Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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''Forgive me, Miss De???t~ ?e~s?id penitently. "My words are-dictated by anxiety. I do not wish you to make "??scoveries on your own account This ls a strange place, you know-an un? pleasant one in some respects." "Surely I can rummage about my wn cave?' "Most certainly. It was careless of tue not to bave examined its interior more thoroughly." 'Then why do you grumble because I found the lamp?" *T did not mean any such thing. I am sorry." "I think you are horrid. If you want to wash you will find the water over ?bere. Don't wait The ham will be frizzled to a cinder." Unlucky Jenks! Was ever man fated to incur such unmerited odium? He savagely laved his face and neck. The j fresh, coo! water was delightful at j first, but when he drew near to the fire he experienced an unaccountable sensation ot weakness. Could it be possible that he was going to faint? It was too absurd. He sank to the ground. Trees, rocks and sand strewn earth Indulged in a notad dance. Iris1 voice sounded weak and indistinct II seemed to travel in waves from a great distance. He tried to brush away from his brain these dim fancies, hui his iron will for once failed, and he pitched headlong downward into dark* ness. When he recovered, the girl's left arm was around his neck. For one blissful instant he nestled there con? tentedly. He looked into her eyes'and saw that she was crying. A gust of anger rose witnin Mm that he should be tbe cause of those tears. He tried to rise. "Oh! Are you better?" Her ups quivered pitifully. "Yes. What happened? Did I faint?" "Drink this." She held a cup to his mouth, and he obediently strove to swallow the con? tents. It was champagne. After the nrst spasm of terror and when; the ap? plication of water to his face failed to restore consciousness Iris had knocked the head off the bottle dt champagne. He quickly revived. Nature had only .given him a warning that he was over tirawing his resources. He was deep " %y humiliated. He did. not conceive the -truth, that only a strong man could 'do all that he had done and live. For ^tnirty-six hours he had not slept Dur? ing part of the time he fought with wilder beasts than they knew at Ephe? sus. The long exposure to the sun, the mental strain of lus foreboding that the charming giri whose life depended ?pon him might be exposed to even ? worse dangers than any yet encounter tad, the physical labor'he had under {gone, the irksome restraint he strove to place upon his conduct and utterances -all these things culminated in utter relaxation when the water touched his teated skin. "How could you frighten me so?" de? manded Iris hysterically. "You must . ^feave felt that you were working too bard. You made me rest Why didn't you rest yourself?" He looked at her wistfully. This col? lapse must not happen again for her ??ce. These two said more with eyes than lips. She withdrew her arm. * Her tace and neck crimsoned. "Good gracious!" she cried. "The ham is ruined!" It was burnt black. She prepared a ;fresh supply. When it was ready -Jenks was himself again. They ate in silence and shared the remains of the bottle. A smile illumined his tired tace. Iris was watchful She had never ?n her life cooked even a potato or boiled au egg. The ham was her first attempt "My cooking amuses you?" she de? manded suspiciously. "It gratifies every sense," he mur? mured. "Tfcore is but one thing need? ful to complete my happiness." '"And that is?" ""Permission to smoke." "Smoke what?" He produced a steel box tightly t?osed "and a pipe. "Your pockets are absolute shops," said "the girl, delighted that his temper had improved. "What other stores do you carry about with you?" He lit his pipe and solemnly gave an inventory of his worldly goods. Be? yond the items she had previously seen lie cou!d only enumerate a silver dol? lar, a very so?ed and crumpled hand? kerchief and a bit of tin. A box of Norwegian matches he threw away as oseless. but Iris recovered them. "Ton never know what purpose they may serve." she said. In after days a weird significance was attached to this j simple phrase. ? ""Why do you carry about a bit of tin?" she went on. "I found it here. Miss Deane," he answered. Luckily she interpreted "here" as applying to the cave. "Let me see it May I?" Ho handed it to her. She could make nothing of it, so together they puzzled over it. The sailor rubbed it with a inixture of kerosene and sand. Then figures and letters and a sort of dia ?ram were revealed. At last they be? came decipherable. By exercising pa? tient ingenuity some one Lad indented the metal with a sharp punch until the j 2?arks assumed thjsjispect: gs of the , By LOUIS i O TRACY Copyright. 