The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1910-10-09
CHAPTER XIII.
IN THE PILOT HOUSE.

he did in his conversation with Jeanne,
upon the subject that Roscoe and the
other people Of the Walrus had never
noticed the ice chimney, nor suspected
the existence OF the pilot-house upon the
cliff head. Also, ne had followed cor
rectiy the track OF Roscoe's mind in the
deduction that the two latest caStaways
upon this land-that is. Philip and Jeanne
must have perished in the great storm
which began on the night when he fired
the hut. and continued for SO many
weeks that he, like them. lost all trace
OF the reckoning.
During the storm he had lived in the
gave, much as Philip and Jeanne had
lived In the pilot-house on the cliff; he
had that Is TO say. In some purely auto
matlc fashion. kept on existing. The
/ mere momentum of a mature mans VI
tality makes it hard for him TO die. But
when the storm abated and miider wealth
did, and set about digging a tunnel OF
his own through the great drift which
had blocked the entrance 10 his cave.
been alternating. for that is what his
state amounted to. had had a beneficial
effect upon him. He was not only sane
again, but had ceased altogether TO be
self-conscious about his state OF mind.
That period OF weeks when he had
permitted himself to be terrorized by
the ghost OF a murdered man and old
rosewood box. and what he had taken
TO be an aVensing angel from heaven,
had more connection with his pres
ent self than the half remembered de-
irium OF man who has once been
sick
The next time the moon came up
after he had completed the tunnel from
the cave. he set out down the beach
toward the ruins OF the hut.
1t was not mere curiosity which at
tracted him, nor any lurking fear, but
simply the hope of making some SAL
wage from the wreckage of the hut, or
possibly. from the bodies of his two vic
rims, in case he was lucky enough 10
find them there, He had no doubt at
all that they were dead.
His pleasure over the quantity and
condition OF the stores he found in the
ice cave compensated for his disap-
pointment over not finding the bodies
Of his two latest victims.
Evidently they had not even attempted
TO use such shelter as the ice chamber
afforded. for II showed no marks OF hui
man habitation at all. They had proba-
bly, wandered outside and died In one
find them some day. For the present.
however. the stores occupied his whole
attention.
Very methodically he set 10 work. car
rying them off 10 his own cave, working
without fatigue and without intcrmls-
sion-workipg so long as inc moonlight
lasted.
Hc was just setting out with his last
load when. glancins skywsrd to see how
long the light would hold. he caught
glimpse of Caylcy on the wing. The
momentary--of the old terror. lie cursed
a little because he had not his rifle
viii, him: the sky-mau soaring slowly
and not very high. presented a mark
II was surprising, of course. To see
him alive. but Roscoe. in his present
state. never thought Of looking TO super
natural means TO account for the fact.
Indeed. jhe was hardly more than q mo-
mcut In approXimatinE the true explana-
ton. There might well he. he supposed,
up somewhere in the face Of the cln
a cave. or shelter, OF which he knew
nothing. and easily accessible to anyone
who happened to possess flying ma
chine.
its shadow, ne made his way with his
last load back to- his cave. Here he
spent few minutes cleaning his rifle.
making sure that the mechanism OF the
broeCh was working perfectly. and fill
ing its magazine full OF cartridge.
The moou was Just setting, but the
sky was still bright enough TO give him
winged figure against 1t.
He did not follow the old track down
tho beach, but made straight out over
the bay. II WAS dark enough to do away
with the danger that the sky-man might
see him FIRST.
He wss In better humor than he had
been AT any time since the coming OF the
Aurora. He wss out hunting. and con-
fidently expected 10 succeed in bsgging
his prey. OF those human passions
which ncite men to do murder. he felt.
Tor the moment. none whatever. He ex-
pected a certain pleasure in getting the
winged man squareiy on the sight OF
his rifle and bringing him down. hurt
ling. from tho sky. with one clean shot.
He expected he would come. He was
almost certain TO return 10 his shol-
ter. wherever it was. before the last
OF the light had faded from 1.-The sky.
Roscoe squatted down in TIM Ice OF
the great eiummocls of ice. surveyed the
heavens with keen. practiced eyes.
muDchcd OH strip of dried walrus meat
which he had brought with him. ana
waited very contentcdly.
lie had not long to walt. Long before
the moon twilight had gone out OF tho
sky he saw in il. slhouettcd against II.
the sight from which he had once fed
with such mad terror-the broad OK
pansc OF the sky-man's wings.
He was coming along almost directly
above the spot where Roscoe waited and
within easy range Roscoe had raised
his rifle and was sighting deliberately
along the barrel before the idea occurred
to him, which caused him to lower II
again rather suddenly and swear at him
self little, under his breath, HI a
man will who has nearly made a bad
mistake.
What a fool inc would have been, to
be sure. II he had killed the sky-man