Gilpin observer., 1911-08-17
CHAPTER III. (contInusd).


He had, then. these Alternatives: he
might either compose himself to hug
the leeward side of dune till day
break Tor till relief should Gomez or
else undertake a f1ve-mile tramp on
the desperate hope of finding at the
end of 1t the tide out and the sandbar
. safe footway from shore to shore.
Between the two he vacillated not at
all; anything were preferable to a
night In the dunes. beaten by the i'm
placable storm, haunted by the
thought Of Quain; and even though he
der water. at least the exercise would
have served to keep him from freez-
Ing.
Ten minutes after his last cartridge
had been fruiuessly discharged, he
set out for the ocean beach. pausing
at the first dune he came upon to
scrape a shallow trench in the sand
and cache therein both guns and his
game-bag. Marking the spot with
bit OF driftwood stuck upright, ne
pressed on, eventually pausing on the
Its foot the beach below was aswirl
knee-deep with wash of breakers.
Awed and disappointed, Amber
drew back. The beach was impass-
able; here was no wide and easy road
to the east, such as he had thought to
find; to gain the sandbar he had now
to thread tortuous and uncertain
way through the bewildering dunes.
A demon OF anxiety prodded him
on: he must learn Quain's fate. or go
mad. Once ON the mainland 1t were
q matter of facility to find his way to
the village Of Shampton. telephone
Tanglewood and charter a team" to
convey him thither. He shut his teeth
on his determination and set his face
to the east
Beset and roughly buffeted by the
gale; the snow settling in ripping
drifts in the folds Of his clothing and
upon his shoulders clinging like q
cloth; his face cut by clouds of sand
nung horizontally with wellnigh the
force Of birdshot from a gun: he
bowed to the blast and plodded stead
lily on.
senses. blunted the keen edge OF his
emotions; even the care for Quain b.
came q mere dull ache in the back Of
his perceptions; OF physical suffering
he was unconscious. He fell a prey
to freakish fancies. For q long time he
moved on in stupid. wondering con
temptation OF q shining crescent Of
sand backed by q green. steaming
wall Of Jungle. Many visions formed
and dissolved in dream.like phantas-
magoria; but Of them all the strongest
and most recurrent was that OF the
girl in the black riding habit. walking
BY his side down the aisle OF trees.
So that presently the tired and over
wrought man believed himself talking
with her. reasoning. arguing. pleading
desperately for his hearts desire: &.
and wakened with q start, to
hear the echo Of her voice As though
she had spoken but the instant gone.
to md his own lips framing the syl-
tables Of her name-"Sophia!"
Abruptly he regained consciousness
Of his plight, and with an effort shook
his senses back into his head. 1t
could afford to let his wits 20 wool.
gathering Inhexible OF purpose in
the facc OF all his wsAriness and dis
couragement. he was ON the point Of
resuming his march when he was
struck by the circumstance that the
whitened shoulder Of a dune, quite
near at hand. should seem as II
frosted with light--coldly luminous.
Staring. speculative. he hung In the
wind-inQuisitive as q cat but loath to
waste time in footless inquiry. The
snowfall. setting in with augmented
violence. decided him. Where light
man. shelter.
His third eager stride opened up .
wide basin In the dunes. filled with
sddying veils Of snow. and set, at
some distance. with two brilliant
squares of light-windows In an In
visible dwelling. In the space be-
tween them. doubtless. there would be
. door. But q second time he paused,
remembering that the island was said
to be uninhabited. Only yesterday he
had asked and been 80 informed E.
Odd!
So passing strange he held It, In.
deed, that he was conscious of q sim
gular reluctance to question the phe-
nomenon. He had positively to force
himself on to seek the door. and even
when he had stumbled against it,
step he twice lifted his hand ana rot
It fall without knocking.
There was not sound within that
he could hear above the Glamour Of
the goblin night.