The Washington times., 1912-05-01
CHAPTER xxx.
The Battle on the Stairs.

LMOST like the echo Of his shout,
"A faint snarling cry rose from
S the corridor outside. They
heard a clicking, sliding. omi-
nous sound: and, with instant compre-
hension, knew the truth.
They've got up, some of them-some-
howl" Stern cried. They'll be at our
throats. here. in a moment! Load!
Load! You shoot-Ill give 'em pull
verite:'
No time. now for caution. While the
girl hastily threw in more cartridges,
/ Stern gathered up all the remaining
], vials OF thu explosive.
These. garnered alcng his wounded
aim, whth clasocd them to his body,
made little bristling row of death. His
left hand remained free, to tiing the lit
1 tie glass bombs.
Come Come. meet 'em-thev rnustn't t
4 trap us here!'
And together they crept noiselessly
into the other room and the nee to the
| ecrridcr door.
Out they pcered.
u ,Ooki Torches!" whispered he.
rel glare already iiickered on the
:, wall around the turn by the elevator
shaft Already the confused sounds Of
! the attackers were drawing near.
They've manageu to dig away the
1 tarricade souehow," said Stern. and
nIM they're out for Dusincss-clubs,
pnisonr,l darts and all-and fangs and
j. His mouth felt no; and dry WITH
I Fever, aud The mad excitement Of the
tense and drawn. especially pee HS"' upon ssehe the
s forehead. AS he stood there, waiting,
he heard the, girls quick breathing,
though he could hardly see her in the
' a nd ia
loved II.
"Beatricc." said he. ard for mo-
nn:nt his hand sought hers. Beatrice.
! finish. ii We born 20 uoWn together anu
| there's q" tomorrow, want to tell YOU
1 Tbs, girl Seized his arm. Brighter thu
! Allen" she whispered. come back,
back. away from here. We've got to
get up those stairs there at the other
end of the hall. This Is no kind Of placa
! 10 meet thern-wcre exposed here.
There's no protection"
you're right" ne answered. Come.
Like ghosts they slid away, noiseless-
ly, through the enshrouding gloom.
& Even as they gained the shelter of the
winding stairway, the scouts of the
horde, fiaring their torches into each
around the corner at the distant end
ShufflinH. hideous beyond all words by
/, the fire CLEAN, bent, wizened, blue, the
! things swarmed toward them IL a
: vague and shifting mass, ruck of hor-
The defenders, peering from behind
the broken oalustrade, could hear the
/ gstteral tsbber Of their beast talk; the
| the craning necks, the talons that held
the spears, bludgeons. blowguns, even
! jagged rocks.
! Over all, the smoky CLEANS wavered
Il Nxxo 81 fnfa % Itch do RI
4 ness. Uncanny shadows leaped along
! the walls From every corner and re-
/, cess and black, empty door, ghoullsh
shapes seemed creeping.
y Tense, now the moment hung.
Suddenly the engineer bent forward.
/ staring.
pThs chiefH' he whispered. And as
he spoke, Beatrice aimed.
4 There, shambling among the drove of
things, they saw him clearly for a mo-
4 ment. Uglier, more incredibly brutal
. than ever he looked, now, by that un-
carny light.
that the .obeahs Jaw hung as though
I broken, all awTy. The quick blinking,
narrow-lidded eyes sought TO spy out
his enemies. The nostrils dilated, to
catch the spoor of man. Man, no longer
/ ged, but mortal.
one hand held cracking uiue knot
Y The other gripped the half OF a stone
Z tx, one blow of which would dash to
pulp the stoutest skull
This much Stern noted. as in a fash;
when at his side the girls revolver
spat
The report roared heavily in that con-
] stricted space. For moment the
obeah stopped short. A look of brute
! pain, Of wonder. then of quintupled rage
passed over his face. twitching grin
J OF passion distorted the huge, wounded
1 cash of the mouth. He screamed. Up
came the stone ak.
HAssinr' shouted Stern. "Give it to
him again"
She hred on the instant. But already.
! with a chattering howl. the ooeah was
J running forward. And after him scream