The evening world., 1914-02-23
= - M By Henry Kitchell Webster

little while. put quite out Of his mind
the weird, silent tragedy he had
seon enacted few hours before upOn
the glacier behind the headlaud. The
victim. the man In the leather coat,
must have been one Of the party from
the yacht; but II was impossible that
the little hand 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 hs hung
above their heads, no had been con-
WINGED that they were white: cer-
tainly tho leather coated man had
bson talking to them, freely enough,
In English. And yet. II white, they
must have been refugees--surviv ors,
IL not OF Capt FisldinG's III -fated sx-
pedltion. then OF some other tragic.
unreported shipwreck.
But II they were white meu--refu.
eees-why had they ned from their
hut at sight Of the yacht which came
bringing o rescue? Why had they
driven that one luckless member OF
the rescuine party who fell In with
them into that carefully prepared am
bush and then murdered him silently :?
His long silence had alarmed the
Cirl. and presently. p:rceivins that
an aIcctsd start. III IsS your oar.
don. ! driftsd on. thinking OF some.
thing else. Living In the sky doesn't
SOON conducive TO good manners. No,
1 don't believe there 10 anything 20
worry about. Anyway, ~ soon a.
light comes back, which won't b long
now. can set at rest any fears you
may have. IN 90 and md your
FOR anything else that may be here.
And thsp I'll bring you word"
He hah already begun unstrappins
tho bundle he had made OF the wings
and seemed to b preparing for I'm
mediate flight.
shs watched him silently while he
slipped the steel jointed rods into
plnce. drow the catgut bow strings
tnut until they sang-until tho fabric
OF his planes shimmerod In the star
1i9ht-Quivered ~ n they were In
stinct With . life Of their own: =.
A sense OF the unreality Of u oil
and . touch Of almost forgotten feas
0f him.
Good night" shs said. holding oui
her hand-"goodby."
It'll mornins." he answered.
A little breeze came blowing across
the Ice just thon. H0 dropped hoI
hand quickly. slipped bis arms into
their places In the frame. mounted the
ledge Of icc. and then. With q short
run, sprang forward into tho breeze
She saw his planes bend Q little
undulate. rather. with . sort oi
sculling motion. ~ he new forward
not far above the level of her bead
lie dipped down again a. soon a. h$
had open watcr beneath him and
almost skinned the surface Of Il
Then. gathering speed. he begar
mounting. ON long slant. In thai
Hreat starry. domelike sky, until, Q,
last. the darkness swallowed him.
She felt ouriously alone now tina,
hc was gone. and q little frightened
like child Just waking out of Z
dream. And she blew . small siiveI
whistle that hung about har neck
for a signal 10 tho mon on the yacht
TO send . boat for her.
Then while sho waited she dropped
down rather Imply on her pile ol
bearskins. Her hand found something
hard that had not been there be.
fore. and. taking IL up. she found
that IL was q curious blunt stick oi
wood. rudely whitfield. and about ten
inches long. II must have fallen
from his bait while no sat there talk
Ing to her. 6ho wondered what hs
used II for.