Astoria High School - Zephyrus Yearbook (Astoria, OR)

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jfnenbsbtp’s Sacrifice The scene of this story is a dark, side alley in the city of Pekin, at the time when the allied troops are invading the Chinese capital. Captain Jack, an American and Captain Shenburo of the Japanese force, have become fast friends. Both are in love with the same girl, a daughter of one of the representatives at the legation. Jack is a scout and is on the trail of valuable state papers. Shenburo. knowing the Chinese character better, has advised extreme caution. “Ah! here in the place now. I guess that yellow devil told the truth after all, even if I did have to treat him rather roughly.” These words were muttered by Captain Jack to himself as he entered a dilapi¬ dated, weather beaten structure, evidently an abandoned temple. The air inside was damp and musty. Cobwebs hung in clusters over a partly broken image of some god. Forgetting Shenburo’s words of cau¬ tion he resolved to test his information at once. He went hastily to the base of the statue and soon discovered a sceret door. As he was in the act of opening it he was seized from behind by our gaunt Chinaman. Tho taken at a disadvantage he fought with all the energy of his young American strength. His blows were well directed, but they were soon ineffectual,for the sinewy Orientals sprang upon him with all the fury of their growing hatred. He was overpowered and his hands tied. Then, after receiving a number of kicks from each of his captors, he was bound securely on a table in front of the idol. Now he recog¬ nized among the four, the man from whom he had extorted the in¬ formation, and he cursed them wickedly, but the four only grunted mockingly and disappeared. The tight ropes were cutting into the flesh of the prisoner and stopping the circulation, when a Chinaman entered clad in a costume which told plainly that he was of royal blood. He advanced quickly to the side of the American and struck him savagely muttering some¬ thing in broken English, about now getting revenge for a son who had been killed by the cursed American foreigners. Then he drew a long murderous looking knife from his belt and smiled triumphantly as he drew the cold steel across the neck of the prisoner inflecting a slight skin wound. A horrified sense of his danger crept over the American and cold drops of sweat stood out on his forehead. He did not fear to die, yet, like lightening, ran over the events of his lifetime and he thot of the girl back at the legation—that girl in whom he trusted and

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f eral smaller lakes from which comes Colorado Springs’ water supply. Soon after rounding this point thousands of feet above those beautiful lakes and valleys below and many miles from the smoke ris¬ ing from the smelters of Cripple Creek,we reached the Summit House-- a neat little hotel with ample accomodations for all who might wish to stay until the following morning to see the sunrise of almost infinite grandeur. Here is the highest telegraph office in the world. On the top of this building is a powerful telescope with which to entertain the visitors at night. While at the top those persons capable of locomotion visit such interesting places as Baby O’Keefe’s Grave, Bottomless Pit, and Abyss of Desolation until the whistle from the engine warns them of how rapidly the time has passed. We hasten to our car and arrive at Manitou Springs at 5:30 p. m.—a trip as delightfully interesting and pietureque as one might wish to take. Some are overcome by the rarety of the atmosphere while as¬ cending or on the Peak, others do not feel able to move about; but as for myself, I felt a peculiar exhilarating effect so that I was tempted to stay longer but lack of time forbade my doing so. There was plenty of snow on the shady side of the Peak and it was just cool enough to he enjoyable. I long to climb the Peak over a more circuitous route by means of a “Rocky Mountain Canary” and enjoy more of the scen¬ ery. On my way back to Colorado Springs I made a detour into the Garden of the Gods enjoying such sights as The Balanced Rock. Hen and Chickens and many other wonderful freaks of nature. Here is the place where you feel at home with nature speaking to you most plainly. This same evening I left Colorado Springs on the D. R. G. (standard guage) and arrived in Salida the next morning to take the Narrow Guage to Grand Junction, Colorado via Marshall Pass and the Black Canyon to the Gunnison River. At the Pass we were allowed to step out to see much of the road over which we bad been climbing back and forth, higher and higher during the forenoon. We passed the Gun¬ nison Tunnel which wasopened by President Taft last year on his trip over the same route. This tunnel was constructed by the Reclamation Service of our Government and its taps the Gunnison River and carries the water thru the mountain and thus irrigates (reclaims), in a valley beyond the divide, hundreds of thousands of acres of the best fruit land in the world. At last we come into the magnificant Black Canyon famous for its massive monuments, and cliffs of black granite and soon we find ourselves in Grand Valley where the finest apples and peaches grow—the most beautiful valley between Denver and Salt Lake. F. E. SCHMIDTKE

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whose sharp gray eyes had looked love into his as they parted less than an hour before. “Eleanor!” burst from his lips with a smothered sigh, which shook his very soul, and served him as a prayer in that awful hour. At least lie thot, “it will be a clean death and I will meet it like a man and an American. It would be no worse than a bayonet thrust on the field, and having faced that often, why should I flinch now?” All this passed across his brain as the Chinaman tore away the cloth¬ ing from his breast. But the yellow man was in no haste. He desired to see signs of fear and to revel in the anguish of this hated foreigner. To this end he jabbed his knife again and again into the muscles of the prisoner ' s shoulder, until the blood flowed freely. Yet the disdainful smile of contempt never left the face of the captive. “Why don’t you do your cursed work like a gentleman” he asked cooly. Enraged at this seem¬ ing indifference to pain on the part of his foe, the china man retorted, “Alle samme you see.” With this he produced a small stove filled with charcoal. He lit a fire, held the dagger in the coals until it was white with heat, and then with a smile of triu mph this devil in human form again approach¬ ed the table. His intentions were at once apparent to the American and a chill of horror ran thru his frame. He tugged mighiiiv at the cords which held him, but they would not yield. The burning steel drew closer and closer to his eyes till the fierce heat became almost un¬ bearable. His heart sickened, and lie knew that in a moment more, the bright world he loved so well would lie blotted out forever. Then, suddenly, a little figure darted like lightning from the darkness; he be¬ came conscious of a fierce struggle going on in the silent gloom. Pres¬ ently there was a wild cry of pain and Shenburo leaped to his feet only to collapse near the table. The American had recognized his voice in that one brief burst of agony. “One more effort, Shenburo, “my friend”; don’t give up;one more; you must, you must. Out me loose; I can carry you back to the legation,” he was pleading frantically. The Japanese rallied with almost superhuman effort; cut feebly at the bonds of his companion; but sank back with groans of pain, murmuring, “tell her”—“tell her”. His feeble efforts had freed one hand; Captai n Jack quickly did the rest. Bending his face close to that of his friend, he called out, “tell her what, Shenburo?” But Shenburo had laid down his life for a friend. n