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'34...- .... ..
‘ helpl
' An
the hghti hei
'ence for him
to still hope, even when for us
'seemed no ho '
Once, when
suddenly. ,
together upon a rude bench.
a smooth board across their laps; and
ping by her sweet pres-
to bear up‘bravely, and
there
De. , v .
I went into his workshop
upon this. with a. piece of charcoal, Ran- ,
som had drawn a rough sketch of a little
bungalow-his,own bungalow, up there
on the Peak overlooking I-long-Kong
Roads; and she sat there, nestling close
beside. him, a strange, new light in her
EYES. . '
1 I tiptoed out again without disturb-
--ing them, ut my heart ached; Poor,
ess, starving, hoping loversi
d I thought of the Ruby of R00,
Were its roseate, scintillating gleams
mere omens of evil? ' ever lure
me on and on to danger and grief, with
no thought of bringing good or happi-
s?
f course, in this case. it Wasn't ex- -
actly the Ruby of Roo thatfgot us into
this flx;,it w s sort( of a cousin, or
family: a s
feel that they were both .“bad medicine."
Perhaps, too, this was hardly fair; for
had not the gleaming eye of the dol
lured us to Zanora, where would the
Princess have been at this very moment'!.
That thought, too, was worthy of some
consideration.
i During these busy days. we learned
more regarding affairs upon the island.
that death in its most horrible form’
should be ours, should starvation at last
drive us forth from our stronghold.
We learned another thing. too-after
The ruler of
and despised him: the populace
for the same reason, with the added ob-
session that the go<ls'denianded the most
beautiful-and nohe save the one chosen
could measure up to a
And now that Uhgantil knew that the
'intended sacrifice was safe with us. his
g wrath and hate must have
been terrible indeed. ‘
lth all caution possible,
t up a rocket; bu
signal welcomed hlslonging eyes.
rv we kept extra watch for a passing,
e moment of our dalternnled.
forget. I was the first to awaken; ca
lug Ransom, we went to the spring and
was not in her room: we could find no
trace of her whatever. We called aloud:
We S9-’H'ChEd EVEN!’ Chambefi She W35 gone without my noticing. His face was .
gone..
Then, as we entered the kitchen, we‘
found asmallrwoven basket upon the
floor containing fresh dates and yams. .
The secret was out: she had ventured
forth to procure food for us. Encour-
aged by her first successful attempt, she
had gone.back again for more. She
was risking her life-that we might
eat! 7 -
Our sense of gratitude, however, was
overshadowed by the realization of her
peril. llow had she got out? We went
io‘the tunnel leading into the temple of
Khan: yes, she had gone this way. With
a long board for a lever, she had moved
the bowlder sufficiently to. squeeze her
way ru. , V
e looked out across the cathedral
Suddenly Ransom gave :1, cry
of joy! Webeheld her‘ there, gliding
toward us swiftly along the shadows of
the colonnade, a. basket of food upon
her arm. . '
Our rejoicing. was short-lived.’ Of a
umph, yelling, screeching, jumping high
in the air,-and shaking their long spears.
A second more, and they had surrounded
her, were carrying her away. v
.We saw her white face turned to us
mutely-one last parting look of silent
appeal. Then she was lost to our sight
amidst the black mass surging -about
her. '
can imagine Ransom’: thoughts at
that terrible moment. lily own reverted
to a certain passage of Scripture with
‘ sudden force, and as never before: I
“Greater love hath no man than this,
ma; 3 man lay down his life for his
friends.".
CHAPTER XXIII.
....... .
V 'cmcAeo
out of the temple, to take their captive
at once to be judged again by Uhgantii
e co picture the elight with
which he would behold her shrinking at
Now, doubtless, the sac-
his feet again.
est care that no slip occurred as before.
But first, likely, they would torture her
in.an attempt to make her divulge infor-
mation regarding’ourselves.
That day which followed was a terri-
ble one for us both within our cavern.
Now we realized to the fullest how far
the presence of our little fellow captive
had cheered our existence-now that she
was gone! Ransom sat distracted and
glum, or else raged u and down like a
madman; I could do or say little to quiet
and comfort him. .
