Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-07-10

pose there's nothing to worry about IN
their not coming. They went equipped
| to pass a night ashore. il necessary. You
don't advise me to begin worrying about
| them. do your
He did not answer her question. He
| was recalling something which his amaz-
ing meeting with the girl out here on the
| Ice foe had. for q little while. put quite
he had seen enacted a few hours before
upon the glacier behind the headland.
The victim, the man In the leather coat
must have been one Of the party from
the yacht: but 1t was impossible that the ne
little band Of his murderers could be. 40
one freshly landed from the yacht wouid
have been dressed as they were, or would
have been armed with darts.
With no better look at them than had
been possible to him as he hung above
their heads. he had been convinced that
they were white: certainly. the leather
coated man had been talking to them:
freely enough. In English. And yet, IL
white. they must have been refugee a.
survivors. II not OF Capt. Fielding III
fated. expedition. then of some otner'
tragic. unreported shipwreck
But il they were white men-refugees:
why had they fed from their hut al
a rescue? Why had they driven that one
luckless member of the rescuing parry
who fell in with thems into that carefuliy
prepared ambush and then murdered MN.
silently? Even ESk1mOS WOuio not ho"o
done thing like that.
His long silence had alarmed the girl.
and presently. perceiving that this was
so. he drew himself up with an anecteo
start II beg your pardon. dr1teo
off. thinking of something else: LIVING ts
in the sky doesn't seem conducive 10
good manners. No. don't believe .here
is anything to worry about. ANYWAY as
soon as light comes back. which won I
be long now. I can set at rest any 1ears
nd
party. and I'll search the land. too.for
anything else that may be there. And
then I'll bring you word"
You are very good she said. with a
little hesitation. but can't let youw.
He interrupted her with a laugh. IT'S
nothing difficult that l am proposing 10
do for you. you know"
That's true. had forgotten your
wings. The rocks. the Ice. the steep
places. that mean so tragically much to
them are nothing at all to you. But
what are YOU doing now? Even you
can't find them in the dark"
He had already begun unstrapping the
bundle he had made Of his wings. ana
flight. That was what caused her ques-
tion..
mo" he said. II shall wait for sun
can give you a comfortable bed there;
better. certainly. than that sleeping Dag
Of yours"
Il am afraid" he said, that what you
call q comfortable bed in yachts caoin
would be the surest instrument that could
be found for keeping me awake all night
No. 1 shall find a sheltered hollow up AT
the top Of that headland yonder. where
shall sleep deeply enough. you may De
sure"
She still interposed a half-hearted OBJ
lection to his going. and yet she was
glad he did not yield to it. The thought
of his. unfolding his wings and nyine
away again. just as he had come seemed
taking him to the yacht In dinghy and
bidding him good night. like any other
commonplace sort Of mortal. .
She watched him silently while he slip
ped the steel-jointed rods into place.
drew the catgut bow strings taut until
they sang-until the fabric of his planes
sf,inmered In the starlight-quivered. as
II they were instinct with life or their
own.
A sense OF the unreality Of it all came
welnng up strongly within her. and a
touch of an almost forgotten FEAR OF
him.
Good night" she said. holding out her
hand-"good-bye.'
TIL morning." he answered.
A light breeze came blowing across the
ice just then. He dropped her mana
quickly. slipped his arms into their places
in the frame. mounted the ledge OF ice'
and then. with short run. sprang Ior-
ward into the breeze. -,
She saw his planes bend little. undu-
late rather, with a sort Of sculling mo-
ton. as he few forward. not Tar above
the level Of her head. He dipped down
again as soon as he had open water be-
meath him and almost SKINNED the sur
face Of It, Then. gathering speed. he be-
gan mounting. on a long slant in that
great starry. domelike sky. until at last
the darkness swallowed him.
She felt curiously alone now that he
was gone and a little frightened. like
child just waking out of dream. And
she blew q small silver whistle that hung
about her neck for a signal to the men
on the yacht to send q boat for her.
Then, while she waited. she dropped
down rather Imply on her pile of bear
skins. Her hand found something hard
that had not been there before. and TAX
ing it up she found that 1t was a curious
blunt stick of wood. rudely whitfield and
about ten inches long. 1t must have
fallen from his belt while he sat there
talking to her, She wondered what he
used it for.
(Tn ha continued tonnOrrOwl