Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1917-03-17

| =
She'll be privileged character for life in
| these diggings."
Beta laughed, and with thin hand
| stroked his hair as he bent over her
| do you remember those funny goat-pc-
| lures Powers used to draw, a thousa nd
years ago." she asked Well he ought to
| be here now to make a sketch Of You ha nd
| ing one to our kiddums? Butt was no
joke after all. was it? 1t was life and
| death for him."
He kissed her tenderly. and for awhile
they said nothing. Then he asked
| You're really feeling much-much bet
| ter today?
"Awfuly much! why. I'm nearly well
| again In day or two I'll be at work,
just as though nothing had happened at
| ALL"
| mo. no :; you must rest while Just So
you're better, that's enough for me-"
| Beatrice was really gaining fast The
| fever had at least left her with an insa able
| appetite.
| Allan decided she was now well enough
| again to nurse the baby So he and the
| famous goat were mutually spared manv a
| mauvas quart d'heure.
| Tallying up matters and things on tho
| evening of the twelfth day, as they sat once
more on the terrace in front of Cliff villa.
| he inventored the situation thus:
First. Twenty-siX of the Folk are dead
Second. Hyemba is disposed of-praise
| Third. Forty still survive--twenty- eight
| men nine women. three children. OF these
| forty. thirty-three are sound.
Fourth The Pauilac is lost
| Fifth. The bridge is destroyed and eight
| OF the caves are gone.
Sixth. The entire forest area 10 the north
ward as far as the eye can reach, is totally
| devastated. .
seventh. The Horde is wiped out
some good items and some bad ones
| you see, in this trial balance" he COM
rnehted as he checked up the items. "It
means fresh start in some ways and no
end Of work But after all. the damage
isn't fatal, as it might easily have been,
We're about a thousand times better off
than there was any hope for"
You haven't counted in your own wounds
Just healing, or tho terrific time you had
with the Horde" suggested Beatrice. "Iiow
in this world you eve got through I don't
see"
Il don't either. It was a miracle that's
all. From the place where descended for
little repnir work. and where they sud-
denly attacked us, to the colony. can't be
less than one hundred and fifty miles. And
such hills. valleys jungles. Perfectly un-
imaginable difficulties, Beta Now that
look back on it myself, I don't see how
ever got here"
They killed both the men you had with
your"
Yes: but one of them not until the Sec
ord day. You see. the carbureter got
clogged and wouldn't spray properly.
realized I could never reach settlement
Cliffs without overhauling it. So I secuted
for likely place to land far from any sign
of the cursed signal fires.
well, we hadn't been on the ground
fifteen minutes before I'm blest if one of
my men didn't hear the brushwood crack
ling to eastward.
80 Kromro master = said he. clutch.
ing my arm there come creatures-many
creatures-through the forest Let us go
II listened and heard it. too and some-
how--subconsciouslv. I guess knew an
advance guard of the Horde was on us
''It was night. of course. Ny searchlight
was still burning. throwing a powerful
white glare into the thcket about quar-
ter mile away. beyond the sand barren
where had taken earth. I turned II off.
for I remembered how much better the
night atmosphere.
"'Tell me, do you see anything?
whispered
"The other fellow pointed
go There, there! he exclaimed. Little
people Many little people coming through
the trees
For a, moment I was paralyzed. What
to do? There was no time now for a get
away even II the machine hadn't been out
of order My mind was in a whrl a rout.
an utter panic I confess, Beatrice, for
once I was scared absolutely blue"
mo wonder! Who could have helped
being?'
Because you See there was no way out.
Lord knew how many of the little fiends
were closing in on us; they might be on
all sides. The country was much broken
and absolutely new to me. 1 had no de-
fenses to fight from, and it was night
Could anything have been worse?"
go on. dear. What next?'
the darts beginning to patter in, so / saw
we couldn't stay there /, had some vague
idea of stratagem, i remember--some no.
ton of leading the devils away on long
chase. outdlstancing them and then swing
ing round to the machine again by day
light. and possibly fixing it up in time to
skip out for home. But"
But 1t didn't work out that way?"
Hardy l emptied my automatcs into
the brown Of the advancing pack, and then
retreated. fanked by my two men. They
were keen to fight, the Merucaans were
always ready for a mix-but I knew too |
much about the poisoned arrows 20 let 'em
We stumbled off through the woods at |
good gait. crashing away like elephants |
while always, apelike, creeping and hideous.
the little hairy beast-peope stole and |
slithered among the palms" |
Beatrice shuddered. |
Heavens !p she exclaimed It'd have
died of sheer fright"' |
II didn't feel like dying of fright. but | |
Internally near died of rage when in about |
five minutes saw a flicker of fame |
through the jungle and then brighter
glare"
'"They burned the Pauiiiac?"
II guess so. I never wen, back to see
They probably burned the planes, anC tried |
to batter up the rest of II with rocks and ,
things They wrecked 1t all right enough |
/ guess That was for the attack we made
q. all. -
bungalow. we'll"
what then?"
"I can hardly remember We trekked
south. as near as l could reckon H. or
south by east. with New Hope River as
our objective point. Oh. what's the use
trying to tell It all? You know the jungle
at night?"
wild beasts you mean?"
And snakes. Beta Some sensation to
step on copperhead and then leap of
Just in time to miss the snap of the
fangs, eh?"
"Oh don't Allan! Don't"