Finally, along toward noon, I took the,
basket of food she had brought to us,
and prepared dinner, cooking the yams
in wood-ashes. the first
semblance to a real meal we had beheld
for days; the odor of the baked yams
was savory and inviting: still, at first,
neither of us could eat ll. morsel. v-
, "Hai-old,". my sorrowingv companion
said dolefully, “it would choke me to ea
thaffood-knowing as I do that her life
was the price paid for it!”-
Fortunately, I saw where such reason-
ing was faulty. and thelheight of folly.
“ t me tell you something. mate." I
answered,-“the Princess brought us that
that we might eat it, be
strengthened for what is ahead of us.
whet er‘ it be fleeing or fighting. We
needed it then: we need this added
- strength a hundred-fold more now since
Somehow
we've got to save her; it will be a man-
size Job; we will need every ounce of
strength and of vital energy to bring
this thing about. Now, eat!" . '
He started in,’ and made a hearty meal
of-the fresh dates and yams: and it was
would come: but I resolved at least to be
ready. The Princess had finished her
sewing; ,all that remained to be done
now was for me to arrange certain de-
tail of final preparation. ' ’oul
plan succeed; woul
labor be in vain? Frankly, I was not
exceeding confident; my theory was all
rig but would it work out in actual.
practice? It seemed almost too much to
worth trying out.
ce
As for Ransom, he spe
afternoon at the entrance of the temple,
must have been alcnghtoward night-
fall that he came clambering down from
the roof of the’ kitchen, whither he had
white; h as all wrou ht up.
"llaro d he exclaimed, "there's a ship’,
in the oiling!" .
I Jumped to'my feet.
"A ship!" I gasped. . .
"Yes;rI sent up a rocket. They an
awered;
anchor, awaiting our next move-or e se
to make a landing when it gets darker."
"Tonight, then. matie." I said, "we
must make our dash for liberty: once we
attain-that, we can wage our war for the
Princess!"
t me to my work, going at once
to the tunnel entrance again. in less
than a. moment he came running back
in desperate haste.
"Quick, Ransom!" he shouted. “Ubgan-
tit and all his people are coming into
the temple!" ‘ ,
I rushed back with him to the en-
trance. As he said, Uhgantil. his war-
riors, courtlers and dusky subjects were
slowly filing into the great cathedral.
much in the manner we beheld them be-
e the fallen’
She was walking
between two giant Zans, each of whom
held a long. glittering‘ two-edged sword.
They came to a. halt near the throne
of the Goddess of Khan, and made the
same formation as on that prior occasion.
Then a detachment of archers suddenly
left the main body of warriors, and came
straight toward the place where-we stood
overlooking . e we swordsmen,
with the Princess, fell in behind them.
the entire procession advancing ‘rapidly
toward u -
"They bring some message from the
King." I whispered to llansom, "some of-
fer. or terms. I take ."
' a. you're off there!" he replied.
‘Why so?" I asked.
“Well, why should Uhgantii care to
treat with us’! lle's captured the Prin-
AD>we been supplied with weapons, I mess; he considers us helpless captives:
verily believe we would have been
reckless and fooihardy to the extent of
throwing ourselves upon the Zans. in a
desperate attempt to rescue the Princess,
even tho we were outnumbered fifty t
Yes, it would have been a crazy
ense or reason: this. and the
taunts and Jeers which they,flung back
81 in as they made their way quickly
all he needs do is to play’ a waiting
game."
“Llsten," I answered. "This Princess is
a pretty wise little dame. Dcublless, by
this time, she‘: got Uhgantii believing‘
all sorts of things which are not true!
cape from
ably got him half-crazy with Jealousy.
praising you to him! At any rate. She'll
'LsbdEhf
‘started something; we'll soon know what
‘ mu . . , .
The archers advanced to 2:, point within
forty yards ere we stood. then
stopped. Princess mounted ‘to .1
bowlder near by, with her guard close to
her. and began speaking.
“I bri
said, making an effort to control
tonesl “if you two refuse to come out
and give yourself up at once, I am to be
immediately killed at the feet of the
ldol!"
