The Washington times., 1912-04-25
THE TIMES DAILY SERIAL STORY.
Darkness andDawn
By George Allan England os. rsRz Ass.., CO.
Copyright. 1911
tThe Frank A. Munsey Coz

glow of red at the tip of the close
relied tobacco. Vapor issued from the
chiefs slit-mouth.
mered the engineer. And that means
means an almost human brain. And
quick, Beatrice, the water! didn't OK
pect this! Thought they were all alike.
pall-I'n keep him covered!'
Up no brought the automatic. till the
bead lay fair upon the naked, muscular
breast Of the obeah.
snatching the pail, dipped it, filled It to
the brinl. Stern heard the water lap
and gurgle. He knew it was but few
seconds, vet 1t seemed an hour to him,
Keener than ever before In his whole
life, his mental pictures now illumned
themselves with lightning rapidity upon
Stamped on his consciousness was this
1.-the. lean, formidable body, showing
beyond dispute its human ancestry; the
right hand that held q steel-pointed
spear; the horrible ornament IA wither-
ed little smoked hand) that dangled
from the left wrist by a cord of plated
fibor.
Vividly Stern beheld a deep cash or
scar than ran from the chiefs right
eYe-'a dull. Iishlike eye. evidently de-
stroy ed by that wound-down across the
leathcry cheek, across the prognathous
that clay-blue skin produced an effect
indsscribably ,repulsive.
Then the chief grunted and moved
forward toward them. Stern saw that
the gait was almost human, not shuf-
fling and Uncertain like that of the
others. but firm and vigorous. He esti-
eight inches; the weight at possibly 140
pounds. Even at that juncture, his sci
entihc mind, always accustomed to judg-
Ing instinctive!y registered these data,
Here, you, get back there!" shouted
the pail.
The cry, was instructive. for even as
understood. Eight hundred years of
rapid degeneration had long wiped all
traces Of English speech from the brute
men, men, who now, at most. chartered some
echoed loudly through Madison Forest;
| and for a moment the obeah hesltat ted.
The tone, perhaps. conveyed some
meaning me- fdng to that brain behind the sl9p;
memory OF human speech still fingered
| In that mind in that strange organism
| when. by some freak atavism. had
thrown back" out of the mire of re-
turning animality almost to the human
form and statue once again.
| however that may have been, the
ereature-ehief halted in his advance. Un:
upon his spear, sucking at the rude
moc,kery of cigar. Stern remembered
having seen Consul. the trained chin.
panzee, smoke in precisely the same
manner, and nameless loathing filled
him at this mockery of the dead. buried
past.
Let me, carry the pailp' said he
we've got to hurry-hurry-or it may
No. no-Ill keep the water4" she ap
clear! G0me!
dering glance behind, started back fol
the tower again.
But the obeah, with a whining plant
spat away his obacco leaf. They heart
again, both saw that he had crossed tn,
little brook
There he stood now, his right hanC
out, palm upward. his lips curled in tn,
ghastly imitation of a smile, blue gum
and yellow tushes showing, sight t
freeze the blood with horror. Ye
through it all the meaning was mos
clearly evident
Beatrice, laden as she was with tn,
heavy water bucket more precious nov
to them than all the wealth of the dea,
world, would still have retreated, bu
with a word of command, Stern bad
her wait He stopped short In hi
tracks.
mot a stepv commanded he. "Hol,
on! If he makes friends with us-wi;I
gods-that's a million times better
every way' Hold on-wait, no-this l.
his novel
He faced the obeah. His left han(
gripped the repeating rifle, his right tn
automatic, held In readiness for instan
action. The muzzle sight never for
second left its aim at the chiefs heart
And for a second silence fell there II
the forest. Save for the rustling mur
mur of the horde, and a faint, woodlan,
trickle of the stream, you might hav
thought the place untouched by life.
Yet death lurked there, and destiny
the destiny of the whole world, tn
future, the human race, forever all,
ever without end; and the cords of Fat
were being loosed for new knitting
And Stern, with Beatrice there at hi
side. stood harsh and strong and yer
|. GRIM stood like an incarnation of man
, life, waiting.
And slowly, step by step, over tk
, yielding, noiseless moss, the grinnin
! one-eyed, ghastly, hideous, obeah-mu
! came nearer, nearer still.
A Continuation of ThIS story VII
N n. NJ.