Free trader-journal. (Ottawa, Ill.) 1916-1920, 1918-03-28
SINISTER |SLAND|
BY
CHARLES WAOSWORTH CAMP !
Copyright
Dodd, Mead & Company

~%@$'S3HT@S@s< $%%SS@$Y=Nc%SS
Then. gently at first he heard
sound from the black cloak of the
nieht-the sound he had heard in An
1erson's bedroom, the sound that had
shared so often the islands manifesto
lions II was not far away-only six
or seven feet. he thought straight
ahead After moment the rattle came
again This time it was answered from
the rear. II was taken up on either
side. II rose II died away. rs volume
grew again. An acrid loathsome odour
reached his nostrils. He lay within a
circle of snakes; and, although from
The lack of pressure he knew he was
not bound. he was powerless to move.
lie choked back the cry that tore Of
:, is throat. His mind was clearer now.
He forced it TO work logically Ii he
was not bound why was it impossible
for him to move? He recalled the white
light. An explanation of his helpless.
ness ran holly TO his brain. Meantime
the revolving prophecy of the rafting
continued While he fancied the dead
" circle was closing, he set his will
10 work. He succeeded in lwitchinc
the fingers of one hand. Actually It
was not much more than a minute az
ter his return TO consciousness when
he drew his knees up and raised him
self to sitting posture.
He patted the ground at his side
II was hard like packed earth, Ger
tainly he was not in the forest Then :?
Fighting the racking pains that ran
through his h ,ad and bod he each
ed in his poo ct for his ! 'volTt' and
his mat h boz The rt yolY was goAo
He had been carrying it when I'll
white light had flashed. or course 1t
had fallen from his hand. The match
box, however. was there. He took out
match and scraped it, In answer n
The slight noise the rafting rose en-
eltedly. The match blinded him at
first. but before it was half burned out
mis- eyes accustomed themselves to is
light. He glanced quickly around, He
saw no snakes.
He was in the center of a small bare
room whose floor, as he had thought,
was Of packed earth The flame played
on rough gray walls 1t failed to dis.
close the top of a peaked roCf. He no.
liced a line of brushwood, perhaps Two
feet high, which ran around all -four
walls. Unqucstionably The snaSes
iurked behind that screen. Why did
they not come out to converge ON him"
When would they come out?
Just before the match expired he
saw a closed oak door in the wall to
els left
He knew now that he was in one OF
The slave quarters which he had start
ed 10 eXplore-probably in one OF those
which yesterday he had noticed had
been repaired. But how had he come
there? And why was he left surround
ed by snakes which did not attack :
Now that he had felt himself placed
vt the heart Of the mystery he could
not stop to reason. His danger was
too apparent, He must reach the OAK
door. He must escape from the circle
With painful effort he raised himself
TO his knees. IIe was by no means sure
ne could stand upright, yet he must
Try He must get TO the door.
He paused on his knee. Something
moved at the door It must have beer
opened little, for a sire; Il of yellow
light cut across the left hand wall
He waited, breathing heavily II was
as though his return to consciousness,
and his determination to escape hat
been known, and that this sickly ligh
was a warning that the door wa.
watched, that escape was impossible
The streak grew. 1t reached the fur
iher wall The door was thrown wide
Framed on the threshold Miller saw
the great figure of the fisherman,
For moment he stood there, starb,
at Miller in the light of the lantern h,
held His eyes had the same fixed lool
Miller had remarked before. His rip,
were pressed tightly together.
SO Anderson's instinct had bee,
right The fisherman was at the bot
tom of it. Probably he had done 70
+ Jake. But Tony! Tony had seen no one
Miller was unwilling to believe. Th,
absence of motive, the wanton cruelty
5 these elaborate preparations! A ma,
thought came to him Could there b.
any connection between this figur
: and the giant SLAYER, long since dead
He spoke with difficulty.
I "What--does all this mean? win yol
help me out of here?"
The fishermans stare did not wave'
"These snakes" Miller whispered
- lle. .fisAegplaasu.face showed n