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


~ he soon realised
Barely had the words been spoken
when Blackstock, as If galvanized,
whirled In Coasts direction Who's
that?' he demanded sharply. his fea,
lures darkly distorted with appre-
hension. Who spoke?"
His fingers tore nervously at the
fastening Of his oilskin coat: he jerked
1t open and plunged one hand into q
side pocket, as If seeking a weapon.
In surprise the tall Chinaman turned
toward him. Who spoke?" he tier.
ated, as If he had failed to catch that
cry which had Enthusiastically reached
ears that seemed attuned to almost
preternatural acuteness. Il heard
Quickly his gaze quested past Black.
stock, raking their surroundings. and
for an instant Coast could have sworn
rested on his face, indefinite blur
though it must have seemed viewed
through the window st that remove.
He fancied that the mans small black
eyes narrowed, and he held his
breath. fearing he was discovered and
wondering whether or not to make a
break for it by way of the back door.
Then, to his unspeakable relief, the
Chinaman's glance travelled on and
again paused.
1T must have been the dog" he
said, his precise English oddly assert
Ing with his foreign information
For the first time Coast became
aware that the animal had left the
doorway. A slight shift of position
enabled him to discover 1t standing at
pause halfway between the building
and the group round the grave.
THE dog? MOI" Blackstock ejac-
ulated nervously. Dogs don't
speak"
ut must have been the dog" the
Chinaman repeated. 1T is there"
'Where?" Blackstock moved un-
easily, seeming to sense a menace In
the very proximity of the animal
Keep 1t away from me, d'you hear?
Don't let it come near me. Kick it OF
kill the damn brute If 1t comes this
way!" His tones hatted strangely, as
If he wore in truth MORALLY afraid OF
the animal. 1T hates me-" he said In
mumble-"hates mel"
Let me have your pistol" the
Chinaman put in. Il think 1t means
to attack us. Give me the pistol and
l will drive it off,
AS If to confirm the wisdom of this
suggestion as well as Blackstock's
fears, the dog at that instant inter
jected a sonorous and savage growl-
which changed to a sharp yelp as q
bit OF rock, flung with surprising &C
curacy by one of the grave-diggers.
landed on its sides. Confused and in
pain-for the blow must have been a
shrewd one-the blind animal
swerved, scuttled of, disappeared
At the same time Coast was aware
that some object passed from Black
stocks hand to the Chinaman's. A
second later q little tongue OF reddish
fame licked out from the mouth of a
revolver held by the latter, and Coast
heard its vicious bark coincident with
a smart thud as the bullet lodged In a
beam Immediately behind him.
It might have been poor markham
ship or fair; the Chinaman might have
aimed at the dog: on the other
Coast decided to make himself a
present of whatever benefit might be
held to inhere In the doubt. He
gained the rear entrance In a bound,
with another found himself charging
down the embankment, In whose
treacherous composition of loose sand
and gravel he struggled momentarily
and vainly for footing. Then he fell
and rolled ingloriously. accompanied
by cloud Of dirt, rubbish and small
stones. At the bottom of descent Of
some thirty feet he picked himself
up, unhurt but shaken. just as a sec
ond bullet ploughed up the sand two
PAGES to one side.
There was no longer any question
as to the Identity of the target. Coast
permitted himself a single, neeting,
upward glance, caught a cinemato-
graphic glimpse of the Chinaman-
like some huge, ungainly bird in his
loose, tapping garments. descending
the bank-and turned and ran head
long.
Presently, some distance ahead, the
shadowy proportions of the beached
catboat took shape through the mist.
For some reason Coast hailed it with
q sob OF hope: Heaven alone knows
what manner of hope the sight of 1t
held out to his dazed perceptions. He
had merely a bewildered notion that
If only he could hold out until he
reached the boat 1t would afford him
some sort of shelter-or else that he
might stumble across some monde
script weapon of defence-a broken
oar-anything. 49,.
Somehow he did manage to gain the
little vessel, and, with his pursuer
pounding on not fifteen feet In the
rear, doubled like a rabbit round its
stern. He had fugitive impression,
as he passed, of a curious something
crouching there; but with no time for
recognition, or indeed for thought, he
shot on, of a sudden painfully alive
to the fact that ne had been mistaken,
that there was no refuge for him
there
Then he pulled up on the sound of
a heavy fall behind him-a dull crash
followed by a short, stifed cry and a
sharp crack as OF two stones coming
together.