Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1916-02-18
NEALOFTHE
NAVY
CONTINUED from Last Issue.)


boat to land How did you get
here?" queried Annette wonderingly,
as she eyed the now bedraggled
Spanish beauty.
THAT boat" gasped IneZ, the
sea was calm-we sailed"
How long have you been here?'
Don't ask me-two days, maybe
three"
She sank down, quivering with
fear
Where went on Annette, lis
the Portuguese, Hernandez"
Inez waved her hand wildly in
shore. e-in-ther-
with-the beasts" she cried. Don't
ask me. ! don't know. II ran
away from him."
The beasts?" faltered Annette.
Worse than that returned lnez,
you're a woman. I'm a woman.
I've been hiding from them-even
from him-for three days. He-ho
doesn't know where / am-he hasn't
found me. OH"
She sank upon the sand-her
form shook with agitation.
Annette, wondering, knelt by her
side. why have you run from
him?" she queried.
II can't blame him. cried
Inez, suddenly facing Annette. He's
mad-crazy for wealth, Hernandez.
So am /. And wealth is here-you
don't know He told me all about
it-before | began to suspect
Suspect-what?" asked Annette.
All" went on Inez, checking her
agitation, for the presence of An
nette gave her courage, you should
see-he told me-there are millions
of dollars worth of quicksilver-all
eady for the market-storeu away.
Millions of dollars worth. And the
mines-they're not half worked. And
these beasts are working them
"Beasts?" said Annette again.
"Cutthroats-men all of them, men,
sroaned Inez, "and they've been here
years and years-and they've been
alone. They're wild-eyed enough to kill
each other. And they offered Hernandez
all the quicksilver that they've got if
he'll find some way to bring them
women All, for hour after hour he
harped on that--to me. Hour after hour
he repeated it-talked about it in his
sleep And finally understood
Annette paled He would give you
up?" she cried.
Inez nodded THE quicksilver has
turned his head-it's money-he's mad
for money. And the sight of all this
riches at once ran away from him.
! must keep away from him-frOm
them"
You're yIre they've not seen your
asked Annette.
Seen me" returned Inez. do you
think I'd be here upon the shore--or
out upon the sea? No, I've escaped so
far-So far
You're safe said Annette, at least
so far as Hernandez and these-beasts
are concerned. There's a battleship rid
ing in the bay around the bend Moth
ing can harm you now
Inez gasped with relief Nothing
cam she began. Then she uttered a
wild yell "Ugh--arg-g-g h-look."
Annette looked--almost too late. out
of the brush behind them bounded two
frightful figures-half-clad-w mat
ted hair and beard. With hoarse cries
they darted toward the women. Inez
turned frantically and fled up the beach.
One of the cutthroats darted after her.
Annette swiftly drew her pistol, aimed
and fired. The pursuer of Inez dropped
in his tracks. But in another instant
Annette was seized in a pair of strong
arms and tossed over the shoulders of a
giant.
"Inez," she screamed after her erst-
while companions fleeing figure-"the
other way-run the other way"
But IneZ, frantic with fear-all I'M
knowing that her pursuer had been
brought low-sped on and on, away
from succor, and not toward it. And
Annette, helpless, struggHng-with a
huge hand silencing .her Oqtcries, was
borne swiftly inland-to. destruction.
Annette did not know that this huge
human beast who carried her was in
deed a super-beast. She did not know
that he was, by right of might, the
chief beast of all this bestial tribe. She
did not know that for hours Hernandez
holding forth possibilities, had been
bartering with this monster, until this
chief beast of all the beasts had been
goaded by passion beyond endurance.
All that she realized was that she was
in deadly danger and that she must keep
her wits about her.
Suddenly their path was blocked. a
figure shot out before them and stood
with folded arms. This figure was Her
nandez-and Annette almost hailed him
as a friend. Hernandez smiled-but his
eyes were wild. He spoke in Spanish
and Annette could only catch the gen.
eral drift of his remarks:
so" said Hernandez, II have kept my
promise The woman is yours-the treas
ture IS mine 1t is a bargain" Then
he uttered sudden exclamation. 1T is
wildcat of an IlingtOn. So you have
not Tnez," he cried. sit is you-you little
arrived. 1t is better so-better so"
His tone was the tone of genuine re-