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M C0X11NUED.
A deadly sensation of nausea nlmost
overpowered hltti, but the love of life
came to Ids aid and he tore the suffo
cating feeler from his face. Then the
iix whirled, and one of the eight arms
of the octopus lost some of Us length.
Vet a fourth Hung itself around his left
ankle. A few feet away, out of range
of the ax and lifting iteir bodily out
of the water, was the dread form of
the cuttle, apparently all head, with
distended gills and monstrous eyes.
The sailor's feet were planted wide
apart. With fienzied effort he hacked
at the murderous tentacles, but the
water hindered him, and he was forced
to lean hack in superhuman strain to
avoid losing his balance. If once this
terrible assailant got him down he
knew he was lost. The very need to
keep his feet prevented him from at
tempting to deal a mortal blow.
The cuttle was anchored by three of
its tentacles. Its remaining urtu darted
Vdi sinuous activity to again clutch
the man's face or neck. With the ax
lie smote madly at the curling feeler,
diverting its aim time and again, bni
falling to deliver an effective stroke.
With agonized prescience the sailor
know that he was yielding. Were the
devilfish a giant of its tribe he could
not have held out so long. As it wii..,
the creature could afford to wait,
strengthening its grasp, tightening its
;olls, pulling and pumping at its prey
with remorseless certainty.
He was nearly spent In a paroxysm
of despair he resolved to give way and
with one mad effort seek to bury the
ax in the monster's brain. Hut ere he
could execute this fatal project, for the
cuttle would have Instantly swept him
Into the trailing weeds, five revolver
shots rang out In quick succession.
Irlrt had reached the nearest rock.
The third bullet gave the ootopus
cause to reflect. It squirted forth a
torrent of dark colored fluid. Instantly
the water became black, opaque. The
-tentacle, nourishing in nir, thrashed
the surface with impotent fury. That
it tul Timbu' ii tt ttti f mif iwl I
11 wuuu (juuua iitiioi. fii-i it int. ti it i
rigid. The ax Hashed witli the Inspira
tion of hope. Another arm was sev
ered. The huge dismembered coil slack
ened and fell away.
Ye was ho anchored Immovably. lie
turned to look at Iris. She never for
got the fleeting expression of his face.
So might Lazarus have looked from the
tomb.
"The rope!" she screamed, dropping
the revolver and seizing the loose ends
Jying at her feet.
She drew them tight and leaned back,
pulling with all her strength. The
sailor flung the ax to the rocks and
grasped the two ropes. He raised him
self and plunged wildly. He was free.
"With two convulsive strides ho was at
the girl's side.
He stumbled to a bowlder and drop
ped In complete collapse. After a time
he felt Iris hand placed timidly on his
shoulder. Pe raised his head and saw
lior eyes shining.
"Thauk you," he said. "We are quits
now."
CIXAPTEK VI.
IERCB emotions are necessarily
transient, hut for the hour they
exhaust the psychic capacity.
The sailor had gone through
F
such mental stress before It was yet
noon that he was benumbed, wholly In
capable of further sensation.
Being In good condition, he soon re
covered his physical powers. He was
outwardly little the worse for the en
counter with the devilfish. The skin
around his mouth was sore. Ills 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 dogllko habit of shaking
himself at the close of a fray. He did
so now" when ho stood up. Iris showed
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 sight of her.
"Come," said Jenks gently. "Let us
got back to the Island."
Ho quietly resumed predominance,
helping her over the rough pnthway of
the reef, almost lifting her when tho
difficulties were great.
He did not ask her how It happened
that she came so speedily to his assist
ance. Enough that she had done It,
daring all for his sake. She was weak
and trembling.
iiniiiiif tho firm sand, she could
walk alone.
niiitlio tlilncr crln you" she
nervously Inquired..
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"All over at once. It felt like. The
beast attacked me with five arms."
She shuddered. "I don't know how
you could light It" she said, "now
strong, how brave, you must be!"