She paused to collect her strength, then
resumed: '
“Uhgantii makes this offer: f you
will come forth, he himself will fight you
both in fair tight in a cleared space be-
fore his army! Ifvyou overpower him.
you will be free to depart unharmed
from Zanora. and my life shall be spared.
If not, you two will be slain’ as a sacrl
flee to the idol in my place." She stopped
for a moment, then resumed in a changed
voice: “I am only a messenger; I do not
urge you in this moment of peril: I can-
not advise. But I must take back your
answer. you two meet King Uh-
gantii single-handed in fair fight?"
Jtansom stepped boldly forth.
"Lead us to your King," he said. "Our
answer-shall be to him direct!" .
CHAPTER XXIV.
URING the interval required for the
deliverance of the King's challenge. a
d Za-
noras had been pouring
Now that portion adjacent to the idol was
banked solidly with black humanity, rest-
less, uneasy, but silent and under far bet-
,ter control and discipline than might
have been expected.‘
Uhgantii stood upon a slight elevation,
surrounded by his courtiers, and with s
the latter's
small, piercing eyes keenly alert to all
transpiring around about the royal party.
But a. few yards away yawned the fiery
chasm from the flames of which
cathedral received its iisht.
To t is point the archers led
straight up to the King, then turned, and
took their position a little to the left.
forming a hollow square, with the Prin-
cess and the two swordsman in their cen-
T. ‘
From
stood looking down upon us, a l ok of
hatred and constrained fury.
not condescend, however, to speak w
us‘. the interview was
thru the captain of the archers as me-
fflcious warrior now took his
position before us, and, nml st 2 great
s ence of the assembled hosts. awaited
an answer to the message delivered to
us by the Princess. .
I tapped Ransom upon the shoulder.
"Tell him what you hare to tell him,’
matle,"I said. "Go as far as you like.
I'm with you all the way!"
Ransom turned to the captain of the
archers. ' ,
"Y ur King," he began, "is willlng'to
settle this thing by personal combat. Is
that the idea?" '
"With weapons?"
"No...
"U-mm; unarmed then. What sort of
fight-wrestling. boxlngz" -
“it does not matter; it is to he a fight
without weapons, and a fight the
death!"
"A sort of free-for-all, go-al-you-
pleas -" ' ‘
"A mortal combat--call it what you
will.‘
"And he, alone, will meet us two in
such mortal combat?" -‘
"Yes; as sacred protector of his peo-
ple, their honor and traditions. their
ost:-" .
"Ah, can ‘that stuff! .lf he wants to
fight it's because he thin he sees
somethin' in it for himself. savvy! Why,
the big Shinola " .
"Sir-ri“ broke in,the King, fiercely,
“r-remember “
"Say, You big stew!" exclaimed Ran-
som, savagely, "don't you roll no r's at
me! I won't stand for it
Then, amidst the astounded silence of
the throng, there piped up e shrill
voice of the dwariish Jader: "Oh, King
Uhgantii! Permit not your more pres-
ence to be longer desecrated by these
foul fiends who ’deign to‘ speak to
you .. .
The King turned toward him fiercely.
“Silenc you!" he exclaimed. "Let us
hear what this chesty young braggart
has to say- e has anything to offer
besides talk." ‘ - I ‘
All eyes were turned now upon nan.
He began speaking, and the words
he uttered gave me more of a painful
than anything which had yet
transpired on Zamora.
"I ave thought over your'offer
light the two of us. King Uhgantii." he
began slowly. "and-speaking for my-
self as well as my mate--I decline the
i'fer"'
A shout of derision went unlfrom the
throng; a. chorus arose from those press-
ing close around us, of Jeers and taunts
and abusive remarks. Uhzantil turned
toward the Princess with
plans!"
1 could not understand it at all; this
his immense height, Uhgantii‘
' open ever
was not like rn fighting bunky. Then
Ransom raised hand for silence.
"Listen, you yelpinsf. yellow coyotes!"
he began fiercely, "I'll ive you some-
thing to yell about before I'm thru!‘! '
y old
his
that an antagonist
with wrath was at a disadvantage from
the start:
“Ill soy, fellahs, hush up a bit, y'l(now;
give the lad a show; rally, the boy's
cievah!"
