Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1917-03-16
CHAPTER NNNIII
NH n.. - EIa..

CNTE2N was not long in carrying out his
y plan
Even before Frumuos had returned with
the seventeen men still able to bear arms,
he was at work.
In CliH Villa he hastily lashcd up half
n dozen fireballs. of coarse cloth. thoroughly
soaked them In oil, and with blazing
torch, brought them out to tho terrace.
Old Gesafam, at his command. bolted the
door behind him. At all hazards, Beta
and the child must he protected from any
possibility of peril.
Here, Frumuos" cried Stern.
Yves, MASTER"
Run quickly. Fetch the strongest bow
In the colony and many arrows :"
"I go. MASTER"
once more the man departed. running,
Cad, If I only had my oXyEen-con-
tanin= bullets ready" thought Stern his
mind revertng to an unfinished experiment
down there i'm his laboratory in the Rapids
powerhouse. "They would turn the trick,
sure enough! They'd burst and rain fire
everywhere But they aren't ready yet
and even II they were, nobody could VEN
ture down there now :"
For already. plainly visible on the far
ther edge of the canyon, scores and hundreds
of the hideous little beast men were be-
ginning to swarm. Their cries, despite the
contrary stiff wind, carried across the
river; and here ana there Dart broke
against the cliff
Already a few Of ihe Anthropoids were
beginning to scramble down the opposite
wall of stone.
Men" cried Allan co:imandngIy. mot
one of those creatures must ever reach this
terrace, Take good aim. Waste no single
shot Every bullet must do rs work :"
Choosing six of the best marksmen he
stationed them along the parapet with
rifles The firing began ns once.
IrregulNry the shots narred from the
line of sharpshooters and the little stabs
nf
blent in a thin blue haze. Every moment
or two one of the Horde would wrthe.
scream. fall--or hang there twitching TO
the cliff, with terrible yells.
Stern greeted the return of Frumuos with
eaEernGss
-Uere" he exclaimed. scattering the
arrows among half dozen men. Bind
these nrebals fast to the arrowheads!"
He dealt out cord. In moment the task
was done.
"Siyad :" he called "A man by name. YOU
,he hest bowman of all! Here quickly"
Even as Sivad fitted the first arrow to
the string and Stern was about to apply
the torch, rafting crash from above
caused all to cringe and leap aside
Down Ieaping ricochettng, laundering
hurtled a great boulder. spurnlng the cliff
face with a tremendous uproar
II struck the parapct like n thrteen-inch
shell, smashed out two yards of wall, and
va nished in the depth. And after it, Slid
ing rattIing and bouncing down. followed
a rain of pebbles, fragments and detritus.
'"Those two above-theyre attacking :"
shouted stern, "Quick-after them You.
you. you ~
rifles and revolvers,
"Ouick, before they can hide Look
out for their darts Kill XIII"
The detachment started up the path at a
run. eager for the hunt.
stern set the naring torch to the first
freball, 1t burst into bright flame
"Shoot, Slvard Shoot" he commanded
''Shoot high, shoot far. Plant your arrow
there in the dry underground where the
wind whips the jungle Shoot and fail not !"
The stout bowman drew his arrow 20
the head. back, back till the flame licked
his left hand
"Zing-g-g-g-g!'
Tho humming bowsprng sang in har-
mony with the zooning arrow. A swift
blue streak split the air. high above the
river. In asquick trajectory 1t leaped.
1t vanished in the wind-swept forest.
Almost before 1t had disappeared Sivad
had snatched another flaming arrow and
had planted 1t farther down stream
One by one. till all were gone the marks
man sowed the seed OF confiagration. And
all the while. from the rifles along the para
pet, death went splitting at the forefront
of invasion.
Another boulder fell from aloft. this time
working havoc for as one OF the rifiemen
sprang to dodge. 1t struck shoulder of
limestone. bounded, and took him fair on
the back.
His cry was smashed clean out he and
the stone. together. plumbed the depths
But, as though to echo it, shots began to
clatter up above. Then all at once they
ceased; and a cheer hoated away across
the canyon.
They're done, those two up there, damn
them!" shouted Stern. "And look men,
look The fire takes The woods begin
TO burn!"
True! Already in three places, coils Of
greasy smoke were beginning to wrthe up
ward. as the resinous. dry underground
blossomed into red bouquets of fame
Now another fire burst out /; then the two
remaining ones, From six centers the con-
fiagration was already swiftly spreading
Smoke-clouds began 10 drift downwind !;
and from the forest depths arose not only
harsh ortes from the papio-strloken Horde.
M y 81 "A. 81 ...|, 4 / t n 4 N t X. " 't,l.