This amused him. "Tho veriest cow
ard will try to save his own life," he an
swered. "If you use such adjectives to
me, what words can 1 find to do Jus
tice to you, who dared to come close
to such a vile looking creature and
kill It. I must thank my stars that you
carried the revolver."
"Ah!" she said. "That reminds me.
Vou do not practice what you preach.
I found your pistol lying on tho stone
in tho cave. That is one reason why
I followed you."
It was quite true. He laid tho
weapon aside when delving at the rock
and forgot to replace it In his belt.
"It was stupid of me," ho admitted,
"but I am not sorry."
"Why?"
"Because, as It Is, I owe you my
life."
"Vou owe me nothing," she snapped.
"It is verv thoughtless of you to run
such risks. What will become of me
if anything happens to you? My point
of view is purely selfish, you see."
"Quite so. Purely selfish." He smil
ed sadly. "Selfish people of your type
are somewhat rare, Miss Deane."
She moved toward the cave, but he
cried:
"Walt one minute. I want to get a
couple of crowbars."
"What for?"
"I must go back there." Ho jerked
his head In the direction of the reef.
She uttered a little sob of dismay.
"I will Incur no danger this time," ho
explained. "I found rllles there. We
must have them; they may mean sal
vation." When Trls was determined about
anything her chin dimpled. It puck
ered delightfully now.
"I will come with you," she announc
ed. "Very well. I will wait for you. The
tide will servo for another hour."
He knew he had decided rightly. She
could not bear to be alone yet. Soon
fhe crowbars were secured, and they
returned to tho reef. Scrambling now
with dllllculty over the rough and dan
gerous track, Iris was secretly amazed
by the remembrance of the daring ac
tivity she displayed during her earlier
passage along the same precarious
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
nervously when they reached tho place.
This time Jenks lifted her across tho
intervening channel.
They were standing on the landward
side of the shallow water in which ho
fought the octopus.
Jtarcmalnlny arm darted to aualnchitch
the vuin'u face and neck.
Already the dark fluid" emitted b'y his
assailant in its final discomfiture was
passing away owing to tho slight move
ment of the tide,
"Now that you have brought me hero
with so much dllllculty, what are you
going to do?" she said. "It will be
madness for you to attempt to ford
that passage again. Where there Is
one of those horrible things there are
others, I suppose."
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"That Is one reason why I brought
the crowbars," he explained. "If you
will sit down for a little while I will
have everything properly fixed."
He delved with one of the bars until
It lodged in a crevice of the coral.
Then a few powerful blows with the
back of the ax wedged It llrmly enough
to bear any ordinary strain. The rope
ends reeved through the pulley on the
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 bo attained by any
amount of pulling.
Iris watched the operation In silence.
The sailor always looked at his best
when hard at work. The half sullen,
wholly self contained expression left
his face, which lit up with enthusiasm
and concentrated intelligence. That
which he essayed he did with all his
might.
He, tolling with steady persistence,
felt not the Inward spur which sought
relief In speech, but Iris was compelled
to say something.
"I suppose," she commented with an
nir of much wisdom, "you are contriv
ing an overhead railway for the safe
transit of yourself and the goods?"
"Y-yes."
"Why are you so doubtful about It?"
"Hecause 1 personally Intended to
walk across. The ropes will serve to
convey the packages."
She rose Imperiously. "1 absolutely
forbid you to enter the water again.
Such a suggestion on your part Is quite
shameful. You are taking a grave
risk for no very great gain that I can
see, and If anything happens to you I
shall be left all alone In this awful
place."
She could think of no better argu
ment. Her only resource was a wo
man's expedient a plea for protection
against threatening Ills.
The sailor seemed to be puzzled how
best to act.
"Miss Deane," ho said, "there Is no
such serious danger as you Imagine.
Last time the cuttle caught hie nap
plug. He will not do so again. Those
rifles I must have. 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, nnd the plan he adopted was
simplicity itself. "When each packago
was securely fastened he attached it to
a loop that passed over the line stretch
ed from the tree to the crowbar. To
this lop he tied the lightest rope he
could find and threw the other end to
Iris. Hy pulling slightly she was able
.to land at her feet even the cumbrous
rlflo chest, for the traveling angle was
so acute that the heavier tho article
tho more readily It sought the lower
level.
