Tillamook headlight., December 24, 1914, Image 2

•
their numbers. He was overborne In vainly with his bonds. As for Rose,
And for i -v ral seconds longer the There's nothing to go by—except the her she lingered upon the sands, in a twinkling, ».nd had his face ground she wasted no strength in struggling—
I I ->in
----- ... strangled
------- tpinta
jn its
its bare possibility that the reef she the mouth of the shelter he had se­ brutally into the saud while his hands perhaps had none to waBte. When he
stillness
their
'
ruthless
gra
f
p.
spoke of may be Norton's. It doesn't lected for her, staring hungrily out on were made fast with stout rope behind looked her way he saw her exquisite
The Masked Voice.
cry
shrilled
'
Then
of
a
sudden
a
seem possible, but we may have made the shimmering sea that, now wholly" his back. And when he rose, it was profile unmarred by any line of Mar or
For a matter of twelve hours 1110
divested of its shroud, smiled up to to find, as be had anticipated, that doubt, sharply relieved against the
fog, leaden, dank, viscous, as inexor­ through tho f«»,r, rn near at hand Hint that much southing. In that case
the heavens, whose sapphire face it Rose's resistance had been as futile darkness of the rising flood. Her level
able as the dominion of evil, had it seemed m urccly more distant than we re about three miles off the main­
mirrored, as fair and sweet of seem­ ns his own; she. too, was captive, her gaze without a tremor traversed the
over
tlio
side
land,
somewhere
In
the
neighborhood
wrapped the world in an embrace as
ing as though it had never veiled a hands bound like bis, the huge and un­ shining flood to its far horizon.
"Alloy!
Help!
Ahoy
there!
Help!
”
of
Katama
island,
a
little,
rocky,
deso
­
foul and noxious as the coils of some
He noted that already the waters
So insistent, so urgent «as its ac­ late bump of earth, inhabited mainly heartless tragedy.
clean paw of one ot Judith s crew cru­
great, gray, slimy serpent.
| Slowly it darkened as the sapphire elly clamped upon her shoulders.
had risen more than an inch.
Through its sluggish folds the pon- cent that, coupled with tho surprise, by fishermen."
Humbled even In his terror by that
The girl wrung het hands. "But above grew darker, blending insen­
They were granted time to exchange
derous, tower-impelled lifeboat crept it brought the three as one to their
sibly into rare ultramarine with the no more than cne despairing glance radiant calm that dwelt upon her. he
at a snail's pace, its stem parting and feet, all a tremble, their eyes seeking how could Judith get there—and with
elow decline of the sun, by whose al­ when a curt laugh fairly chilled the ventured diffidently; "Rose — M s
rolling back from either flunk a heavy- one another's faces, then shifting un­ her men—and ammunition?”
titude above the horizon the day had blood in .Mr. Barcus, and he swung Trine—”
easily
away.
"Don't
ask
me.
Going
on
my
expe
­
hearti d sea of gray.
not more than ninety minutes to run. sharply between his two guards to
"U
hat
can
it
be?
”
Rose
whispered,
She turned her head and found the
rience
with
the
lady,
I'd
be
willing
to
in the bows a young woman rested
And she thought drowsily that if «onfront Judith Trine.
heart to smile. "Rose,” she corrected
in a state of semi exhaustion, her eyes aghast, shrinking into AJatfs ready bet that she was picked up by the
steamer that ran us down, and pro­ that sun sank without her learning
The woman he saw at first glance, gently.
closed, he head pillowed on a cork­ arm.
i
that her lover lived, it would not rise was in one of her most dangerous
I
"A
woman,
”
Barcus
put
In
harshly.
“I’m sorry," he said—which was not
ceeded
to
make
a
prize
of
It
—
or
try
!
belt life-preserver, her sodden gar­ I
"Judith,” the girl mowied.
to. One thing's certain—she must again upon a world tenanted by Rose moods—if, Barcus mentally qualified, at all what he had meant to say, “I've
ments modeled closely to the slender
Alan shook himself together. "Im­ have found or stolen a boat from Trine.
there was a pin to choose between her done my best. I suppose it's wrong
body that was ever and again shaken
It was not true, she told herself, that moods. But now, beyond dispute, she to give up—but they’ve made it too
from head to feet with the strength possible!" he contended. "I saw her somebody; they couldn't have made
go down . .
