Martinsburg statesman-democrat. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1906-1921, 1912-04-26

care OF this I'LL come BACK, IKE
good fellow"
He thrust the butt Of his shotgun
into Amber's face, and the latter,
seizlng 1t. was rewarded by a vigor-
GUS push that sent him back half q
doxen feet At the same time the
painter slipped from his grasp and
Quain, lodging an end of the ellpot
stake on the hard sand bottom. put
his weight upon It. Before Amber
could recover. the boat had slid on
and was melting swiftly into the shad-
ows.
After q bit Quains voice came
back: Don't fret Davy. I'm all right"
Amber cupped bands TO mouth and
sent q cheerful hail ringing In re-
spouse. simultaneously shs last.
least, indefinite blur that stood for the
boat in the darkness. vanished in .
swirl Of snow; and he was alone with
the storm and his misgivinEs.
Twenty minutes wore YEARLY away.
Falling ever more denaeiy. the snow
drew an impenetrable wan curtain be-
tween Amber and the world OF life
and light and warmth; while with
each descendant blast the strength
of the gale seemed to wax, its high
hysteric clamor at times drowning
even the incessant deep below Of the
ocean surf. Once Amber paused In his
patrol, having heard, or Annoying he
had heard, the staccato plut-piutplut
Of q marine motor. On impulse, with
swelling heart, he swung his gun
skywards and pulled both triggers.
The double report rang in his ears
loud as thunderelap.
In the moments that followed. while
he stood listening, with every fiber
Of his being keyed to attention. the
sense Of his utter isolation chilled his
heart as with cold steel.
A little frantically he loaded and
Aired again; but what at first might
have been thought the faint far echo
Of . hail he in the end set down rsluo-
family to . trick OF the hag-ridden
wind.
An hour passed, punotuatsd at fire.
qusnt intervals BY gunshots. Though
they evoked no answer Of any sort.
hope for Quain died hard In Amber's
heart Resolutsly he turned to con-
sideration OF his own plight and
problsmatic way Of escape.
HE understanding Of his situation
was painfully accurate; no was ma
rooned upon what q food tide made a
i desert island but which at the ebb
was q peninsula long and narrow
strip OF sand, bounded on the west by
/ the broad shallow channel to the
/ ocean. on the east connected with the
mainland by sandbar which half the
day lay submerged.
He had, then. these alternatives: he
might either compose himself to hug
/ the lesward side Of dune till day
break Tor till relief should GOMEZ or
else undertake fve-mile tramp on
the desperate hope Of finding at the
end of II the tide cut and the sandbar
Q safe tootway from shore 70 shore.
Between the two he vAciliated not a
ali; anything were preferable to .
night in the dunes, beaten By the i'm
placable storm, haunted By the
thought Of Quain; and even though hs
were to find the eastern cAuseway un
der water, at least the exercise would
have served TO keep him from freeE
ing.
Ten minutes after his last cartridge
had been fruitlessly discharged, he
/ set out for the ocean beach, pausins
at the first dune he came upon to
scrape q shallow trench In the sand
and cache therein both guns and his
| game-bag. Marking the spot with q
bit of driftwood stuck upright. ne
| pressed on. eventually pausing on the
| overhanging lip Of 20-foot blur To
| 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 a tortuous and uncertain
way through the bewildering dunes.
A demon Of anxiety prodded him
| on: he must learn Quain's fate, or 90
mad Once ON the mainland 1t we're
a matter OF facility to find his way to
the village OF Shampton, telephone
| Tanglewood and charter q 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 a
cloth, his face cut by clouds OF sand
flung horizontally with wellnigh the
force of birdshot from gun: he
bowed to the blast and plodded stead
| lily on.
/ Imperceptibly fatigue benumbed his
senses, blunted the keen edge OF his
| emotions; even the care for Quain bs-
came a mere dull ache In the back OF
| his perceptions; OF physical suffering
| he was unconscious He fell prey