They tolled In silence until Jenks
could lay hands on nothing more of
value. Then, observing duo care, ho
quickly passed the channel. For nn
Instant the girl gazed nffrlghtedly at
the sea until the sailor stood at her
side again.
The tide had turned. In a few min
utes the reef would bo partly sub
merged. To carry the case of rifles to
the mainland was a manifestly Impos
sible feat, so Jenks now did that which
done earlier would have saved him
some labor, lie broke opeu the chest
and found that tho weapons were ap
parently In excellent order.
Ho snapped tho locks and squinted
down tho barrels of half a dozen to
test them. These ho laid on one side.
Then he 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 Hour, the broken saloon chair and
other small articles which might be of
use. Ho avoided any difficulty In
launching tho raft by building It close
to the water's edge. When all was
ready tho rising tide floated It for him.
Ho secured It to his longest rope and
gave it a vigorous push off Into the la
goon. Then he slung four rifles across
his shoulders, asked Iris to carry tho
remaining two In like manner and be
gan to maneuver tho raft landward.
"While you land the goods I will
prepare dinner," announced tho girl.
"Please be careful not to slip on the
rocks," he said. "I 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 lor accidents, uowover, to
reassure you, I will go back quickly."
Before he cold protest she started off
nt a run, Jumping lightly from rock to
rock. Disregarding ills snouts, sue per-
! severed until she stood safely on the
sands. Then, saucily waving n fare
well, she set off toward tho cave.
Had she seen the look of fierce de-
. spalr that settled down upon Jenks'
I face as ho turned to his task of guid
ing tho raft ashore she might havo
. wondered what It meant. In any case
she would certainly have behaved dif
ferently. By tho time tho sailor had safely
landed his cargo Iris had cooked their
, midday meal. She achieved n fresh
culinary triumph. The eggs wore fried!
I "I am seriously thinking of trying to
I boll n ham," she stated gravely. "Havo
i J'PA'.IJiy 'ii0". liw long It takes to cook
Frm Here to There
On First and Third Tuesdays
op
May, June, July, August, September,
October and November
TO
Missouri, Arkansas,
Territory
One Fare Plus $2
J. C. LOVKRIN,
Ass't Gon'l Passenger Agent,
Kansas City, Mo.
A.B.(hasE
For
NQ
During nil thoso years A.
havo been acknowledged to
grade. Tho most critical and
them unsurpassed in
Tone, Action and Durability
Wo aro district distributors
Pianos, and "ill gladly put you
uur ruJiuuuiiuitivuB) ui uuiu
and npecial prices.
OLNEY-GASTON
AtUSIC CO.
St. Joseph,
Successor to
T. J. WASHHUKN.
I?8tutllslieil In 1H68.
f.mTTnIIeiTy?""
"A (piarter of an hour for each
found."
"Admirable! But we can measure
UMTlicr hours nor pounds."
"I think we can do both. I will
construct a balance of some kind.
Then, with a ham slung to one end and
a rifle and some cartridges to the other,
I will tell you the weight of the ham
to an ounce. To ascertain the time I
have already determined to fashion a
sundial. I remember tho requisite
divisions with reasonable accuracy,
and a little obtvrvatlon will enable us
to correct any mistakes."
"You aro really very clever, Mr.
Jenks," said Iris, with childlike candor.
"Have you spent several years of your
life In preparing for residence on it
desert Island V"
"Something of the sort. I have led
a queer kind of existence, full of use
loss purposes. Kate has driven me In
to a corner where my odds nnd ends
of knowledge are actually valuable.
Such accidents make men millionaires."
"Useless purposes!" she repeated. "I
can hardly credit that. One uses such
a phrase to describe fussy people, alive
with foolish activity. Your worst ene
my would not place you lu such n
category."
"My worst enemy made tho phrase
effective at any rate, Miss Deane."