This sally, lntended.solely to anger
Ransom, fa d signally of its true pur-
pose. o it brought cheers of delight
from the crowd. .
llansom resumed "calmly: ‘
"I refuse the offer to fight two to one
-because in our country we don‘t fight
that way‘, there we fight man against
man-only the dogs flgh
onei So now I pffer this challenge to you.
King Uhgantii, to fight you single-
handed and alone-to fight until death
shall claim one or both 0
hght,
e r lived! And now. King Uhgantii- '
if you've got as much nerve and grit in
ou,as a cliippy-sparrow, get down off
that perch, and come to it!"
-.
E
-
CIIAPTEII xxv. 3‘
ill‘. floor of the "cathedral, for the,
most part, was somewhat rough and
uneven. At one place. however, close to
the yawning chasm of fire and directly
across from the idol. was a smooth, '
clear space of perhaps twenty feet
square. Toward this tural arena
nsom made his way briskly: and here .
he awaited his giant antagonist. ' ‘.
The uproar had died away: the crowd '
now.was eagerly expectant. for man-
som's confident speech and bearing had
imbued them with the belief that o. ‘real
light was soon
c
how could this blond stripling, weak.
ened hy captivity, won from lack of suf.
ficient nourishment, be expected to tri-
umph over the black champion, feared
thruout all the south Sea isles because
of great strength, cruelty and fe-
rocity‘! . .
I went over to speak a few words of
own
and would play out his
hand come what In ht.
The icing threw oft his royal robes.
He stood forth, stripped tovthe skin.
save for a broad leather girdle and a
short tunic of leopard-skin around his
loins. ills great body had been rubbed
wit oil-a. device not infrequently re-
sorted to.by wrestlers-and his skin
glowed and glistenerl over his immense.
buislnz muscles. lie advanced toward
us now, arrogant. scornful, confident
that the whole affair, wbile annoying for
a moment. would soon berover.
a me, he loomed up like some great,
black demon, terrifying. unconquerable. . ‘
Ransom, however, looked him over from ‘
head to foot, and seemed in no way Der-
.turbed. In fact, his thoughts, apparent.
ly, were all for the Princess and myself.
"Alatie." he whispered hoarsely. "you
keep as close as you can to the little
izri. won’t you? Watch your chance,
lilebbe.while the move watchin' us, you
an her can beat it back to the cavern!"
I took his hand and shook it.
"Now at the start of the flgh , I said, , 3
"you be careful not to bore in too
case. Remember if-he ever gets '
strangle hold on you-it's curtains!"
As I turned to leave him.
he clutched my arm, and whispered in
parting: -
“Harold, I don't know whether I can
whip this big walloper or not: so if-if
anything does go wrong with me, you
-stick to -the little girl thru thick and i
thin? And win or lose, keep your eyes.
moment; we can't trust
these dingles too far, you know. An‘ .
Just one thing more, old mate: dcrand 1
say all you can to make him mad.
is what I have done from the first:
my one best bet!" .
so I knew that it was for a purpose.
and not mere bombast and braggadocio,
when he turned suddenly to his ponder-
ous, slow-moving antagonist. and called
forth sneeringly:
“Come on, now, Shinola’! . What you
hanging back for? Come on in and get
beating-up you’il remember for the
rest of your measly. low-down lifel“
shot told. lifaddened, snarling
a wild beast, Uhgantii .
hat
it's
leaped forward! ,
his ground, poised: then
steppedhand as the King lunged heavily
by, my mate let drive right swing
that landed full upon the royal car, all
but toppling over the giant frame!
, e crowd gasped. then a cheer be-
gun; this, however, soon died away to
.a murmur of excitement and a hum of
suspense. They wanted. it cemed to
me, to yell their delight, yet dared not, V
0 so. ' ,
The fighters were at it agni
n. ' .
.Wlld with fury. the King turned: this
the cavern; and she's prob- valor of these white men-your cham- time, however. he advanced with greater
caution: he had learned a lesson, not to
rush in blindly as before. lie took his’ -