Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1916-12-04
THE VACANT WORLD
BY GEORGE ALLAN ENGLAND
copy-toAt. 1919. ~ Fra-k 4. Ks-sey co-pany

f, OF classic heroism. They were simple, coll
| loduial inelegaut For Stern, his eyes blaz-
ing. said only;
Were in bad, Eirll They're on-we've
got to blur-blur like the devill"
Have you ever seen a herd OF cattle on
| the prairie, a herd Of thousands, shift and
| face and, as by Instinct. lower their horned
heads against some enemy--a wolf pack.
| maybe7
You know then how this Horde OF dwarf
lsh, blue, warty. mlsformed little horrors
woke 60 the presence of tho unknown enemy.
Already half alarmed by the warning
given by tho one which. near the crack In
the wall, had shifted the intruders and had
howled the pack now broke into commo-
tion. Stern and Beatrice saw a confused
upheavlng. shifting and tumult They
heard yRppinE outcry. The long thin
spears began to bristlc.
And all at once. MS a dull. ugly hornet
hum rose through the wood, they knew the
moment for quick action was upon them.
Here gocsl' cried Stern. raging. Lets
see how this will strike the hell hounds e.
HIS face white with passion and with
loathlnE hate. he raised tho automatic He
aimed at none OF the pack. for angry as
he was no realized that tho time was not
yet como for killing, II other means TO
reach the spring could possibly avail
Instead no pointed the ugly blue musEle
up toward tho branches OF a maple, under
which dense swarm OF the Horde had
encAmped and now was staring Rpellke. at
him
Then his finger sought the trigger And
ive cracking spurts or flame. Ave shots
spat out into the calm md misty mir OF
morning A few severed leaves swayod
down idly with a swinging motion A
broken twig fell. hung suspended n moment
then detached itself again and dropped 20
earth.
Good Lord Look at that. will your"
cried stern.
startled cry broke from the girls lips
Both OF them had expected somo effect
from the sudden fusllnde. but nothing liko
that which actually resulted.
For. as the quick shotH echoed to still.
ness again. and even before the first OF the
railing leaves spiralCd to tho ground, an
absolute. unbroken silence fell upon that
vile rabble OF beRst-mcn--the silence of n
numbIng. paralyzlng. sheer brute terror.
Some stood motlonlcss crouchinE on their
bRndy legs, holding to whatsoever tren or
bush was nearest, staring with wild eyes.
Others dropped to their knees
But by far the greatest part thousands
ON thousands or the little monstrosltles fell
prone and Rrovcling. Their hldeous mask
like faces hidden. there they lay on the moss
and all among the underground. the tram.
pied desecrated. befouled underground Of
Madison Forest
Then all Mt once over and bevond than,
stern saw the blue-curllnE smudEe OF tho
remains Of tho great fre by the spring
lie knew that. for fow brief. all-precious
moments. the way might possibly be clear
TO come and go-to get water---to save
Beatrice and himself from the thirst tor
tures-to procure the one necessary thing
Tor the making OF his Pulverlte
Ills heart gave great, upbounding leap
Look. Beatrlce" cried he. his voice
ringing out over the torror-strIcken tbInRE
Look-we're gods While this Iasts-Godal
Come, nows our only chance! Como
OH"
CHAPTER XIII
Tho Obeah
TOGETHER, ns in dream-n nightmare