"You mean that ho ruined your ca
reer?" "Well or yes. I suppose that da
scribes tho position with fair accura
cy."
"Was ho a very great scoundrel?"
"He was and Is."
Jenks spoko with quiet bitterness.
Tho girl's words had evoked a sudden
Hood of recollection. Por the moment
ho did not notice how he had been
trapped Into speaking of himself, nor
did ho see the quiet content on Iris'
face wht i she elicited the Information
that his chief foe was a man. A cor
talu tremulous hesitancy In her man
ner when she next spoke might have
warned him, but his hungry soul
caught only the warm sympathy of her
words, which fell like rain on parchod
soil.
"You are tired," she said. "Won't
you smoko for a little while and talk
to me?"
Ho produced his pipe and tobacco.
"That Is a first rate pipe," sho de
clared. "My father always said that a
straight stem, with the bowl at a right
angle, was tho correct shape. You evi
dently agree with him."
"Absolutely."
"You will like my father when you
meet him. IIo Is tho very best man
alive, I am sure."
"You two are great friends, then?"
"Great friends! IIo Is tho only friend
I possess In the world."
"Whati. Is tluit 'iUift QccjiratsK-
Homeseekers"
Excursions
Oklahoma, Indian
and Texas
for Round Trip
A. HILTON,
Gon'l Passenger Agont.,
St. Loims, Mo.
Send for our
convincing
booklet,
WHY."
Twenty
Years...
IJ. CHASM Pianos
bo of tho very highest
export musicians Hud
of tho A. B. GIIASI3
in touch with ono of
juu uuuiiuiiuo rf&Mtfm
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HIsSw Vt w
smn&j
tSV-stvi.avwm
i.'iT,-7-j,v, . iv- fz V I
vmaBV. "toftl $31
Mo.
?
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KIjsj
"Oh, quite. OT course', Mr." Jenks, I
can never forget how much I owo to
you. I like you Immensely, too, al
though you are so-so gruff to mo at
times. But but you sec, my father
and I have always been together. I
havo neither brother nor Bister, not
even it cousin. My dear mother died
from some horrid fever when I was
quite- a llttlo girl. My father Is every
thing to me."
"Dear child!" he murmured, appar
ently uttering his thoughts aloud rath
er than addressing her directly. "So
you find me gruff, eh?"
"A regular ir when you lecture mo.
But that Is oi.Ty occasionally. You can
be very nice when you like, when you
forget your past troubles. And pray,
why do you call mo n child?"
"Have I done so?"
"Not a moment ago. How old aro
you, Mr. Jenks? I am twenty twenty
lust December."
"And I," he said, "will be twenty
eight In August."
"Good gracious!" she gasped. "I am
very sorry, but I really thought you
were forty at least."
"I look It, no doubt. Let mo he equal
ly candid and admit that you, too,
show your age markedly."
She smiled nervously. "What a lot
of trouble you must havo had to to
to give you those llttlo wrinkles In tho
comers of your mouth and eyes," sho
said.
"Wrinkles! How terrible!"
"I don't know. I think they rather
suit you. Besides, It was stupid of mo
to Imagine you wero ho old. I suppose
exposure to the sun creates wrinkles,
and you must have lived much In tho
open air."
"Karly rising and late going to bed
are bad for the complexion," he de
clared solemnly.
"I often wonder how army ofllcers
manage to exist," she said. "They
never seem to get enough sleep, In tho
east at any rate."
"So you assume I havo been In tho
army?" ,
"I am quite suro of It."
"May I ask why?"
"Your manner, your voice, your quiet
air of authority, tho very way you
walk, all betray you."
"Then," he said sadly, "I will not at
tempt to deny tho fact. I held a com
mission in the Indian staff corps for
nine years. It was a hobby of mine,
Miss Deane, to mako myself acquaint
ed with the best means of victualing
my men and keeping them In good
health under all sorts of fanciful con
ditions and in every kind of climate,
especially under circumstances when
ordinary stores were not available.
.With Unit object la view I read up
(Continued on Sixth Pago )
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