1903. by m^ Edward J. Clode / \ / r. / Ni **\\ ( 113.Sut/ / \ AA/ TC / ? H : \ ?-ir:;-'' / Iris was quick witted. "It is a plan of the island," she cried. "Also the latitude and the longitude." "What does 'J. S.* mean?" ''Probably the initials of a man's name. Let us say John Smith, for in? stance." "And the figures on thc island, with the *37 and the dot?" '1 cannot tell you at present," he said. "I take it that the line across the island signifies this gap or canyon, and i the small intersecting line the cave. But 32 divided by 1 and an 'X' sur? mounted by a dot are cabalistic. They would cause even Sherlock Holmes to smoke at least two pipes. I have bare? ly started'one." "It looks quite mysterious, like the things you read of in stories of pirates and buried treasure." "Yes," he admitted. "It is unques? tionably a plan, a guidance, given to a person not previously acquainted with the island, but cognizant of some fact connected with it. Unfortunately none of the buccaneers I can bring to mind frequented these seas. The poor beg? gar who left it here- must have had some other motive than searching for a cache:,' , "Did he dig the cave and the well, I wonder?" "Probably the former, but not the well. No man could do it unaided." "Why do you assume he was alone'?" He strolled toward the fire to kick a stray log. "It is only idle speculation at the best, Miss Deane," he replied. "Would you like to help me to drag some timber up from the beach? If we get ? few big planks we can build a fire that will last for hours. We want some extra clothes, too, and it will soon be dark." The request for co-operation gratified her. She complied eagerly, and with? out much exertion they hauled a re? spectable load of firewood to their new camping ground. They also brought a number of coats to serve as coverings. Then Jenks tackled the lamp. It was a most difficult operation to open it Before the sun went down he sue ceeded and made a wick by unraveling a few strands of wool from his jersey. When night fell, with the suddenness of the tropics, Iris was able to illumi? nate her small domain. They were both utterly tired and ready to drop with fatigue. The girl said "good night," but instantly re? appeared from behind the tarpaulin. "Am I to keep the lamp alight?" she inquired. "Please yourself, Miss Deane. Bet? ter not, perhaps. It will only burn four or five hours anyway." Soon the light vanished, and he lay down, his pipe between his teeth, close to the cave's entrance. Weary though he was he could not sleep forthwith. His mind was occupied with the signs on the canister head "32 divided by 1; an 'X' and a dot," he repeated several times. "What do they signify?" Suddenly he sat up, with every sense alert, and grabbed his revolver. Some j thing impelled Mm to look toward the I spot, a few feet away, where the skele I ton was hidden. It was the rustliDg of [ a bird among the trees that had caught his ear. j He thought of the white framework j of a once powerful man, lying there j among thc bushes, abandoned, forgot I ten. horrific. Then he smothered a cry of surprise. "By .lover he muttered. "There is no 'X' and dot. That sign is meant for a skull and crossbones. It lies exactly on the part of the island where we saw that queer looking bald patch today. First thing tomorrow before the girl awakes I must examine that place." He resolutely stretched himself on his share of the spread out coats, now thoroughly dried by sun and fire. In a minute he was sound asleep. CHAPTER V. jhrirl ' av,'D--:? -? ?ad the sun high in * |-g ! the heavens. Iris wai prepar l ing breakfast; a fine Ore was L-J crackling cheerfully, and thc presiding goddess Lad so altered her appearance that the sailor surveyed her with astonishment. Ile noiselessly assumed a sitting pos? ture, tucl&d his feet beneath him and j blinked. The girl's face was not visi- j ble from where he sat, and for a few j seconds he thought he must surely be I dreaming. She was attired in a neat navy Line dress and smart blouse. Her } White canvas shoes were replaced by j strong leather boots. She was quite j spick and span, this island Hebe. So soundly had he slept that his ' senses returned but slowly. At last he. rrjessed what liad happened. _She h?cfriseri with "the d?