Norton’s reef by swimming—it’s too I people never die of broken hearts.
: exhibited a countenance new in his much for me, this time.”
of a long, shuddering respiration.
She knew that, were he taken from experience with her, and one well cal-
"That doesn’t prove she didn't come
"I know,” she said gently.
Seated on the nearest thwart, Alan
her, she could no longer live. . . . culated to appall.
"You”—he stammered—“you’re not
Law, chin in hand, watched over the up,” Itarcu« commented acidly.
And sleep overwhelmed her sud­ j' Her face was bloodless, even ae her afraid?”
“Ahoy! Motorboat alioo-oy! Help!’
rest of this woman whom he loved
denly, like a great, dark cloud . . . lips were white with the curb she put
"And that,” Barcus pursued sadly
"There is nothing to fear,” she said
with a grimly hopeless solicitude. 11 b
But its dominion over her faculties upon her passion. Her eyes were lurid “but death. . . .”
was in no happier case than she, so “just proves she did come up—blame
was not of long duration. Slowly, with the glare of rage approaching
"Then,” he said more bravely, after
far as physical comfort went—he was the luck! Alive she is, and kicking;
'heavily, mutinously, she was rescued mania. Her hands trembled, her lips a time—the water now was near his
stand clear. An able-bodied pair of
in worse, since ho might not rest.
from its nirvana—came to her senses; quivered, all her actions were abrupt chin—"good-by—good luck!"
Premonition of misfortune darkened lungs was back of that hail, my friend;
with an effect of one who emerges ' with nervousness.
"Not yet, dear friend,” she returned
his heart with its impenetrable and you needn’t tell me I don’t know
from some vast place of blackness and 1 1 He was by no means poor-spirited, “not yet.”
I the dulcet accents of that angelic con­
shadow.
terror, to find Barcus kneeling over but he shrank openly from the look
But the sun was perilously close
In the stern Tom Barcus presided tralto!”
and gingerly but persistently shaking she gave him, and was relieved when upon the rim of tho world. But a little
Without heeding him, Alan cupped
morosely over the steering gear; and
her by the shoulder.
Law was no more jealously heedful of hands to mouth and sent an answer­
she. with a sneer, passed him by and time, and it would be night.
And then she sat up with a cry of planted herself squarely before her
his eweetheart than Barcus of the ing cry ringing through the murk:
He closed his eyes to shut out the
mystified compassion; for in the brief sister.
"Ahoy! Where are you? Where
heavy-duty motor that chugged away
vision of its slow, implacable descent.
time that he had been absent—it had I | “Well?” she demanded brusquely.
so purposefully at its business of driv­ away?”
The water was now almost level
not been more than an hour—Mr. Bar­ "How much longer do you think I’m with his lips; it seemed strange that
“Here—on the reef—half drowned
ing the boat heaven knew-where.
cus
had
most
unquestionably
been
se
­
peril
king
w¡th
chill
—
"
Lacking at once a compass, all no­
going to tolerate your interference—
’How does my voice bear?” Alan
verely used.
tion whatsoever of the sun’s bearings,
you poor little fool! How many more
He had acquired a long cut over one lessons will you require before realiz­
and any Immediate hope of the fog called back.
eye, but shallow, upon which blood ing that I mean to have my way, and
"What the dickens do you care?”
lifting or chance bringing them either
had dried, together with a bruised and that you’ll cross me only tc buffer
to land or to rescue by some larger Barcus interpolated suspiciuosly.
"To port,” the response rang through
swollen cheek that was badly for it?”
and less comfortless craft, Barcus
scratched to boot. And what simple
steered mainly through force of habit the fog. "Starboard your helm and
The courage of the other girl won
articles of clothing remained to him, the unstinted admiration of Mr. Bar-
•the salt-water man’s Instinctive feel­ come in slowly!”
after
his
strenuous
experiences
of
the
“Right-o! Half a minute!" Alan re­
ing that no boat under way should
cus. Far from cringing, she seemed
last forty-eight hours, had been re­ to find fresh heart in her sister’s chal-
ever in any conceivable circumstance plied reassuringly.
duced to even greater simplicity; his Rnge. Her head was high, her glance
"Like hell!” Mr. Barcus muttered in
be without a hand at the helm. It had
shirt, for example, now lacked a sleeve level with illimitable contempt as she
seemed impossible that it could long his throat as he jumped down iie'o the
that had been altogether torn away replied:
escapo repetition of the disas.ter, but engine pit and bent over the fly-wheel.
