Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1916-12-01
CHAPTER NN
The Curiosity OF Eve

AT HIM the girl pecred eagerly, second,
Aas though to make quite sure lie was
not hurt in any way, to satisfy herself
that he was safe and sound
Then with n little gasp OF relief she
ran to him. Her sandcd feet lightly dis
turbed the rubbish on the floor dust rose
stern checked her with an upruised hand.
Back Back Go back, quickl" he
formed the words OF command on his
trembling lips Tho idea of this girls close
proximity to the beast horde terrified him,
for the moment. Back What on earth
are you here for?'
IL woke up. ] found you gone !" she
whispered.
Yes but didn't you read my letter?
This Is no place for youl
II had to come How could | stay up
there alone whom you-were-oh maybe
In danger-maybe in need OF me?"
Come !" he commanded. In his perturbn-
tIon needless OF the look she gave him.
Ho took her hand. Come, we must get
out OF this! It's too--too near the
The what? What Is it, Allan? Tell
me. have you seen them7 DO you know"
Even excited as the engineer was, he
realized that for the first time the girl had
called him by his Christian nnme Not
even the perilous situation could stlne the
thrill that ran through him at the sound
OF Il. But all he answered was:
mo, | don't know what 10 call them
Have no idea, ms yet, I've seen them. yes
but what they are, heaven knows--maybe !"
Let mo see. too Z" she pleaded eagerly.
lis II through that crack In the wall? Is
that the place TO lOokP"
She moved toward II, her face blanched
with excitement, eyes shining. lips parted.
But Stern held her back. by the shoulder
he took her,
mo. no, little gIrll' he whispered, you
you mustn't! Really must not, you
know. It's too awful 90
Up at him she looked, knowing not what
TO think or say for n moment. Their eyes
met, there in that wrecked and riven place,
lighted by the dull misty, morning gray.
Then Stern spoke for in her gaze abode
questions unnumbered
"Id much rather you wouldn't look out
at them, not Just yet" said he, speaking
very low fearful lest the murmur OF his
voice might penetrate the wall. Just what
they are, frankly, there's no telling"
You mean-Y
"Come back into the arcade where wen
be safer from discovery and we can talk.
Not here, Come :"
She obeyed. Together they retreated
to the Inner court
you see," he commented. noddlng at the
empty WATERFALL II haven't been 20 the
spring yet. Not very likely 10 get there
for a while either, unless--well. unless
something pretty radical happens. / think
these chaps have settled down for good
long stay in their happy hunting ground,
after tho fight and the big feast It's sort
OF a notion I've got that this place, here.
Is some ancient ceremonial ground OF
theirs"
You mean. on account OF the tOwOr7"
He nodded
Yes, II they've got any religious ideas
at ALL or rather superstitions, such would
very likely center round the most conspicu-
Gus object in their world. Probably the
spring ia a regular voodoo hangout The
row last night must have been sort OF
periodic argument to see who was going 10
run the show"
But" exclaimed the girl In alarm
but II they do stay a while, what about
US? We simply must have water T.
True enough And. inasmuch as we
can't drink brine and don't know where
there's any other spring, IL looks as though
we'd either have 70 make up TO these
fellows or wade into them doesn't Il? But
wen get water safe enough. never fear.
Just now. Tor the immediate present. want
10 get my bearings a little before going
10 work. They seem TO be resting up a bit
after their pleasant little soiree, Now. II
they'd only all 90 to sleep it'd be a walk
over !"
The girl looked at him very seriously.
You mustn't go out there alone what
ever happens r. she exclaimed. Il Just won't
let you But tell me-" she questioned again,
how much have you really found out about
them-whateYer they are7'
Not much They seem TO be part OF a
nomadic race OF half-human things. that's
about all ! can tell as yet Perhaps all
the white and yellow peoples perlshed ut
terly IN the eataclysm leaving only a few
scattered blacks, You know blacks are lm-
muna 20 several communications that de-
stroy other races
yes. And you mean-T
Its quite possible these fellows are the
far-distant and degenerate survivors OF that
other time"
so the whole world may have gone 10
pieces the way Liberia and Haiti and Santo
Domingo once did, when white rule ceased p
yes. only a million times more 50. /
see you know your history II my hypoth-
esla Is correct and only Few thousand
blacks escaped you can easily imagine
Wal must have happensa
EoF q while. aagbs nfly o. 4 hundfsa