a fixed purpose. "Mr. Jenks," she said, clasping her hands in an agony of entreaty, "do not kill more men for my sake!" "For my own sake, then," he growl ed, annoyed at the interruption, as the sampan was afloat. "Then I ask you for God's sake not to take another life. What you have al ready done was unavoidable, perhaps right. This is murder!" He lowered his weapon and looked at her. "If those men get away they will bring back a host to avenge their com rades?and secure you," he added. "It may be the will of Providence for such n thing to happen. Yet I implore you to spare them." He placed the rifle on the sand and raised her tenderly, for she had yield ed to a paroxysm of tears. Not another word did either of them speak in that hour. The large triangular sail of the sampan was now bellying out in the south wind. A figure stood up in the stern of the boat and shook a menacing arm at the couple on the beach. It was the Malay chief, cursing them with the rude eloquence of his barba rous tongue. Anil Jenks well knew what he was saying. (TO RE CONTINUED.) Watson s for Shoes and Ox fords A Valuable Agent. The glycerine employed In Dr. fierce'* medicines greutly enhances the medl elnal pro|>eitios which it extracts and holds in solution much better than alco hol would. It also possesses medicinal pro|s*rtles of Its own, being a valuable demulcent, nutritive, antiseptic and anti ferment. It adds greatly to the efficacy of the Black Cherry bark, liolden Seal root. Stone root and Queen's root, con tained In "Golden Medical Discovery" In subduing chronic, or lingering coughs, bronchial, throat and lung affections, for all of w hich these agents are recom mended by standard medical authorities. In all cases where there is a w asting awav of flesh, loss of api>etite. witn Weak stomach, as In the early stages of consumption, there can he no doubt that glycerine acts as a valuable nutritive and aids the Golden Seal root, Stone root. Queen's root and Black Cnerrybark In promoting digestion and building up the flesh and strength, controlling the cough and bringing about a healthy condition ! of the whole system. Of course. It must not be expected to work miracles. It will not cure consumption except in its earlier stages. It will cure very severe, obstin ate. chronic coughs, bronchia! and laryn geal troubles, aid chronic sore throat with hoarseness. In acute coughs it Is not so effective. It Is in the fingering coughs, or those of long standing, even when accompanied by bleeding from lungs, that it has performed its most marvelous cures. Send for and rend the little Issik of extracts, treating of the properties and uses of the several med icinal roots that enter into Dr. Pierce's Golden Medical Discovery and learn why this medicine has such a w ide range of application in the cure of diseases. It is sent free. Address Dr. R. 7. Pierce. Buffalo, N. Y. The "Discovery" con tains no alcohol or harmful, habit-form ing drug. Ingredients all printed on each bottle wrapper in plain English. Sick people, especially those suffering from diseases of longstanding, are Invited to consult Dr. Pierce by lctti r. free. All correspondence is held "as strictly private and sacredly confidential. Address Dr. K. V. Pierce. Buffalo. N. Y. Dr. Pierce's Medical Adviser Is sent free on receipt of stamps to pay expense of mailing miip. Send 21 one-cent stamps for paper-covered, or 31 stamps for clotn bound copy. His Reward. '?What's the matter, Willikin?" J "Matterenougk. You know some time ago I assigned ali my prop jei tv to my wife to?to keep it out I of the hands of?of people I owe. i you know?" "Yes." "Well,she's taken the money and gone off says she won't live with me be ! cause I swindled my creditors." I ?Tit-Bits. The wrinkled brow of care made smooth by Vick's Little Liver Pills?the Easy Laxative and Liver Tonic for child or adult. 2")c. at Hood's Drug Store. FOR SALE:?1900 Barrels Black Paint, in one barrel lots or car-loads, made expressly for painting shingles and iron roofs, iron cars, smoke stacks, struc tural iron works, ship bottoms, etc. For Prices, samples, etc., write to Thk Alcatraz Co., Richmond, Va. WANTED?Steady and able men to learn the trade of bevel ing and silvering glass for mir rors. Excellent opportunity for quick advancement. Good wages and steady work guaranteed to non-union men. Apply at once to the Standard Mirror Co., ! High Point, N. C. i? I The Implement Co. 1302 Main St., Richmond, Va. Have issued a new and interesting Catalogue telling all about the best Time, Labor and Money Saving Farm Implements. It gives descriptions and prices of Corn and Cotton Planters, Wheel & Disk Cultivators, Farm Wagons, Engines, Buggies, Surries, Harness, Saddles, V. Crimp & other Roofing, I Barb Wire, Fencing, etc. Farmers will get the best Farm Implements on the market and save money by sending us their orders. Write for our Catalogue. Mailed free on request. DeWITT'S WITCH HAZEL SALVE THE ORIGINAL. A Well Known Cure for Piles. Cure* obstinate sores. chapped hands, so lemn, akin diseases. Makes burns and scalds painless. We could not Improve the quality If paid double the price. The beat salve thet experience can produce or that money can buy. Cures Piles Permanently DeWltt'a la the original aad only pure and genuine Witch Hazel Salve made. Look for lha name DeWITT on every box. All otheia art counterfeit. ,T B. O. DeWITT * CO.. CHICAOO. Ask for the I906 Kodol Almanac and 200 Year Calendar. HOOD BROS.
The Smithfield Herald (Smithfield, N.C.)
Standardized title groups preceding, succeeding, and alternate titles together.
April 27, 1906, edition 1
2
Click "Submit" to request a review of this page. NCDHC staff will check .
0 / 75