Leaping on tlie forward thwart and
at the shoulder.
somehow, it always did escape, and
"So you’ve tried again?” she In-
“No!” he told her, as soon as he 6aw quiied obliquely, with a tone cf pity.
that by a wide margin; never once balancing himself perilously near the
gunwale,
Alan
strained
his
vision
her
wits
were
awake
once
more
—
had it passed near enough to another
' Ycu've offered him your love yet an­
vainly against tlie opacity of the fog.
“don’t waste time pitying me. I'm all other time, have you?”
vessel to see it.
"Can't make out anything,
anything." ” lie
right—and so is Alan! That's the
And now for more than an hour the
"Silence!” Judith cried in fury.
main thing for you to understand; he's
silence had been uncannily constant, grumbled, looking back. "Start her
"Only to learn once more that he
up
—
but
slow
s
the
word
—
and
'ware
still
alive
and
sound
—
”
broken only by the rumble of the mo­
v.-ou’d rather death than you?” Rose
"But where is he? Take me to
tor, the mut' d lisp of water slipping 'reef!”
Yanked Him Off to His Cell.
persisted, unflinching. “And
"Nothing doing,” Barcus retorted
him!” she demanded, rising with a come to take your spite out
down the side, the suck and gurgle of
the wake.
| curtly. "The motto is now ‘Full «peed
That’s the answer; they were movement of such grace and vigor do you? You pitiful thing!
Forebodings no less portentous than astern!’ as you must know.1
picked up, stole a boat, and piled it that it seemed hard to believe she had think I mind—knowing as I
now
"O come! We can’t leave a woman up on the reef.”
ever known an instant'« weariness.
Law’« crawled iu the mind of Barcus.
that
he
could
never
hold
you
in
any-
i
"That's the rub,” Barcus confessed,
it was as likely as not that the life­ out there—in a fix like that!”
"And there's no hope—1”
thing but compassion and contempt?'
“Can’t we? You watch!” Barcus
boat was traveling straight out to sea.
“Only of the fog relenting. If we squatting on the sands and knuckling
For an instant there was silence;-by
¡grunted
malevolently,
rocking
tho
his
hair.
“
I
dassent
take
you
to
him.
And gasoline tanks can nnd oftentimes
could make the mainland and get
the
scorn of her sister the heat of
Judith might object. Besides, you can
do become as empty as an official heavy flywheel with all his might; for help , .
Judith’s fury had bren transformed
weather prophet's promise of fair tlie motor had turned suddenly stub­
ills accents died away Into a discon­ see for yourself it isn’t safe to mlngie into a cold and malignant rage. She
weather for a holiday.
I born.
solate silence that was unbroken for with the inhabitants of this tight controlled herself and her voice mar­
They Fought Like Madmen.
"Alan!” Rose pleaded, laying a hand upward« of an hour.
little island—and you can't get to
Moro than this, Mr. Barcus was a
velously.
confirmed skeptic in respect of ma­ upon his sleeve. “Think what it
So slowly the current bore the llfe- where Alan is without mingling con­
"You will see,” ehe said in even and his throat ccu.d be so dry,
rine motors; on terms of long and means! I know it rounds heartless of boat toward the 'beach and so still siderably. Sit down, and I’ll tell you
frigid accents. And the light of her parched . . .
intimate experience wftli the ways of me -and it’s my own sister. Hut you the tide that Barcus never appreciated all about it, and we'll try to figure out
He opened his eye«, shuddering.
know how mad she is—wild with ha­ they were within touch of pny land what's best to be done. Maybe we mania leaped and leaped again in her
eyes
like
a
living
flame.
“
I
have
pre-
“
It’s good-by now,” he faltered.
ired and Jealousy, if you take her into until the bows grounded with u «light can manage a rescue under cover of
pared a way to make you understand
“Not yet!” her voice rang beside
this boat, it's your life or hers!”
night.”
jar and a grating sound.
