The Rajah's Fortress — page 79: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

70 THE RAJAH’S FORTRESS. could be Dalo’s object in cutting off communica- tion? He checked the progress entirely, and after a long and close scrutiny of the steamer he slowly paddled toward the shore. He was revolving in his mind a very strange prob- lem, something that perplexed him greatly. It was now drawing very close to morning. He could still hear distinctly on the clear night air the dull sounds of firing from the town, yet in plain earshot of those ominous sounds the steamer lay calm and motionless on her anchors, and to all appearances nO one was stirring aboard. It was too much for his understanding. It baffled him completely. He ran the idol under the bank and pulling it partly ashore sat down ona big stone. A breeze was beginning tostir, and the Indian shivered with cold. Then he walked briskly up and down, but that seemed to have no effect, for finally he straddled the raft again, and paddled rapidly down the river. His mind was plainly made up, for with no hesita- tion or delay he kept right on until within a few yards of the steamer. Then the sentry’s challenge rang out sharply : “ Who’s there? Speak or I'll fire.” “A message from Colonel Cubit,” Dalo said briefly, and with a couple of dexterous turns of the | paddle he ran under the bow, and abandoning the idol to float where it chose, he pulled him- self into the chains and thence to the deck. The COLUM 1OOO SS co