The watchman and southron. (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, April 26, 1905, Image 2
H SAeWl?
|?|Mornii
Tb?n^o~Beg?n their ~fcb?r~?f inspe
tion bypassing the scene of the fir
desperate struggle tb escape from tl
clutch of the typhoon. Iris would n<
?>e content until the sailor showed h<
the rock behind which ht placed h<
lor shelter while he searched for wate
ITor a moment the recollection of the
nnfortunate . companions on board shi
brought a lump into her throat an
^dimmed her eyes.
"I remember them in my pray?
every night" she confided to him. ?1
ceems so unutterably sad that the
should be lost while we are alive an
fcappy."
The man distracted her attention b;
pointing out the embers of their firs
fire. It was the only way to chok
back the tumultuous feelings that sud
Sdeniy stormed his heart Happy!. Yes
lie had never before known such hap
piness. How long would it last? Hig]
op on the cliff swung the signal to am
ions searchers of the sea that her?
Ifould be found the survivors of th*
Sirdar. And then when rescue came
when Miss Deane became once mor<
the daughter of a wealthy baronet an?
lie a disgraced and nameless outcast
He set his teeth and savagely strucl
at a full cup of the pitcher plant whicl
had so providentially relieved then
bil ling thirst
"Oh, why did you do that?*' pontee
Iris. "Poor thing; it was a true friend
in need. I wish I could do something
for it to make it the best and leafiest
plant of its kind on the island."
""Very well," he answered, "you can
gratify your wish. A tinfnl of fresh
water from the well applied daily to
its roots ?'?pJl 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
Ibis irritation.
.
^You give your advice ungraciously,"
she said, "but I will adopt it neverthe?
less."
A harmless incident a kindly and
quite feminine resolve, yet big with
fate for both of them,
r Jenks' unwonted ill humor-for the
passage of days had driven from his
face all 5ts' harshness and from his
tongue all its assumed bitterness
; . " created-a passing cloud until the phys?
ical exertion of scrambling over the,
rocks t^round the North cape restored
their normal relations.
At last they reached the south side,
?and here they at once found them
iseives in a delightfully secluded and
.tiny bay,'sandy, tree lined, sheltered
on three sides by cliffs and rocks,
r-y "Oh," cried Iris excitedly, "what a
2ovely spot a perfect Smugglers' cove!"
"Charming enough vto look at" was
the answering comment "but open to
the sea. If you look at the smooth ri?
band of water ont there yon will per?
ceive a passage through the reef. A
great place for sharks. Miss Deane, but
no place for bathers." ?
They passed on. While traversing
the'coral strewn south beach, with its
patches of white soft sand baking in
the direct rays of the sun, Jenks per
: ? eel ved traces of thc turtle which
swarmed in the neighboring sea.
"Delicious eggs and turtle soup!" he
announced when-Iris asked him why.
tie was so intently studying certain
marks on'the sand, caused by the great
sea tortoise during their nocturnal vis?
its to the breeding ground.
*Tf they are green turtle," he con
tinned, "we are in the Jap of luxury.
They lard the alderman and inspire
the poet When a ship comes to our
assistance I will persuade the captain
ti> freight the vessel with them :5hd
make my fortune."'
"?I suppose, under the circumstances,
yon were not a rich man, Mr. Jenks,"
M<i said. Iris timidly.
*T possess' a wealthy bachelor uncle
who made me his heir and allowed me
' lour hundred a year, so I was a sort of
Croesus among staff corps officers.
When the smash came he disowned me j
hy cable. By selling my ponies and my
.other belongings I was able to walk
out of my quarters penniless, but.free
from debt"
"And all through a deceitful wo?
man!"
"Yes."
She ventured a further step.
"Was she very bad to you. Mr.
Jenks?"
He stopped and laughed-actually
roared-at the suggestion.
"Bad f to me!" he repeated. "I had
nothing to do with her. She was hum
bugghig her husband, not me. Fool
that I was, I could not mind my own
business."
