The Washington times., 1912-04-26
THE TIMES DAILY SERIAL STORY
Darkness andDawn
BY George Allan England r, ysg Ass.v CO,
Chapters Already In those
Copyright. 1911
(The Frank A. Munsey Coz

eyes fixed on Beatrice. In those eyes
he clearly saw the hell-fane of lust.
and 8s the woman screamed in terror
Stern pulled the trigger with a savage
curse
The shot went wild, for at the in
stant-though he felt no pain-his arm
dropped down and sideways
Astounded. he looked. Something was
wrong, wrong, ?. What? His finger refused 70
For Gods sake. what could 1t be?
Then--all this taking but a second
stern saw; he knew the truth. Staring,
pale and horritied, he understood.
There, through the fieshy part of his
forearm, thrust clean from side to side
by lightning-swift stroke. he saw the
obeah's spear!
1t dangled strangely in the firm
muscles. The steel barb and full eight
cen inches of the shaft were red and
dripping.
Yet still the engineer felt not the
slightest twinge of pain.
From his numbed, paralyZed hand the
automatic dropped, fell noiselessly into
And with a formIess roar of killing
rage Stern swung on the obeah with
the rife.
with rage. He did not even think OF
the second revolver In the holster at
his siue. With only his left hand now
to use, the weapon could only have
gwen clumsy service.
Instead, the man reverted instantly
to the jungle stage himself-to the law
OF claw and fang. of clutching talon,
of stone and club.
The beloved woman's cry ringing in
his ears drove him mad. Up he whirled
the krag again, up, UP, by the muzzle,
and down upon that villinous skull he
dashed 1t with force that would have
Drained an OK.
The obeah, screeching. reeled back.
Iltlt haa xnyoa rnt
stunned a moment. And Stern, horri-
fed. found himself holding only a gun
barrel. The stock, shattered had whirl-
ed away and vanished among the tall
and waving ferns.
Beatrice snatched up the fallen re-
Volver She stumbled, and the pail was
empty. Squirting, splashing away, the
precious water flew. No time now for
any more.
For all about them, behind them and
on every hand, the things were clos
'nfF fFbsv in; had seen plooa-bad heard the
9beah's cry; they knew! Not gods now
Run! Rum, gasped Beatrice;
Stern wheeled and followed. High and
hard he swung the rifle barrel like a
war club.
No counting Of steps now; no play at
divinity. Painting, horror-stricken, fren-
zied with rage. bleeding, they ran. 1t
was a nunI-lne nunt OF tne laSI TWO
humans by the nightmare horde.
In front blush and confused mass
| seemed to dance and quiver through
the forest and pattering rain OF
spears and little arrows began to fall
| about the fugitives.
Then the girls revolver sputtered in
! a quick Volley, and again, for a space
silence fell. The way again was clear
Rrithing writ horribly, lay a few Of the
things. And the pine needles and soft
moss were very red in spots.
Stern had his pistol out. too. by now,
| for behind and on his fianks, like fer
rets hanging to hunted creature, the
| swarm was closing In.
The engineer his face very white and
| drawn, veins standing out on his sweat
beaded forehead, heard Beatrice cry out
to him. but could not understand her
/ words.
Yet as they ran he saw her level the
! pistol and snap the hammer twice,
1 thrice, with no result. The little dead
click sounded like a death-warrant to
empty" cried he. Here, take this
! one. You can shoot better now than /
I can" And into her hand he thrust the
Something stung him on the left
shoulder He glanced around. A dart
was hanging there.
| With an oath the engineer wheeled
about. His eyes burned and his lips
drew back, taut, from his fine white
teeth.
There, already recovered from the
| blow which would have killed a man
| ten times over, he saw the obeah snarl-
| ing after him. Right down along the
| path the monster was bowling, beating
! his breast with both huge fists. And,
| now feeling fear no more than pain
Stern crouched to meet his onslaught.
| A Continuation of This Story VIII
he Found In Tomorrow
L "a ~