^nlihd, conqu ing her natural feeling of repulsi? selected from the store he accun lated yesterday some more suital garments than those in which she > caped from the wreck. He quietly took stock of his tattered condition and passed a : bective hand over the stubble on 1 chin. In a few days his face wot resemble a scrubbing brush. In tl mournful moment he would have ? changed even his pipe and tobacco bc worth untold gold, for shaving tack Who can say why his thoughts to such trend? Twenty-four hours c effect great changes in the hum; mind if controlling influences are ? five. Then came a sharp revulsion of fe? ing. His name was Robert-a meni; He reached for his boots, and Ii heard him. "Good morning !" she cried, smilh sweetly. "I thought you would nev awake. I suppose you were very, ve: tired. Please wash quickly. The eg will be hard." "Eggs!" "Yes. I made a collection among tl trees. I tasted one of a lot that look? good. It was first rate." He had not the moral courage to b gin the day with a rebuke. She w: irrepressible, but she really must n do these things. He smothered a si| in the improvised basin which wi placed ready for him. Miss Deane had prepared a capit meal. Of course the ham and biscui still bulked large in the bill of far but there were boiled eggs, fried b; nanas and an elderly cocoanut. The.? > things, supplemented t>y clear, cold w? ^br, were not so bad for a Roupie < castaways hundreds of miles ""fro] everywhere. For the life of him the man cou! not refrain from displaying the coi versational art in which he excelle: Their talk dealt with Italy, Egypt, Ii dla. He spoke with the ease of cultui and enthusiasm. Once he slipped int anecdote apropos of the helplessnes of British soldiers in any matter oui side the scope of the king's regulationf "I remember," he said, "seeing a cav airy subaltern and the members of ai escort sitting half starved on a numbe of bags piled up in the Snakin des erl And what do yon think were in th< bags?" "I don't know," said Iris, keenly alert for deductions. "Biscuits! They thought the bagi contained patent fodder until I eulight ened them." It was on the tip of her tongue t( pounce on him with the comment "Then you have been an officer in th? army." But she forbore. She nae guessed this earlier. Yet the mis?hie vous light in her eyes defied control He was warned in time and pulled himself up short "You read my face like a book," sb? cried. "No printed page was ever so-legi? ble. Now, Miss Deane, we have gos? siped too long. I am a laggard this morning, but before starting work I have a few serious remarks to make." "More digs?" she inquired saucily. T repudiate 'digs.' In the first place, you must not make any more experi? ments in the matter of food. The eggs were a wonderful effort; but, flattered by success, you may poison yourself." "Secondly?" "You must never pass out of my sight without carrying a revolver, not so much for defense, but as a signal. Did you take one when you went bird's nesting?" "No. Why?" There was a troubled look in his eyes when he answered: "It is best to tell you at once that before help reaches us we may be vis? ited by cruel and bloodthirsty sav? ages. I would not even mention this if it were a remote contingency. As matters stand, you ought to know that such a thing may happen. Let us trust in God's goodness that assist? ance may come soon. The island has seemingly been deserted for many months, and therein lies our best chance of escape. But I am obliged to warn you lest you should be taken unawares." Iris was serious enough now. ' "How