So Mrs. Costobell was not flirting
with the man who suffered on her ac?
count It is a regrettable but true
statement that Iris would willingly
have hugged Mrs. Costobell at that' mo?
ment
Rounding Europa point the sailor's
eyes were fixed on their immediate
Surroundings, but Iris gazed dreamily
ahead. Hence it was that she was the
f"u?st to cry in amazement:
. A boat! See. t::ere! On the rocks!" j
There was no mistake. A ship's boat
was perched high and dry on the j
north side of the cape. Eve:; as they
scrambled, toward it .Tonks understood
. bow.it had come there.
I When the Sirdar parted amidships
jfcbe after section fell back into thc
depths beyond the reef, and this boat
must have broken loose from its davits
and been, driven ashore here by t'^
gs of the
4
m
By LOUIS
TRACY
Copyright. 1903. by
Edward J. Clode
force of the western current
Was it intact? Could they escape?
Was this ark stranded on the island
for their benefit? If it were seaworthy,
whither should they steer-to those is?
lands whose hine outlines were risible
on the horizon?
These and a hundred other questions
coursed through his brain durin? the
race over the rocks, but all such wild
speculations were promptly settled
when they reached the craft for the
keel and the whole of the lower tim?
bers, were smashed into match wood.
But there were stores on board.
Jenks remembered that Captain Ross*
I foresight had secured the provisioning
of aH the ship's boats soon after the
first wild rush to steady the vessel
after the propeller was lost Masts,
sails, oars, seats-all save two water
casks-had gone, but Jenks, with eager
hands, unfastened the lockers, and
here he found a good supply of tinned
meats and biscuits. They had barely
recovered from the excitement of thia
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 all sea?
ward access.
It was not more thai, four feet deep,
beautifully carpeted with sand and se?
cluded by rocks on ail 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
you at teatime."
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;, fiat 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 tlris 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 y as 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?"
*T 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 our cave in case we
are compelled to defend ourselves
against an attack by savages. With
t??is barring the way they cannot rush
the position."
On the nineteenth day of their resi?
dence on the island the sailor climbed,
as was his invariable habit, to tb*
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 anxiety as to the
fate of the Sirdar must long ere this
have culminated in the dispatch from
Hongkong or Singapore of a special
search vessel, while British warships
?n the China sea would be warned to
keep a close lookout for any Traces o?
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 certainty of the hour
was Iris-the blue eyed, smiling divin?
ity who had come into his life-wait?
ing for him down there beyond the
trees, waiting to welcome him with a
sweet voiced greeting.. and he knew,
wth. a fierce devouring joy, that her
cheek would not pale nor her lip trem?
ble when he announced that at least
another' sun mr.s.t 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
th?? northeast during the night Did
the change portend a storm? Well,
they were now prepared for all such
eventualities, and he had no: forgot
teu that they possessed, ame %g other
treasures, a box of books 1 <r rainy
dry*. And a rainy day with iris for
company' What gale that ever blew
could offer such compensation for en?
forced idleness?
Tl e morning sped in uneventful
work, his did not neglect her cherish?
ed pitcher plant. After luncheon it
was ber custom now to carry a dish?
ful of water to its apparently arid
roots, and sb?? rose to fulfill her self im?
posed tpsk.
"Let me help you." said Jenks. "1
am "not very busy this afternoon.*'
"No, thank you. I simply won't al?
low you to touch that shrub. The dear
thing looks quite glad to see me. It
drinks un the water as greedily as a
thirsty animal."
Iris had been gone perhaps five min
utes when he heard a distant shriek,
twice repeated, and then there carno
faintly to his ears his own name, not
-Jerks*." but ".Robert" in the girl's
voice. Something terrible had hap?
pened. It was a cry of supreme dis?
tress. Mortal agony or overwhelming
terror aione could wring that name
from her lips. Precisely in such mo?
ments this man acted with the deci?
sion, the unerring judgment, the in?
stantaneous acceptance of great risk to
accomplish great results, that marked
him out as a born soldier.
