Part 15 (1/2)

She could hear the movement of several persons in the next room now The voices of women and children came to her distinctly Many of the words were japanese, but others were of a tongue hich she was not fahten She looked over her shoulder and saw the first faint rays of dawn showing through a small aperture near the roof and at the opposite end of the roo on tiptoe and pulling herself up a trifle with her hands upon the sill she was able to raise her eyes above the bottom of theframe

Beyond she saw the forest, not a hundred yards away; but when she atterin that it was too se of her body And then there ca on the door she had just quitted, and a wo meal

Barbara ran quickly across the cha sword raised above her head in both hands Again the woman knocked, this tiain upon Oda Yoriirl within was panic-stricken What should she do? With but a little respite she e thesufficiently to permit her to escape into the forest, but the woman at the door evidently would not be denied Suddenly an inspiration ca to the test

”Hush!+” she hissed through the closed door ”Oda Yorimoto sleeps It is his wish that he be not disturbed”

For a runted, and Barbara heard her turn back, h of relief--she had received a brief reprieve froain she turned to the here, with the short sword, she coe of her body

The as necessarily slow because of the fact that it must proceed with utter noiselessness

For an hour she worked, and then again came an interruption at the door

This time it was a irl ”Go away and do not disturb hiry if you awaken him”

But the man would not be put off so easily as had the woman He still insisted

”The daireat hunt today for the heads of the sei-yo-jin who have landed upon Yoka,” persisted the ry indeed if we do not call him in time to accomplish the task today Let me speak with him, woman I do not believe that Oda Yorimoto still sleeps Why should I believe one of the sei-yo-jin? It may be that you have bewitched the daiainst the door

The corpse gave a little, and the lued his eyes to the aperture

Barbara held the sword behind her, and with her shoulder against the door attempted to reclose it

”Go away!” she cried ”I shall be killed if you awaken Oda Yorimoto, and, if you enter, you, too, shall be killed”

The man stepped back from the door, and Barbara could hear him in low converse with some of the women of the household Athrew his whole weight against the portal The corpse slipped back enough to permit the entrance of thesword of the Lord of Yoka fell full and keen across the back of his brown neck

Without a sound he lunged to the floor, dead; but the wolimpse of what had taken place within the little chaain, and with shrieks of rage and fright they rushed into theat the tops of their voices that Oda Yorimoto and Hawa Nisho had been slain by the woe swars

They rushed toward the hut of Oda Yori the outer chamber where they jabbered excitedly for severalto obtain a coherent story fro wo crouched close to the door, listening She knew that the crucial moment was at hand; that there were at best but a few moments for her to live A silent prayer rose from her parted lips She placed the sharp point of Oda Yoriainst her breast, and waited--waited for the co a few brief seconds from eternity ere she drove the weapon into her heart

Theriere plunged through the jungle at a run for several ht of the mucker

”Are you still on the trail?” he called to the man before him

”Sure,” replied Byrne ”It's dead easy They must o' been at least a dozen of 'eo carefully, Byrne,” cautioned Theriere ”I've had experience with these fellows before, and I can tell you that you never knohen one of 'em is near you till you feel a spear in your back, unless you're alot to make all the haste we can, of course, but it won't help Miss Harding any if we rush into an aet our heads lopped off”

Byrne saw the wisdom of his co which seemed to dominate him today carried hile would have been all too slow to meet the requirements of his unaccountable haste

Once he found hie or rescue this girl whom he hated so He tried to think that it was for the ransom--yes, that was it, the ransom If he found her alive, and rescued her he should claim the lion's share of the booty

Theriere too wondered why Byrne, of all the other men upon the Half for the sake of Miss Harding, should be the foremost in pursuit of her captors