do you know that such dan? ger threatens us?" she demanded. He countered readily. "Because 1 happen to have read a good deal about the China sea and its frequenters," he said. "I am the last man in the world to alarm you needlessly. All I mean to convey is that certain precautions should be taken against a risk that is possible, not probable. No more." She could not repress a shudder. The sailor wanted to tell her that he would defend her against a host of savages if he were endowed with many lives, but he was perforce tongued tied. He even reviled himself for having spo? ken, but she saw the anguish in his face, and her woman's heart acknowl? edged him as her protector, her shield. "Mr. Jenks," she said simply, "we are in God's hands. I put my trust in him and in you. I am hopeful-nay, more, confident. I thank you for what you have done, for all that you will do. If you cannot preserve m? from threat? ening perils no man could, for you are as brave and gallant a gentleman as lives on the eartli today." Now, the strange feature of this ex? traordinary and unexpected outburst of pent up emotion was that the girl pronounced his name with the slightly emphasized accentuation of one who knew it to he a mere disguise. Thc J man was so taken aback hy her dec? laration of faith, that the minor inci- j dent, though it did not escape him. was j smothered in a tumult <>!" feeling. lie could not trust himself to speak. Ile rose hastily and seized the ax to deliver a murderous assault upon a sago palm that stood close .:i hand. Iris was the first to recover a degree : of self possession. For a moment she i had bared her soul. With reaction j came a sensitive shrinking. Her deli- J cate nature djsapnyoved thesg senti- j mental displays. She wanted TD DOT. her own ears. With innate tact she took a keen in? terest in the felling of the tree. . .'What do you want it for?" she in? quired when the sturdy trunk creaked and fell. Jenks felt better new. '.This is a change of diet," be ex? plained. "Xo: we don't boil the leaves or nibble the bark. When I split this palm open you will find that the in? terior is full of pith. I will cut it out for you. and then it will be your task to knead it with water after well wash? ing it, pick out all the fiber and finally permit the water to evaporate. In a couple of days the residuum will be? come a white powder, which, when boiled, is sago." "Good gracious!" said Iris. "The story sounds unconvincing, but I believe I am correct It is worth a trial." "I should have imagined that sago grew on a stalk like rice or wheat" "Or Topsy!" She laughed. A difficult situation had passed without undue effort Un? happily the man reopened it. While using a crowbar as a wedge he en? deavored to put matters on a straight? forward footing. "A little' while ago." he said, "you seemed to imply that; I had assumed the name of Jenks." But Miss Deane's confidential mood had gone. "Xothing of the kind," she said coldly. "I think Jenks is an ex? cellent name." She regretted the words even as they fell from her lips. The sailor gave a mighty wrench with 1he bar, splitting the log to its clustering leaves. "You are right," he said. "It is dis? tinctive, brief, dogmatic. I cling to it passionately.*? Soon afterward, leaving Iris to the manufacture of sago, he went to the leeward side of the island, a search for turtles being his ostensible object When the trees hid him he quickened his pace and turned to the left in or? der to explore the cavity marked on the tin with a skull and crossbones. To his surprise he hit upon the rem? nants of a roadway-that is, a line through the v/ood where there were no well grown trees, where the ground bore traced of humani ty in the shape of a wrinkled and mildewed pair of Chinese boots, a wooden sandal, even the decayed remains cf a palki, or lit? ter. At last he reached the edge of the pit and the sight that met his eyes held him spellbound. The labor of many hands had torn a chasm, a quarry, out of the side of the hill. Roughly circular in shape, it had a diameter of perhaps a hundred feet, andv at its deepest part toward the cliff, it ran to a depth of forty feet On the lower side, where the sailor stood, it