They had reached the river and were following slowly down
its bank. The moon, full and gorgeous, flooded the landscape
with silvery light.
"Look!" exclaimed Mallory. "The island!"
"Thank God!" whispered Harding, fervently.
On the bank opposite they stopped and hallooed. Almost
instantly three figures rushed from the interior of the island to
the shore before them--two men and a woman.
"Barbara!" cried Anthony Harding. "O my daughter! My
daughter!"
Norris and Foster hastened through the river and brought
the two men to the island. Barbara Harding threw herself into
her father's arms. A moment later she had grasped Mallory's
outstretched hands, and then she looked beyond them for
another.
"Mr. Byrne?" she asked. "Where is Mr. Byrne?"
"He is dead," said Anthony Harding.
The girl looked, wide-eyed and uncomprehending, at her
father for a full minute.
"Dead!" she moaned, and fell unconscious at his feet.
CHAPTER XVII
HOME AGAIN
BILLY BYRNE continued to fire intermittently for half an hour
after the two men had left him. Then he fired several shots in
quick succession, and dragging himself to his hands and knees
crawled laboriously and painfully back into the jungle in
search of a hiding place where he might die in peace.
Pages:
222
223
224
225
226
227
228
229
230
231
232
233
234
235
236
237
238
239
240
241
242
243
244
245
246