He rushed into the house and
snatched from the rack one of the ri?
fles reposing there in apple pie order,
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
in forty yards the place where Iris
probably was would become visible.
At once he saw her struggling in the
grasp of two ferocious looking Dyaks,
one by his garments a person of conse?
quence, the other a half naked savage,
hideous and repulsive in appearance.
Around them seven men armed with
guns and parangs were dancing with
excitement
Iris' captors were endeavoring to tie
her arms, but she was a strong and ac?
tive Englishwoman, with muscles well
knit by the constant labor of recent
' busy days and a frame developed by
years of horse riding and tennis play?
ing. The pair evidently found her a
tough handful, and the inferior Dyak,
either to stop her screams-for she was
shrieking, "Robert, come to me!" with
all her might-or to stifle her into sub?
mission, roughly placed his huge hand
over her mouth.
These tilings the sailor noticed in?
stantly. Some men, brave to rashness,
ready as he to give his life to save her,
would have raced madly over the inter?
vening ground, scarce ? furlong, and
attempted a heroic combat of one
against nine.
Not so Jenks.
With the methodical exactness of the
parade ground he settled down on one
knee and leveled the rifle.
"None of the Dyaks saw him. All
were intent on the sensational prize
In thc grasp of two ferocious looking
Dyalis.
they had secured, a young and beauti?
ful white woman so contentedly roam?
ing about the shores of this fetish is?
land. With the slow speed advised
by the Roman philosopher the back
sight and fore sight of the rifle came
into line 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
with all her might along the beach to
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 leader 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?
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?
spairing efforts she lurched feebly to 8
her knees and tumbled face downward J
on the broken coral that had tripped e
her faltering footsteps. f
Jenks was watching her, watching ?
the remaining Dyaks, from whom a j
spluttering volley came, picking out c
lr . quarry with the murderous ease of c
ii rricr in a rat pit. Something like a (
bee in a violent hurry hummed past c
his ear, and a rock near his right foot c
was struck a tremendous blow by an >
unseen agency. Ho liked this. It would '
be a battle, not. a battue.
Tlie fifth Dyak crumpled into the
distortion ol' death, and Tn;-.) their i r
leader took deliberate aim at the kneel- ! c
in.u- marksman who threatened to wipe 2
him and his band out of existence, t
Hut his deliberation, though skillful. '<
was too profound. The sailor fired first c
and was professionally astonished to f
see the gaudily attired individual c
tossed violently backward for many t
XM?St ?J?^?Z CLtckmS. headlong to the c
earth. Had lie boen charged by a bull
in full career he could not have been
more utterly discomfited. The inciden
was sensational, but inexplicable.
Yet another- member of the band was
prostrated ere the two as yet unscath?
ed thought fit to beat a retreat. This
they now did with celerity, but they
dragged 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 nothing more. The
cartridge was a misSre. He hastily
sought to eject it, and the rifle jammed.
Springing to his feet, with a yell, he
ran forward. The flying men caught a
glimpse %f him and accelerated their
movements. Just as he reached Iris
they vanished among the trees.
Slinging the rifle over his shoulder,
he picked up the girl in his arms. She
was conscious, 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 wonderingly. Was he
going to leave her, now that he had
her safely clasped to.his breast? Im?
possible! Ah, she understood. Those
men must have landed in a boat. He
intended to attack them again. Hs
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
sut waiting for an answer ran to the
house for another rifle. This time, to
her amazement, he darted back through
Prospect park toward the south beach.
Uhe sailor knew that the Dyaks had
landed at the sandy bay Iris had 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,
pushing off a large sampan. One of
them was the chief. Then Jenks un?
derstood that his bullet had hit the
lock of the Dyak's uplifted weapon,
with the result already described. By
a miracle he had escaped.
He coolly prepared to slay the three
of them with thc same calm purpose
that distinguished the opening phase
of this singularly one sided conflict.