descended rapidly for some fifteen feet. Grasses, shrubs, plaints of every va? riety, grew in profusion down the steep slopes wherever seeds could find precarious nurture until a point was reached about ten or eleven feet from the bottom. There all vegetation ceas .ed, as if forbidden to cross a magic circle. Below this belt the place was a charnel house. The bones of men and animals mingled in weird confusion. Most were Hie place was a charnel house. mere skeletons. A few bodies-nine the sailor counted-yet preserved some resemblance of humanity. These lat? ter were scattered among the older rel? ics. They wore the clothes of Dyaks. Characteristic hats and weapons de? noted their nationality. The others, the first harvest of this modern Gol? gotha, might have bce::i Chinese coo? lies. When the sailor's fascinated vi? sion could register details he distin? guished yokes, baskets, odd looking spades and picks strewn amid the bones. Thc animals were all of one type-small, lanky, wita long pointed skulls. At last he spied a withered hoof. They were phrs. [TO BE CONTINUED.] The Frrtqrrnnce of Ynsuns. Many smokers are probably unaware that a part of tho fragrance of Savana cigars is imparted by the wrappings called "yaguas" in which they are | rolled. A yagua is the thin, netlike covering found on the leaves growing j round the fruit of thc yagua pr.hu and j is large enough to wrap a bundle of fifteen or twenty cigars. So highly are yaguas esteemed that a Cuban law prohibits thc exportation of them. WUWmmaS????^?(k.?Sr?- ? ENGLAND INFORMED. TI iE JAPANESE AMBASSADOR AC? QUAINTS ENGLAND WITH JAPAN'S TERMS. Distinct Progress in Peace Negotia? tions Expected to Be Made Within the Next Week. Birmingham, England, March 31. The Post says it has reason to believe that Baron Hayashi, the Japanese am? bassador to England, yesterday in? formed Lord Lansdowne, secretary of State for foreign affairs of the terms on which Japan will consent to make peace. Distnct progress in the peace negotiations are expected to be made within the week. NAN PATTERSON'S SISTER And Her Husband. J. Morgan Smith. Under Arrest in Cincinnati. Cincincinnati, March 31.-Positive identification of J. Morgan Smith and his wife, who are wanted in New York in connection with the Nan Patterson trial, is expected to be made by Pawn? broker Stern, who is expected to ar? rive today from New York. It is upon the apprehension of these two that District Attorney Jerome hopes to con? vict not only Nan Patterson for the muder of Caesar Young, but either one or the other Smiths, or both, as her allies. The woman confided to the matron last night that she had not slept a full n>ght since the arrest of her sister Nan and has been much worried since the tragedy. Smith as? serts his willingness to return to New York without requisition papers, say? ing he has nothing to fear. WOMEN BURNED TO DEATH. Fatal East Side Fire in the City of New York, New York, March 31.-Ellen Mon chan, a widow, 50 years old, was burn? ed to death in her home at 205 East Sixty-Seventh street this morning, Mrs. Ward, also a tenant of the house, made a daring reseue of her husband, who was sick with pnuemonia, and her six children. The loss by fire was trifling. Now that an English syndicate has stepped in and paid some $3,000,000 for the secret of manufacture, the figh'i over tl e right to use the word Chartreuse on the most famous liquor of Europe seems to be settled. The en? forced removal of the monks who own? ed the secret of Grenoble, France, to Tarragons, Spain caused widespread distress amoung those who had form? erly been employed by the distillery. The French government, has failed to get at the secret ; the French product was being barred by legislation from other countries, as au imitation, and the monks likewise, produced, it is claimed an inferior article, owing to the impossibility of obtaining the finest sorts of old brandy in Spain, whither they had transferred their monastary. So the present sale is like? ly to meet with public approval. A London judge has recently decid? ed that SI.80 is enough for a man to pay for his wife's Easter bonnet Shanghai, March 26.