Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1917-03-21
CHAPTER NNNII
The Meeting Of the Bands


CONVINCED though Stern now was of
~ the reality of the amazing sight he had
just witnessed through his binoculars. yet
for long moment he remained silent and
staring, utterly at loss for any rational
explanation of the remarkable apparition.
Exhausted in body and confused in mind,
he could hit upon no answer to tho riddle.
Might these be some detached and belated
members of the Horde? No; for their fig
ures and their gait, as he now for the
third time studied them through the glass,
were Enthusiastically human
But If not Anthropoids, then what? Enc
mics? Potential friends? Some new and
strange race until now undiscovered?
A score of possible explanat ations struggled
In his mind, only to be rejected. But this
was now no time for questions, analysis
or thought. For. even as he looked, the end
of the line came to view, then vanished
| do,,n the blackened hillside.
Invisible, now that they no longer stood
| silhouetted against the sky line, the strange
| company had disappeared as though swal-
| lowed up by the earth. Yet Stern we'll
| knew that they were coming almost direct
ly down upon MIN and his little party.
| Already there was pressing need for swift
| decision.
| What should he do? Advance to meet
| these strangers? Risk all on mere chance? :?
| and kill?
He found himself. for the moment un-
able to make up his mind. Yet, should a
| pinch arise and the last contingency be-
| come necessary. he felt a powerful advan-
| tage. He was positive his little band, armed
| as they were could easily wipe out this
| column. But after all, must he fight?
| His questions all unsettled and his mind
confused from the terrible exhaustions of
| maj hp itpH JIa a
neighborhood with view to possible battle.
On his left rose a ridge that swung to
| northward between the advancing column
! and his own position. On his right an
| arroyo or gully, choked with fallen tree
trunks and burned forest wreckage de-
scended in an easterly direction toward a
| rather deep valley. In this gully he saw
| was ample hiding place for his whole
| force
| Men !" he addressed them. ut is strange
| to tell, but there be others who come against
us there!" He pointed at the far crest Of
| the sawlike highlands. where now he
| thought to see hazy. floating pail of dust.
| Until we know their purpose and their
| temper we must have care. We must hide
| ourselves and wait. Come then. quickly !,
And prepare your guns against the need Of
| battle! !"
| His words aroused and heartened his ex-
| hausted men. The prospect even of war
was welcome-anything in place Of this
unendng trek through the burned wilder
| ness.
| Zangamon cried: Where be those that
come, o Kromno? And what manner of
| menu
| "Yonder" indicated Stern. 'T know not
who, save that they be men. Wait but a
little and you shall know. Now to the
| ravine -
| All got up, and with more energy than
! they had shown for some time, they trailed
! to the gully Here they were soon well
intrenched, with weapons ready. Stern
now felt confident Of the situation, how
ever it might turn.
| Now already the dust of the advancing
| column had grown unmistakably visible,
| drifting downwind in a thin haze that
| ever advanced more and more to the south
east, came nearer always. and rose higher
| in their view.
| CONTINUED TOMORROW