The Caldwell watchman. (Columbia, La.) 1885-1946, 1911-08-11

as tragic face. And yet the mean.
ing OF those last words of his, uttered
as they were, had been tragic enough
AT least you have magnificent re-
venge, was all she said. And then
there was another silence. She her.
self was trying to think of something
TO say, for she realized that his con-
fession had been involuntary, and that
the silence must be distressing him.
But 1t was he himself who broke
the silence with a natural, matter-of.
fact question. You say searching
party has set out from the yacht?
Have they been long ashore?"
They set out only little after sun
rise. We came into the bay with the
last of yesterdays twilight, and the
sight of those huts, at the edge of the
Shore her voice faltered little,
nearly made us hope that the impos-
slble might prove true. We fired our
signal cannon two or three times and
then sent up some rockets, without
getting any answer. 1t was too late
TO go ashore In the dark; so We had
to wait a few hours for another sun
rise. The few of us who were left
on the yacht expected them back to-
day before dark fell But | suppose
there's nothing to worry about in
their not coming. They went equipped
to pass a night ashore, If necessary.
You don't advise me to begin worry
ing about them, do you?"
He did not answer her question. He
was recalling something which his
amazing meeting with the girl out
here on the ice-fioe had, for little
while. put quite out of his mind-the
weird, silent tragedy he had seen en-
acted few hours before upon the
glacier behind the headland. The
victim, the man in the leather coat,
must have been one of the party from
the yacht; but it was impossible that
the little band Of his murderers could
be. No one freshly landed from the
yacht would have been dressed as
they were, or would have been armed
with darts.
With no better look at them than
had been possible to him as he hung
above their heads, he had been con-
vinced that they were white; certain
ly, the leather-coated man had been
talking to them, freely enough, in
English. And yet, if white, they must
have been Representations, If not
Of Captain Fislding's Inflated expedi.
ton, then Of some other. tragic, unre-
ported ship. wreck.
But If they were white men-refu-
gees, why had they fed from their
hut at sight Of the yacht which came
bringing a rescue? Why had they
driven that one luckless member Of
the rescuing party who, fell in with
them, into that carefully prepared am
bush, and then murdered him, silent
ly? Even Eskimos would not have
done thing like that.
His long silence had alarmed the
girl, and presently, perceiving that
this was so. he drew himself up with
an affected start. Il beg your par.
don. l drifted of, thinking of some.
thing else. Living in the sky doesn't
seem conducive to good manners. No,
l don't believe there is anything to
worry about. Any way, as soon as
light comes back, which won't be
long now, can set at rest any fears
you may have. I'll go and find your
party. and I'll search the land, too
for anything else that may be there.
And then III bring you word
you are very good" she. said with
a little hesitation, "but can't let
you"
He interrupted her with a laugh.
Its nothing difficult that am bro.
posing to do for you, you know"
That's true. had forgotten your
wings. The rocks, the ice, the steep
places, that mean so tragically much
to them, are nothing at all to you. But
what are you doing now? Even you
can't find them in the dark"
He had already begun unstrapping
the bundle he had made of his wings,
and seemed to be preparing for i'm
mediate fight. That was what caused
her question.
NO." he said; Il shall wait for sun.
rise"
"But why not here, on the yacht?
We can give you comfortable bed
there; better, certainly, than that
sleeping bag of yours"
Il am afraid" he said, that what
you call a comfortable bed in yachts
cabin would be the surest instrument
that could be found for keeping me
awake all night. No, shall find a
sheltered hollow up at the top of that
headland yonder, where | shall sleep
deeply enough, you may be sure"
She watched him, silently, while he
slipped the steel-jointed rods into
place, drew the catgut bow strings
taut, until they sang-until the fabric
of his planes shsmmed in the starlight
-quivered, as II they were instinct
with a life of their own.
A sense Of the unreality Of 1t all
came yelling up strongly within her,
and a touch Of an almost forgotten
fear Of him.
Good night" she said, holdinB out
her hand-"goodby."