"There may be white
men there--those shots sound like it, but again there may
not. I want to find out before they see you, whoever they
are."
The sound of firing had ceased now, but loud yelling was
distinctly audible from down the river. Byrne took a step
down the bank toward the water.
"Wait!" whispered the girl. "Here they come now, we can
see them from here in a moment," and she dragged the
mucker down behind a bush.
In silence the two watched the approaching party.
"They're the Chinks," announced Byrne, who insisted on
using this word to describe the proud and haughty samurai.
"Yes, and there are two white men with them," whispered
Barbara Harding, a note of suppressed excitement in her
voice.
"Prisoners," said Byrne. "Some of the precious bunch from
the Halfmoon doubtless."
The samurai were moving straight up the edge of the river.
In a few minutes they would pass within a hundred feet of
the island. Billy and the girl crouched low behind their shelter.
"I don't recognize them," said the man.
"Why--why--O Mr. Byrne, it can't be possible!" cried the
girl with suppressed excitement. "Those two men are Captain
Norris and Mr. Foster, mate of the Lotus!"
Byrne half rose to his feet. The party was opposite their
hiding place now.
Pages:
204
205
206
207
208
209
210
211
212
213
214
215
216
217
218
219
220
221
222
223
224
225
226
227
228