The distance was much greater,, per?
haps SOO yards from the point where
the boat came into view. He knelt and
ftol. He judged that the missile struck
t?? 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 a bit shaky after the mn. 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 arc escaping," she said.
"No feai- of that," he replied, turning
away from her.
"Where are the others?"
"Dead!"
"Do you mean that you killed nearly
all those men?"
"Six* of them. There were nine in
all." * .
He knelt again, h'ftirg 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 a 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. And Jenks well knew
what he was saying.
[TO BE CONTINUED.]
Killed With a Baseball Bat.
Bamberg, April 20.-A distressing
iccident occurred Monday afternoon
it the home of Mr. N. Z. Felder,
lear town, by which his 9-year-old
ion, Sam, lost his life. The- little
ellow, with other?, was playing ball
tod while running along with a 'oat
n his bands, fell and Strock one end
?f the bat on the around and the
)ther under his chin.' His neck was
iislocated and despite the attention
)t' several physicians he died about 0
relock last night.
- i^HK -4P- ---
Dhamberlaiirs Gough Remedy
the Best and Most Popular.
"Mother* buy it for croupy children, rail
o id men bay it tor severe coughs and
Uerly people buy it tor la grippe, 'vay
door? Bros., Elden, Iowa. "We sell more
if Chamberlain's Cough Remedy than any
>iher kind. It s^em- to have taken tin.- lead
. vcr several other (rood brands." There is j
?o ^uoition but this medicine is the best j
hat can be produced for coughs and j
old?, whether it be -i child or an adult
hat is pfllicted. lt always cures and
rares quickly. Sold by all druggists.
TBE HEW BfllLBOAP.
A PARTY OF CAPITALISTS AND
RAILROAD MEX IXSPECTIXG
THE HOLTE.
Tile Early Construction of thc Short?
est Line to the Coal Fields Almost
An Assured Fact.
From the Daily Item April 20.
A party of capitalists and practical
railroad men arrived in the city yes?
terday afternoon and last evening they
held a lengthy conference with the lo?
cal promoters of the Sumter and
Northern railroad-the road that is to
be built from this city to McBee via
Bishopville to connect with the Sea?
board Air' Line. These gentlemen
went into the minutest details of the
enterprise asking for facts and figures
in reference to the country the pro?
posed road will traverse, the business,
freight and passenger, of this city and
many other facts that must be con?
sidered as factors of the success of a
railroad. They were given the fullest
information possible for the gentle?
men who have been promoting this
enterprise hs:ve made a close and
careful study of the situation and
were prepared with facts and figures
to confirm every statement. The sta?
tistics laid before these railroad men
and capitalists were a revelation to
them and they expressed themselves
as being amazed at the volume of
business transacted here and at the
cotton receipts.
They were so much impressed by
the facts laid before them that they
decided to go over the line of the pro?
jected road and today they are out on
a tour of inspection between this city
and Bishopville. These gentlemen are
prepared not only to finance the pro?
jected road if their personal observa?
tions confirm the statistics laid before
them, but to take the active supervis?
ion of the construction and operation
of the road.
Since the actual conditions that pre?
vail were understated, rather than
over es?mf ted to them, the investiga?
tion that they are making will tend
to increase their good opinion of the
enterprise, it is practically a certainty
that they will undertake to build the
new road at the earliest possible date.
It is probable from what these gen?
tlemen said during the conference that
the new road will not stop at Sumter,
but will be carried through to Charles?
ton and will be made a through line
from the coal fields to the sea coast.
The building of this road means a
great deal to Sumter and this sec?
tion of the state and Sumter's geo?
graphical situation is such that it
must be built in the near future. When
this road is built, the projected road
from Conway will follow as a matter
of course, since a connection with this
road will give Conway and Southport,
X. C., the most feasable route to the
coal fields.
A couple of reporters who were
assigned to a Newt York park recent?
ly took a note of? the Fifth avenue
aristocrats who passed. They counted
113 pet dogs in the various
carriages, but only 17 babie?, whicb
goes to prove the assertion that
families of the rich are very small.
