Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-08-09

The frozen air which he had been draw
Ing deep into his lungs was odorless
save for the family acrid suggestion OF
ozone about it--a thing. by the way
which he was puzzled to account for, un-
less it presaged some titanic electrical
display in the sky.
But the odor which now invaded his
fastfdious nostrils automatically checked
his flight. He tilted back his planes and
his momentum sent him towering almost
vertically aloft. He did not analyze it
not that first instant, but his sensation
was the same one that makes a dog sud-
denly throw up it's head and snarl, bris-
ting.
In moment he knew that it was
smoke. the smoke Of no clean, sparkling
wood fire. but of smoldering bones and
the flesh Of some animal.
Slowly he began to descend in the
sweeping circles OF great spiral, con-
which amounted almost to an agony, for
the point Of angry red which would tell
him where his enemy was to be found.
He had no doubt at all that his enemy
was there. The man who had laid that
fire was likely to be sleeping beside it.
He was within twenty feet of the level
of the ice before his little mirror of con-
cave silver caught the CLEAN of red that
he was looking for.
He threw his head back sharply and
gazed at 1t. He could not see the fire
itself-that must be hidden behind the
great rock which almost blocked the en-
trance to what must be the cave.
The CLEAN he had caught in his mir
ror had been reflected in turn from the
cleaning surface of a mass Of ice lit
tie farther out.
He slanted away again. searching now
Tor level place to alight, found 1t with
In hundred yards of the cave-mouth,
cfrcled once completely round, to make
sure that he could not be surprised in the
act of getting clear OF his wings. and a
moment later came down soundlessly,
except with a faint sither Of his planes,
upon the ice.
He bounded almost instantly to his
feet, slipped his knife out of his belt and
held the haft of it between his teeth
while he furled his planes. That done he
deposited the bundle in the angle of a
projecting rock and stealthily made his
way toward the cave-mouth.
The plan which most naturally sug-
gested itself Of bearing away from it a
little and attempting to get a glimpse
into the interior from safe distance
first, he rejected In favor of a more
audacious. but probably not more dan
He skirted the rock. which par ally
blocked the mouth of the cave as close
ly as possible. intent on rounding the
corner and appearing suddenly within
what he hoped might be almost striking
distance of the man he sought
OF course he did not know where RoS-
coe was; could not even be sure that he
was in the cave at all. though he felt
very little doubt of that. But he re-
fiected that while Roscoe's position might
surprise hinl-his position would surprise
Roscoe even more He was sure that he
was quicker than Roscoe, and better able
to seize the advantage in an unforeseen
situation.
At the very edge Of the shelter af-
forded by the rock he paused for an in
slant: then. with every nerve tuned to
the highest pitch-with every muscle in
a state of supple relaxation. yet instantly
ready for any demand that might be
made upon 1.-THE stepped round the cor
ner and into the mouth Of the cave.
Probably no apparition of the monster
he expected to find there-no sight of him
towering expectant. armed. anticipating
all that Cayiey hoped to do, and ready
to Illustrate 1t, could have been so terri
flying to Philip as the thing he actually
saw, which was-nothing. AT least, SO
far as q first glance into the cave would
reveal. his enemy was not there.
For full minute Cayley stood notion
less. staring into the smoky, wavering
shadow. He was not consciously looking
at what was before his eyes-certainly
not cataloguing the details which went to
make up the picture.
He seemed to be taking it in through