’’Jf we leave her out there,” Alan
And when the girl had settled her- v. he' opposition to me nier.na . . .” him, vibrant. "Look—up there—along
With a cry of incredulity he leaped
I 'io waved a hand toward the nearer the cliff!”
retorted, slinking his arm impatiently to his feet — "Land, by all that's self beside him he launched into a
r
int of rocks. "Take them along,”
He lifted his gaze . . .
free, "it's her life on our heads!”
lucky!”—and stooping, lent a hand to detailed report.
ciie commanded.
Two men were running along the
Al tills Juncture the motor took the girl, aiding her to rise.
"It’s Katama island, all right,” ho
The understanding between her and cliff—and the man in. the lead was
charge of tlie argument, ending it in
Hardly bail Rose Had time to com­ announced, “but a chance has como
summary fashion. With a smart ex­ prehend what had happened, when over the place since 1 visited it some her men was apparently complete; for A’an. But his lead was very scant,
plosion in the cylinder, it started up Barcus was over the tide and wres­ years ago. Then it was a community these last, without hesitation or fur­ and the man who pursued wa3 one ot
unexpectedly, at one and the same tling with the bows, dragging the boat of simple-hearted villagers and flsher- ther instructions, marched Rose and Judith’s, and stuck to the trail like a
Barcus down to the end ot the 6pit blood-hound fresh from the leash.
'time almost dislocating the arm of farther upon the shoals.
'men; now, unless all signs fail, it's a and on, into the water.
And now the water was at his lips;
Mr. Barcus and precipitating Alan
She was, however, more than one den of smugglers. I noticed a num­
It was nearly knee-deep before Bar­
overboard.
man could manage; and when her ber of Chinese about; and that, taken cus was halted with a savage jerk, Barcus could no more speak without
strangling.
it was not glven
|
him to know what stem had bitten a little more deeply in connection with the fact that, when
Of a sudden he groaned in his heart;
was happening until lie found himself into the sands, Barcus gave over tlio I ventured to introduce myself to tlio backed up to a rock, forced despite his
in the water; he struggled to the eur- attempt and, lifting Rose down, set village ginmill and ask a few inno­ frenzied resistance to sit down in the though there was no passable way
face just in time to see the bows of her on dry land, then climbed back into cent questions, the entire population, water, and swiftly, with half a dozen down the cliff, still the sight of his
friend alive and unharmed had brought
tlie lifeboat back away and innlsli Into tlie vessel, rummaged out her anchor to a child, landed on me like a thou­
with it a thrill of Lope; now that hope
the mist.
nnd cuble, and carried them ashore, sand brick—the two circumstances
died as he saw Alan stumble and go
planting the former well up towards made me think we’d stumbled on a
to his knees.
settlement of earnest workers at the
tin foot of the cliff.
CHAPTER XVI.
Before ha could rise the ef’er was
And ns he rose from this laet labor gentle art of helping poor Chinamen
upon him, with the fury of a wolf seek­
he was half blinded by the glare of the evade the exclusion laws.”
Tiic Island.
ing the throat of a stag.
With a wry smile, he pursued: “As
Not more Ilian twenty second; could westering sun as it broke through the
For an instant they fought like mad­
fog.
for
me,
I
landed
out
back
of
the
joint,
have elapsed before Barcus recovered
men; then, in a trice, the sky line
in
less
than
five
minutes
the
miracu
­
on
the
nape
of
my
neck,
and
took
the
from the shock of the motor's treach­
of the cliff was empty; one or tho
ery Hiitllidently to reverso tho wheel, lous commonplace was an acorn- count, surrounded by a lot of unsym­
other had tripped Rnd fallen over the
plished
fact;
the
wind
had
rolled
the
pathetic
boxes
and
barrels
that
had
throttle down the carburetor and jump
brink, and falling had retained hold
fog back like a scroll and sent it spin­ seen better days. And when I came to
Delivered
Hands of
out of the engine pit.
of his enemy and carried him down as
ning
far
out
to
sea,
while
the
shore
and
started
to
crawl
unostentatiously
Enemy.
