Free trader-journal. (Ottawa, Ill.) 1916-1920, 1918-03-12
1891 777.A .%hsu~

Ut no coroner 10 SallSlN ilmSelt I'M,
mediately. He approached the body
ON tiptoe. He knelt beside it. He
leaned over. He even raised one oi
the wrists to examine the under side.
His impression had not been pure far
g. The skin of the wrists appeared
% have been bruised lie could dc
lect what might have Been abrasions
But il was all very little. As he arose
AM ponderod, the picture Anderson
had drawn of the tongue-tied. power
mi fisherman. outlined against The
eol0ured sky came INFO his nina and
fingered, Vet he had not even seen
The man himself. and that picture WAS
unquestionably The expression OF tho
barred Anderson had formed for him.
ANYWAY these slight marks might
merely be testimony Of some escapade.
some accldcni, several days old for
nat matter, mute reminders of Jake,
struggles to iasten the tourniQtlc'
above The wound. Bat he feeling of
The place crept into Millers material
brain. While The liehI continued to
fail he resumed his pacing.
Morgan was back in half an hour.
lie was breathing hard as though h.
had come quickly through The datken-
ing path. He carried Andersons shot
gun. He handed ii TO Miller
II thought il might be some com
panA.' he explained because |
And Mrs Anderson Miller asliet.
Morgan waved his hand in a help
less gesture.
IF her nerves hadn't been in such
4 state anyway" he said Il did the
best | could, but il was hard hard.
offered TO stay with her. but she pre-
fetTcd 10 be alone until her uSband
came. She said ii would only be Il
few minutes. II he's coming. il will -
"rhc boat might be late" Miller
said
Wen hope that's it. You're sure
YOU don't mind waiting here for the
coroner, because | ought to be al the
plantation, You see y
He paused Miller wondered if it
was he Girl who was calling him back
Morgan cleared his threat and verified
MIS- guess
"Aly daughter Is alone there. except
for the cook. am moi in The hahii
suppose ought TO go bacll.'
"fcrtainly," Miller said I'm right
rs can be here uEiil the Others arrive.
Come for me If YOU need me-" Nor
can directed And tell the Andcr.
onS they'd better run over and spend
The night at the plantation II won't be
very pleasant for them in The coquina
house after this. If they've any scrti-
Pies about leaving tell them TO keep
my man 10 help in any way he can"
Miller thanked him absent mindcdly.
Since Morgan had introduced )ht sub
icct himself here was an exceptional
chance to speak Of the girl. 10 lift, per
haps he veil from her uncommon ana
fascinating personality. He crushed
Gown the desire to speak He codIdn'
% it under these circumstances. So.
reluctantly he saw Morgan 20.
It was nearly dark now. He was
clad Morgan had brought the Gun. I,r
liked the feel of the sleek barrels as
he carried it Graded under his arm.
The dask deepened. Internally the
minutes heightened The night had
an oily quality. He could almost feel
1t slipping down, lhickly. chokin2ly.
Pretty soon he couldn't see The path.
Jake's body which had grown DINNER
and DINNER, was no longer before his
eyes The branches Were so thick tha.
lie couldn't be sure the stars were
shining. Once or twice he stumbled.
ind he stood STILL not daring TO mo,o
for Fear Of leaving the path TO ilol.n-
der hclplesaly in that thicker who's.
revolving life had already done for
one of them.
He heard ruslling sounds increlsins
about him. He was practically Ger.
tain that hey We're leaves whispering
in the breeze. yet that feeling Of
snakes, of which Anderson had spoken
came 10 him in all its force. 1t was
easy 10 fancy these rustling sounds
were made b, snakes circling him and
slowly closing their circle. il was if-
fcult for him 10 argue reasonably as
he stood by black night in the heavy
iepcllant atmosphere of that forest, in
place he knew was avoided for(two
things: the supernatural and poison
Gus snakes. Jake's Invisible body ties
,lied how desewcdly. Those sly
noises, such rs snakes might make,
grew everywhere about him. And he
was defencoless to all purposes n
blind man. unable to avoid the creep
ing horror.
He realized now the state. of mind
into which The island had thrown An
derson and Molly. He held his nerves
in leash by n severe effort Of the will. |
He lost all track of time. II seemed
TO him that midnight must have come
and gone before he saw a lantern way
Ing through the jungle.
Here they are he thought '1m not
sorry this is ended"
CTo BE CONTINUED