Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1916-07-26

detection Of single small footprint a
hundred yards from the point they had
| struck the trail after ascending the cliffs
This far, at least, she had been with
| them.
The men now spread out upon either
SIDE OF the traclt-Theriere and Red Sanders
on one side, Byrne and Wilson on the other.
| Occasionally Therlere would return to the
| trail to search for further indications Of
the spoor they sought.
The party had proceeded in this fashion
| Tor nearly half mile, when they were
suddenly attracted by a low exclamation
| of the mucker.
"IIerel" he called. Here's Miller an
the swede. an they sure have mussed
| 'em UP terrible !"
The others hastened In tho direction of
his voice, to come to Mortified halt at
the sides of the headless trunks of the
| two sailors.
Mon Dieul" exclaimed the Frenchman,
reverting to his mother tongue, as he did
under the stress of excitement, Mails
o. est atroce !"
who done it7" uueried Red Sanders
looking suspiclously at the mucker.
"Head-hunters," said Therlere God !
What frightful fate for that poor girl J"
Billy Byrne went white
"Yeh don't mean dat dey've Topped off
her block?" he whispered in an awed voice.
Something strange rose In the mucker's
breast at the thought he had voiced. He
but 1t was far from joy at the suggestion
that the woman he so hated had met
horrible and disgusting death at the hands
of savages.
II fear not, Byrne," said Theriere, in a
voice that none there would have recog-
nlzed as that OF the harsh and masterful
second officer of the Halfmoon.
"Yere afraid not?" echoed Billy Byrne
in amazement.
For her sake, I hope that they did"
n ct,rh aHN .-n,,1H
have been a far less horrible fate than
the one | fear they have reserved for her"
You mean" duerled Byrne, and then
he stopped. for the realization of Just
what Theriere did mean swept over him
quite suddenly
There was no particular reason why
Billy Byrne should have felt toward women
the finer sentiments which are SO cherished
a possession of those men who have been
gently born and raised, even after they
have learned that all women are not as was
the feminine ideal of their boyhood
Bllly's mother, always foul.nouthed and
quarrelsome, had been a ver. able demon
when drunk, and drunk she had been when
ever she could, by hook or crook, raise the
price of whisky. Never. TO Billys recollec-
tion, had she spoken a word of endearment
TO him; and 80 terribly had she abused him
that even while he yet little boy.
scarce out of his habyhod. he had learned
to view her with hatred as deep.rooted as is
mothers.
when he had tome to mans estate he
had defended himself from the woman's
brutal assaults as he would have defended
himself against another man. When me
had struck, Billy had struck back; the E1ly
thing to his credit being that he had n .ver
struck her except In self.defense.
Chastity In woman was. 10 him, thing
to joke of--he did not believe that It ex-
listed: for he judged other women by the
ha lyFaN hoe mn M hA
hated her. so he hated them all.
He had doubly hated Barbara Harding,
since she not only was woman, but
woman OF the class he loathed.
And so It was strange and inexpicable
that the suggestion of the girls probable
fate should have affected Billy Byrne as 1t
did He did not stop to reason about II at
all--he simply knew that he felt a mad
and unreasonlng rage against the creatures
that had borne the girl away. Outwardly,
however. Billy showed no indication OF the
turmoil that ragged within his breast
I'VE gotta find her, bo." he said to
Therlere I'VE gotta find the skirt"
Ordinarily Billy would have clustered
about the terrible things he would do TO
the objects of his wrath when once he had
them in his power; but now he was
strangely quiet Only the firm set OF his
strong chin and the steely glitter OF his
gray eyes gave token of the iron resolution
within.
Theriere. who had been walking slowly to
and fro about the dead men. now called
the others to him.
Here's their trail" he said. 'Tf it's as
plain as that all the way. we won't be
long In overhauling them. Come along"
Before he had the words half out of his
mouth the mucker was forging ahead
through the Jungle along the well.marked
spoor of the SamuraL
what kind of men do you suppose they
are?" asked Red Sanders.
''Afalaysian head-hunters, unquestion-
ably" replied Therlere.
Sanders shuddered. The appellation had
gruesome sound He suddenly caught
Wilson's arm, muttering something. and
they stopped short.