But,'in that small space of time tho
well.
llfelnat and Alan I.aw hid pitted com­ on which the two had landed was away, I was just In time to witness the
By no chance, Barcus told himself,
the demon of perversity that tenants
.
i
deluged
with
sunlight,
bright
and
landing
of
your
amiable
sister,
that
pany an definitely ns though olio of
could either escape uninjured.
them one and all, he knew that the
beautifully warm.
gang of cutthroats she keeps on the
them
had
been
levitated
bodily
to
tho
Yet, to his amazement, he saw one
present sweet-tempered performance
| He showed a thoughtful and consld- pay roll, and Alan in company with as
man break from the other'« embrace
ot the exhibit under consideration lar side of the earth.
j crate countenance to the girl.
choice a crew of scoundrels as you'd
It could not have been more than
and rise. And ho who lay still, a
was no earnest whatsoever of future
care to see. I gathered from a few
"You're about all In?”
good behavior, that when such a com­ n minute after tho accident before ' She nodded confirmation of this, words that leaked out of the back door
crumpled, inhuman heap upon the
plicated contraption was concerned Ban us was guiding the boat over which was no more than simple truth. of the barroom, that it was as I had
sands, was Judith’s man.
wiiat, going on his sense of location
there was never any telling . . .
With a violent effort Barcus lifted
thought—Judith had Btolen a boat
“Where are we?” she added.
In view of all of which considera­ nnd Judgment of distance, he could
his mouth above water and shrieked:
He made her party to his own per­ from the ship that picked her up. and
have
sworn
was
the
precise
spot
tions he presently threw open the bat-
plexity.
rammed it on Norton's reef; and after
“Alan! Alan! Help! Here—at the
v hero,Alan had disappeared, but with­
tery switch.
end of the point—in the water—help!"
"You're not able to travel,” he pur­ she gathered Alan in the schooner of
And the aching void created in the out discovering a sign ef him.
A precious minute was lost before
sued. "Do j ou mind being left alone these smugglers happened along, and
And for the next twenty minutes while I take a turn up the beach and ehe hailed it and struck a bargain with
silence by the cessation of that uni-
Alan discovered their two heads, so
form drone was startling enough to he divided his attention between at- have a look round? We can't be far the captain and signed co partnership
brj-ely above that swiftly rising flood.
rouse even Rose Trine from her state ; tempts to soothe and reassure the from some sort of civilization: even articles, or something like that. Any­
Then he ran toward them as he had
half distracted girl and efforts to If it's an island there are no desert way, her lot and the islanders were
of semi somnolence.
never run before, and as he came
With a look of panic she sat up, educe a/reply from Alan by stentorian isles along this coast. I'll find some­ soon as thick as thieves, and tanking Already the Waters Had Risen Over whipped out a Jack-knife and freed its
thrust damp hair back from her eyes, ■ hailing—»w ith* as little success in tho thing soon enough, no fear."
an Inch.
up so sociably that I actually got a
blade.
, one as In the other,
and nervously Inquired;
By tacit consent both avoided men­ chance to whisper a word to Alan and
Even so—since it was, of courso,
j
"Alan!"
he
shrieked
at
tho
“What's the matter?”
top of tion of Alan, but each knew what tell him you were all right, and that deft hitches of rope and a stanch Rose whom Alan freed the first—
"Nothing," Barcus told her. ”1 shut I Ills lungs. "Alan! Give a hail to tell thought was uppermost In the other's he'd find us both down here on the knot, made fast in that position—sub­ Barcus was half-drowned before Alan
’ us you're safe!”
the engine off that's till.”
mind.
beach, if luck served him with an es­ merged to his chest.
helped him in turn up to tho beach.
There was a little pause; lie was
This accomplished, the men turned
Tempers were abort in that hour,
“There's a niche among the rocks cape. That was all I got a chance to
And as this happened the last blood-
and Alan was annoyed to think that | racking his brains for some more mov- j up here.” Barcu« Indicated, "almost a *ay. for Judith marched up Just then attention to Rose, lashing her in simi­ red rim of the sun was washed under
the rest of hts beloved should need­ I Ing mode of appeal when the answer i eave. You'll be warm and dry enough, and yanked him off to his cell. I mean lar wise at Barcus’ side.
by the waves.
lessly have been disturbed.