-The provin? cial mints have been issuing unlimit? ed quantities of debased copper cur? rency whereby officials have profited to the extent of 18,000,000 taels an? nually. As a result of this debase? ment of the currency a financial col? lapse is threatened. Halifax, N. S., March 25.-Two great trans Atlantic liners, the Paris? ian, of the Allan line, and the Albano a Hamburg-American boat, both bound in, heavily loaded with passen? gers, collided off t'?e harbor's entrance tonight. Both'were seriously damaged but reached their docks and landed their passengers safely. ?.The Parisians stern touched bottom as she reached ncr wharf, while hard pumping kept he Albano free. Anyone sending a sketch and description may Tnickiv ascertain our opinion free whether an invent ion ?3 probably patentable. Comm'inicn : ions strictly confidential. Handbook on Patenta sent free, o'idest nirency for securing patents. Parents tr lien tlirout:^ Munn & Co. receive special notice, without charge, in the Scientific American. A.handsomely 3In?trared weekly. J.nrcest cir ;n;atio.i of nny setctifie Journal. Terms, a ..???ur : lour months, i i. SOK? by all newsdealers. Wm ?G9.36?c:o:?-!;Now Yqr^ DeLORflE'S PHARMACY, 23 South Main St. Open from 7 a. m. to 10 p. m. ; Sunday, 9 a. m. to 1 p. m. Having consolidated my two stores, 1 will be pleased to see all my customers at the above stand, where I am better pre? pared than ever to serve then? j Your prescriptions will bel called for and delivered. Phone 45. Full line of Drugs, (larder] j Seed und Cigars. Your patronage solicited. Call bell for night work. 1 is necessary for cotton to produce high yields and good fibre. Write for our valuable books on fertilization; they contain informa? tion that means dollars to the farmers. Sent free on request. Write now while you think of it to the GERMAN KALI WORKS New York- ? Atlanta, Ga. 93 Nassau St., or Q ^jtteet. PICKED UP!! BY Writing Life Insurance In The Penn Mutual insurance Go. I 1BERAL contracts to live agents tn unoccupied territory. ADDRESS PERRI MOSES, JR. General ?gent, Sumter, S. G. $100,000.00 Capital. THE FIRST NATIONAL Ml of Sumter, 3. 0. THE Comptroller of the Currency hav mg approved the increase of the Capita of this Bank to $100,000.00, depositors now have as security for their deposits : Capital, - - . $100,000 OC Stockholders' Individual Lia? bility, - - - '.00,000 OG Surplus and Undivided Prof? its, r . - - 25,000 00 Total Security for Depositors, $225,000 00 ONLY NATION LA BANK IK CITY OF SUMTER. Largest Capital of any Bank in this section of South Carolina. Strongest Bank in Eastern part of this State. Interest allowed on deposits to a limited amount. BOARD OP DIRECTORS. A. J. CHINA, President. NEILL, O'DONNELL, Vice President. H. D. BARNETT, R. D. LEE, Gk A. LEMMON,1 JOHN REID, E. P. BICKER. R. L. EE MUNDS, Cashier. R. D. LEE, Solicitor. BOOKKEEPERS. J. L. McCpHutn, D. J. Winn, Jr. _Oliver lu Yates._ THE BANK OF SUMTER] SUMTER, S. C. City and County Depository. Capital stock paid in, $75,000 00 Undivided surplus, 16,000 00 Individual liability of stockhold? ers in excess of their stock, 75,000 00 Transacts a general banking business; also has a Saving Bank Department. De? posits of $1 and upward received. Inter? est allowed at the rate of 4 per cent, pei annum, payable semi-annually. W. F. B. HAYNSWORTH, President. R. I. MANNING, W. F. RHAMB, vice-President. Cashier. Jan. 31._ THE SUMTER SAVINGS BANK. HORACE HARB?, President. L C. STRAUSS. vice-President. GEO. L. RICEER, Cashier. Capital Stock, $25,000 Liability of Stockholders, 215,001. i Every Facility For the transaction of business is afford ed those who deposit their money with The Sumter Savings Bankfc Important papers can be drawn up an signed in a private room set aside for us of our ciienis and any information dc sired will be cheerfully furnished hy th management. Savings deposited here draw interest s the rate of 4 per cent per annum. $1.0 will open an account and secure a ban book. ^ , Wo promotly obtain U. i?, and Forden I EO ??Ul ?M t iris? ??a cSead iel,ste! ..; or photooiinvent?on?M fir-*: report on patentability. ?-or free book, . If ? ? it in rr J b\ S : \\'^ to lilil? i?l jC >posite U. S. Patent Office ^JWASKiNGTON D.C.