Col. L. W. Yonmans, of Hampton?
County, who is one of tbe largest
cotton planters in - the State will
plant 500 acres L?ss of t he staple tb is
year ti^an formerly. His use of fertili?
zer will also be reduced 30 per cent.
CASTOR IA
For Infants and Children.
file Kind You Have Always Bought
THE HEGE LOG BEAM
ISAW MILL.
WITH
HEACOCK-KING FEED WONKS
ENGINES AND BOILERS, WOODWORKING
MACHINERY, COTTON GINNING, BRICK
L MAXING AND SHINGLE AND L/.TH
MACHINERY, CORN MILLS, ETC., ETC.
GIBBLS MACHINERY CO.,;
Columbia, S. C.
THE G.?BBES SHINGLE MACHINE
DeL?RHPS
PHARMACY,
23 South Main St. ,
Open from 7 a. in. to IO p.
n. ; Sunda}'. 9 a. m. io 1 p. ni.
Having consolidated my two
itores, ? will be pleased to see
di my customers at the above
itand, where I am better pre?
mired than ever to serve them
Your prescriptions will be
jailed for and delivere i.
Phone 45.
Kuli line of Drugs, Garden
leed and Cigars.
Your patronage solicited.
Call bell for night work. |
V Garden Truck
can be raised profitably only in soil
contain1 ng plenty of Potash. All
vegetables require a fertilizer con?
taining at least io per cent, actual
Without Potash no fertilizer is com?
plete, and failure will ioliow its use.
Every farmer should have our valuable books
on fertilization-they aro not advertising
matter booming any special fertilizer, out
books of authoritative information that means
lar?c profits to the farmers. Sent free for the
asking.
GEE MAN KALI WOEKS
New York-93 Nassau Street, or
Atlanta, Ga.-22^ South Broad Street.
MONEYS
PICKED UP ! !
BY
Writing Life Insurance In The
Penn Mutual Insurance Go.
i
1 BE RAL contracts to live agents
in unoccupied territory.
ADDRESS
PERRY MOSES, JR.
General ?gent, Slimier, S. C.
I
$100,000.00 Capital.
THE FIRST Wm BUNK
of Sumter, S. C.
1
THE Comptroller of the Currency hav?
ing approved the increase of the Capital
of this Bank to $100.000.00, depositors
now have as security for their deposits :
Capital, - - $100,000 00
Stockholders' Individual Lia?
bility, - - . '.oaooo 00
Surplus and Undivided Prof -
its, - - - 25.000 00
Total Security fer Depositors, $225.000 00
ONLY NATI0NLA BANK IN CJTY 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 OE DIRECTORS?, "?
A. J. CHINA, President. *^
NEILL O'DONNELL, Vice President.
H. D. BARNETT, E. D. LEE,
GK A. LEMMON, JOHN REID,
E. P. KICKER.
R. L. EEML'NDS, Cashier.
E. D. LEE, Solicitor.
BOOKKEEPERS.
J. L. McCpJium, D. J. Winn, Jr. ?
_Oliver L. 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, per
annum, payable semi-annually.
W. F. B. HAYNSWORTH, President
R. L MANNING, W. F. RHAMF,
vice-President. Cashier.
Jan. 31._
THE SUMTER SAVINGS BANK.
HORACE HARBF, President.
L C. STRAUSS. Vice-president.
GEO. L. RICEER, Cashier.
Capital Stock, $25,000
Liability of Stockholders, 2^,000
i
Every Facility
For the transaction of business is afford?
ed those who deposit their money with
The Sumter Savings Bank,
Important papers can be arawn up and
signed in a private room set aside for use
of our clients and any information de?
sired will be cheerfully famished by the
management.
Savings deposited here draw interest at
the rate of 4 per cent p?r annum. Si.00
will open an account and secure a bank
book.
Wo promotiy obtain U. S. and Foreign ?
{ & ? 1 mode!, sketch or photo of invention for<
free report on patentability. ?or free book <
fe^rTRABE-MARKS "ST