Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1916-12-12
BEYOND THE GREAT OBLIVION
BY GEORGE ALLAN ENGLAND
COPYRIGHT. rsfs. by Fruas A. AruHsey Cornrany
(sequel to ''The vecant wOrld')

lTeo nouu, VIII you Changc uNcrF can
take tho bag In my left I've got 60 have
the right to shoot with :"
why not drop everything and run FOR
the banca?"
"And desert the job7 Leave all We came
forg And maybe not bo able 10 get any OF
the things for heaven knows how long2 /
! guess not''
"But. Allan"
"No no whatT Abandon all our plans
because Of n few woivear Let 'em come!
| We'll show 'cm q thing or twor'
Give me tho revolver. thon--you can
| have tho rifle"
That's right-hcrer
Each now with nrearm In tho FREQ
| hand. they started forward again on
/ and on they luuEcd they wallowvd through
tho forest hnlt carrying half dragging tho
| sack which now seemed to have grown ten
| times heavier and which at every moment
caught on bushes, on limbs and among tho
dense underground
"Oh. iook--look thcrer' cried Beatrice.
| She stoppcd short again, pointing the re-
| vovor. her finger on tho trigger
Allan saw lean, gray form. furtivo
and sncaking, slide across dim open space
on toward tho left. space whore once
First avenue had cut through the city from
south to north.
"Theros nnotherr' no whispered.
strange, ChokCd feeling all around hia heart
And look--threo morol They're working
In ahead OF us Here I'll have n shot at
'em for luckr
A howl followed tho second squirt Of fume
In the dusk one OF the gray, gaurt por-
tents OF death licked, yapping. at his
flank
Got you. all rlghtr gibcd stern. "rho
Kind o. game you're nfter isn't as easy
as you think, you devllsr'
But now from tho other sde, and from
behind them tho slnHtng creatures gath
cred. Their eyes Elowed. cleaned, burned
softly yellow through tho dusk Of the great
Wilderness that once had been the city's
heart Tho two last humans In tho world
could even catch tho nick of ivory fanRS,
the lolinE wet rCdncss OF tongues--Could
hear the aoughlug breath through those In
fcrnal jaws.
stern raised tho rIno again. then low
cred It,
mo usc" said he calmly. God knows
how many there ara I might use up all
our ammunition and still leave enough ot
cm to pick Our bones. They'll bo nll
around us in n minute they'll bc worrying
on, tho boat"
Light n torch. Allan. They're afraid Of
fire"
Grand idea. little glrlr'
Even rs he answered he was scrahbling
UP drY-kyc, Came the rRsp OF his Hint,
Give cm n few with the automatic, while
get this Roing"' he commanded
Tho gun spat twice, thrice. Then rose u
swapping. snRrlng wranglc. on there In
tho gloom hidcOus turmoil grew.
1t ended In screams OF pain and rage
suddenly throttcd, choked and torn to
nothing worrying, rcuding, gnashlng
told tn" story Of the wounded VOLTS last
moment.
Stern sprang up a dry flaming branch OF
rcslnous fir in his hand. The ride he
thrust bnclS into the bag.
"Ato him. still warm oh?' he cried. |
Fine And five shots left In tho gun.
You won't miss, Beta You can't
Forward they struggled once moro.
Cad. wc'll hang to this bag notp. what |
ever happens" painted stern, jerking II |
savugely on a jagged stub Five minutes |
more and wcl-arrhl iCouh YOU
Tho harug torch no dashed fun Mt |
grisly muzzic that snapped and snvercd |
at his legs. TO their nostris the singo |
OF burned hair waited. Nclpng, the beast
swcrved back,
hut others ran In nnd In Mt them; and |
now tho torch was falling Both OF them
shouted and struck; and the revolver STAB
bed the night with fire.
Pnndcmonium rose in the forest Cries.
howls. long walls and snuflllnE bnr's bIent |
with tho clicking OF worries the pad-pnd-
pad of feet, the cracking OF the UNDER
brush.
All around, wolves, on either sldo be-
hind In front, the sliding, bristlng. sneak
ing suddenly bold horrors OF the wild,
And the ring was tightenng the attack
was coming now, more and more con-
certedy, Tho swinging torch could not now
drive them back so fast, so far.
Strange glaams shot against the tree
trunks. wayered through tho dusk lighted
the harsh, rage-contraGted face OF tho man.
fell on tho laborlng. skin-clad figure OF the
woman ns they still fought ON and on with
their precious burden, hoping for glimpse
OF water for the river and salvation.
'"rnke--a treeP" gasped beatrice.
And maybe stay there week. And
use up-all our ammunition? Not yet-no
no! The bont!"
ON. even on, they struggled,
A strange, unnatural cXharatlon filled
the girl. banishng thoughts OF peril, send
Ing tho blood aglow through every vein and
hber OF her wonderful young body.
Stern realized the peril more kecnly. At
any moment now he understood that one
II tho devils In gray might hurl itself at
.he full throat Of Beatrice or at his own.
And once the taste OF blood lay on those
crimson tongues-g good-by!
The boat-tha boat" he shouted. strIls-
ng right and loft like mad with the smoky.
flare,
'"rhere--the river" suddenly cried Beat
ice
Through the columns OF tho forest she
lad seen at last the welcome CLEAN OF
yater starlit beautiful and calm. Stern q
aw IT, too a demon now, he charged the
narIing ring. Back no drove them; he
urned. seized the bag and again plunged d
desperately ahead. !
Together no and Beatrice crashed out !
mong tho willows and tho alders on the
edgy shore, with tho vague, shifting, brls- 1
ling horror OF the wolfDack at their heels
Here. beat 'em of while ! cut the cord
while I get the bag in-and shove on I" D.
anted Stern. :
She seized the torch from his hand Up
@ snatohed the riho again, and with a | n
olntblank voley flung three OF tho grays i
'rthing and yelling all In the mud and | i
'eeds and tramDled cattails on tho river i
erge.
Down he threw the gun. lie turned and
gept the dark shore, there between the
lns OF tho wharves, with keen recon-
Offering glance. l
Whatf What was thisF
There stood the aged willow 20 which 4
he banca had been tied. But the boat Il
here was r.? n
with a cry Stern leaped to the tree HIS q