Standing just above the water-line,
I I came in another voice in tho voice ind secure front observation overhead. to say. he's locked up now in a little
Two minutes later the lifeboat was
W hat did you do that for?" he de­ of Judith Trine, clear, musical, effer­ I Maybe you can even snatch a few stone hut on the edge of the cliff, with with every sign of complete calm and
afloat, and Mr. Barcus, already recov­
manded sharply.
vescent with siirsloiilc humor:
sanity
other
than
that
ominous
flicker
­
winks of sleep. . . .”
the door guarded and the window over­
ered, was laboring with the flywheel
“Be at peace, little one—bleat no
"Because I Jolly well wanted to,”
She negatived that suggestion with looking a sheer drop of thirty feet or ing in her eyes, Judith superintended of the motor, stimulated to supreme
the
business
till
its
conclusion,
then
more!
Mr.
Law
Is
with
us
—
and
safe
Barcus returned in a tone as brusque.
a weary smile; no sleep for her until so to the beach. When I'd seen that
exertion by the sight of a party, led by
waved the men away.
"Oh, you did eh?”
—Oh, quite, quite sale!"
sheer exhaustion overpowered her, or much I calculated it was about tlmo
Judith, racing madly down the beach.
In dumb consternation Barcue she knew of Alan’s fate.
Acs, 1 did—eh! 1 happen to be
Quietly,
like
well
trained
servants
for me to get quit of that neighbor­
But it was not until well out from
bossing this end of tlie boat and to I sought the countediince of Hose. Her
they turned their backs and marched shore and on the way to the safety
And so, reiterating his promise to hood. before Mam'selle Judith nicked off.
have sense enough to realise there'« I eyes, meeting his, were blank with bo gone no longer than absolutely me with the evil eye.”
promised by the mainland—now read­
no sense at all in our wasting fuel the | despair, lie shook.his head helplessly might *
And again, after a brief wait, the ily discernible on the horizon—that
"You don't think she saw you?” the
be needful, be left her there.
i and let his hands .Mangle idly between
way we are—cruisiug uowhere!”
woman laughed her short and mirth­ any one of them found time for speech.
girl cried.
’
"Well.” I.aw contended, struck by i hie knees.
"I don't think so.” Barcus allowed less laugh,
Then Mr. Barcus straightened up
CHAPTER XVII,
With no way on her, the lifeboat
the fairness of this argument, but un­
gravely; and then, lifting his gaze, ha „ "The tide will he high,” she said, from his assiduous sttenttons to the
able to culm his uneasiness—"just ite drifted with a current of unknown set
precisely
at
sunset.
You
mav
time
'
added as he rose in a bound: "I just
motor, and observed:
same, we might—”
»
Thls Mortal Tide.
your lives by that. When the sun dips ’
I i and strength. *
know she did—that'« all.
“You bear a charmed life, my ad­
"What can we do?" Iloae implored. ,
Yes; of course, we might," Barcus
She was very certain she would
In another instant he was battling into the sea, then will your lives go venturous friend. I want to tell you
«napp' d "We might a whole lot. We "We must do' something. We can't ' never sleep before her anxiety was might and main with three willing ruf­ down with it”
that when I saw you go over that cliff
might, for instance, be heading for leave him . . . Oh, when I think j assuaged by word of Alan's fate; but fians. who had come suddenly into
She turned on her heel and strode
Spain, for all you or 1 know to the of him there,'iu her hands, 1 could go ' she reckoned without her host of ▼lew round a shoulder of rock; but his swiftly away, wrtth not so much as a I made up my mind your usefulness
would be at least permanently im­
contrary And In such case, 1 for one mad!”
trials that had bred In her a fatigue efforts were shortlived, foredoomed to backward glance, overtook her men,
"If only I knew,”* Banus protested; nnodyuous even to her mental an­ failure. He was weakened with suffer­ and passed quickly from sight around paired. As it is, I don’t mind telling
respectfully prefer to have gas enough
you that if ever I get out of this affair
to take us home again if ever this "but my hauds are tied, my wits i».o I guish.
ing and fatigue—and the three were the farther point of rocks.
■live, I m go'ng to hsvc a try at your
4*-blessed fog mtsl” -
aa helpless as uiy eyes are blind. ' For a luuo alter Barcus had let» fresh ami had the courage al ¡east oi
lor some time Barcus struggled
life myself, just once, for Iqck!”
CHAPTER XV.
B
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4