The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1911-10-21

rars-or SO ne surmIsed from sunary
sounds OF scurryi,gs and saueaks.
He gathered that he was threading
a rude sort OF street. fringed On one
sfde-to seaward-with the abandoned
dwellings OF what had apparently been
small fishing community
NO Mans Land indeed" he com
mented. Certainly lives up TO the
name. even if it's some place else. 1t
begins to look as if I'd drawn a blank.
49,. But Appleyard p"
He was moved vaguely to liken the
place to the Cold Liars of the Jungle
Books. Only Infinitely sordid," he
unused, at pause: lacking the maj
esty and the horror = Wonder
had I better go back?"
AS he hung in the wind, debating
what to do. whether to press on or
to be sensible swayed this way and
that by doubts and half-formed i'm
pulses, somewhere near. seemingly at
his very elbow. certainly not twenty
feet away, suddenly a dog howled.
Long drawn. lugubrious with note of
| lamentation, the sound struck discor
dant upon his overhaul senses. shock
ing him (before he knew it, to out
| spoken protest.
Good God" he cried aloud.
! "What-?"
| His voice must have carried to the
| animal: he heard a whine, the quick
padding Of paws, and a huge Scotch
| collie bounded clumsily out of the
=
| length, vanished and returned, whin-
| Ing and circling, nose to ground, as II
| confused and unable to locate him. He
| watched the animal, half-stupefied
| with wonder at its erratic actions;
| then unconsciously moved slightly. A
| pebble grated beneath his foot. The
| dog wheeled toward him instantly
and paused at attention, a forepaw
lifted, ears pricked forward, delicate
as he shifted for the scent OF man.
Here, boy, here!" Coast called soft
ly: and the next moment had the ami
NAL fawning upon him. alternately
| cringing at his feet and jumping up
| TO muzzle his legs and hands, as If
| they were his own masters.
Good boy! Steady now! 500,
so.' Puzzled by this demonstrative
reception, Coast bent over the animal,
trying to soothe 1t with voice and
| hand. 1t was plainly In a state of
high excitement and evidently deep
| " grateful for his sympathetic
| federation. He caught the finely mod
eled head between his palms, lifting
up the muzzle Come, now" he said
in soothing tone, Tets have look
at you, old fellow. Good old boy-it's
| all right now-steady Why,
the poor brutes blindl"
For as it's eyes rolled up he saw
that they were blank and lightless,
white
Cataract" he said, releasing the
| dog. That's why he couldn't see
me. :. | wondered Hell
10, what now?"
Comforted and treasured, the dog
had drawn away and resumed It's mys-
terious circling, nosing the earth with
anxious winnings. Abruptly is paused,
tense, 1.-THE frame quivering, then
| Ai0oC olA al O IP1o IAoL Ii eAC VII SS
ton whence 1t had appeared. A mo-
ment later the heartrending howl
walled out again.
Almost unwillingly Coast followed,
nerving himself against the discovery
he feared to make.
Half dozen steps, and he almost
fell over the dog. He recoiled with a
cry Of Mortified CONSERVATION.
"Appleyard.. :"
But it was not Appleyard.
On raw, naked earth in the middle
of the rude village street, man lay
prone with one forearm crooked be-
meath his head. his other limbs re-
pulsiVely asprawl. His head, near
which the collie squatted, lifting Its
mournful muzzle to the sky, was bare