The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1911-10-26

Ieurlon, a thud, q scraplng noise,
soft plop; repeated endlessly. He
strained his eyes against the yelling
mists. seeming TO discern a knot Of
shadows down the road. The sounds
continued, to be interrupted, presently
by high-pitched accents, apparently
lifted in expostulation: but the tntonar
ton was foreign and the words unin-
telligible.
Then a voice said roughly: Shut
up and get on, will you? D'you want
to keep me standing here all day."
A grunt responded and the noises
recommended.
Coast gulped; his temples throbbed
and there was feeling Of cons.rtc-
ton In his throat. The voice had been
Blackstock's Coast now understood
what was towards: they were digging
q grave for the dead man.
Quite mechanically he turned aside
and moved toward the row of houses
on his right: they stood upon the edge
OF shelving bank. he found, guessing
the beach lay at the foot of this de-
olivity. He descended ten feet or So.
and. the dog at heel. skulked along in
the rear OF the buildings until he
came to one which he judged to be
about opposite the group Of shadows.
Then climbing again he entered the
structure by its rear doorwsy-which
owned no door.
Opening on the roadway were two
windows, with broken and empty
sashes, and a doorway with vacant
hinges. Coast approached one of the
windows. The dog. laundering help
lessly about for a time, at length
found the door and stopped astride
the sill, shifting the air, ears spricked
forward, body vibrant with the be.
hemence OF Its growls.
From a position near the window.
Coast could see with passable distinct,
ness the prone body and round 1t a
gathering Of four figures.
Blackstock stood some feet from the
body. his feet well apart, his heavy
shoulders inclined slightly forward.
his hands clasped behind Thin. He
was clothed in shining, shapeless
black oilskins; the dropping Nbrim of a
sou'wester hid all his face save a red
patch Of cheek
Near the dead man, two Cinnamon
toiled with spades, waist-deep In a
trench. Their bodies, clothed In thin.
saturated blue jackets, bent and re-
covered with nearly automatic pre-.
cision as they delved and cast up the
loan. Behind them little mound OF
fresh-turned earth grew rapidly.
To one side third Chinaman stood
in attitude Of tmperturbable attention,
apparently overseeing the job. He was
large man, largely builded: taller
than Blackstock by at least three
inches, with disproportionately long
arms, large hands and feet. In that
drearily Elusive light he seemed q
giant. His face, to Occidental eyes,
was yellow mask, brutally modelled
but quite devoid of expression.
Presently he uttered single word
In Chinese, and the labor came to an
end He turned to Blackstock.
"All ready" he said brusQuely, In
clear English.
Blackstock inclined his head. as II
doubtful How deep2" he asked.
-Four feet"
Blackstock appeared to reflect brief
~. six would be better" he said.
However kick him In and
get him covered as quick as you car"
All right" returned tho Chinaman
stolidly.
He issued instructions to his coun-
trymen in a swift tumble OF sharp syl.
tables.
The pitiless brutality OF tho pro-
ceeding, together with the sickening
thump of the body falling into the
trench, affected Coast momentartly
with sort of vertigo, with something