The Lamar register., 1919-11-19

stems. They walked pivoting on the
ball of the foot; just before each step
their heels jerked inward sharply for
the thrust back. She leaned forward
Marguerite had his eyes wide open.
He seemed to be breathing softly, as
though he, too, were bent on playing
the game.
Quite suddenly they came out of the
forest into broken NANCY space. The
heat and glare was terrific. Here ana
there were scraggy groups OF thorn,
apparently burnt up by the sun, but in
reality very much alive. To one side.
IN enormous acacia cast its grateful
blot of shade. The tracker. pausing
at last, looked straight up. transf1xed
in an eloquent pose.
Andrea followed his gaze. AT an
incredible height she saw branch.
freshly broken. Her reason battled
with incredulity; 1t told her that only
one thing could have reached the
branch and snapped 1.-THE up-fung
trunk of the rearing beast they were
following. For the first time In her
life. measuring again that height, she
felt actual awe. M'suDgo cast glance
over his shoulder. His face was alight;
his ewes shone with u swimming brill
lance.
A few minutes later they came to
the ragged edge of the elephant bush.
The tracker cast left and right with
quick. jerky steps. Here the three
bulls had separated; joyful sign, for it
showed intention to feed. The tracker
came to halt, dropped the tip OF his
assegni shaft TO chosen spoor.
Msungo looked back at Andrea impa-
tiently. She threw herself from Mar
guerite's back and hastily stripped on
her jersey, unbuttoned her skirt and
let 1t fall. She stood In helmet, khaki
shirt and breeches. puttees and tight.
ly laced boots-an adorable study In
brown. But M'sungo had no time for
artistic effects; he turned from her
with a nod and plunged into the bush
in the wake Of the tracker.
Fortunately for Andrea the going
was now much slower. 1t was not that
the spoor was harder to follow-in
fact. II was much easier. for through
the Jungle of stunted sapling no man
could pass save where an elephant
had plowed a way-but that now every
Indication of the games progress had
to be read. studied and accurately val
ued. Here began the exercise Of that
finished science which M'sungo had
placed SO high. giving due credit to
those forerur 1ers who had marked Its
stages with their LIES blood.
The state Of parted vine. or a half
mnsticated leaf. bore some message
upon the true reading Of which hung
the delicate balance of success or fall
ure. Slower and slower fell the pace
and in measured proportion silence
was born and seemed to grow and
spread and throb till It hung in the
air like some sitting all-permeating
mist. Beneath II the heart beat with
an irregular rat-tat-tat and breath
came In hurried gasps. In spite Of the
men before her, Andrea felt alone.
adrift on u sea of unseen but lowering
perlls. She looked over her shoulder.
Only Bathtub was In sight behind her.
tense. one foot In air. waiting for her
to take her next step before he placed
his foot. His naked body. exposed to
the merciless sun. streamed with
sweat.
Andrea's shoulders ached from
holding her arms before her face to
ward on the interminably encroaching
vines and branches that seemed to op-
pose the way. but invariably parted at
her touch. Her tongue was parched.
all her clothing laid hands on her every
motion with u clammy grip and her
body quivered on the fine edge Of ex-
haustion. but she hung on. her eyes
above dark shadows casting agonized
glances ut Msungo. II only he would
reach for the big gunl If only he
would really stop for even a fieeting
rest.
The next moment she found herself
crowded into the halting group In
front. They stood in the sparse shade
OF big tree. their eyes sweeping the
ground beneath their feet and rising
10 meet each others gaze with swift
Intelligence and swifter understand
ing. Here was great reading. the
anti-climax of suspense, the pregnant
moment of final premonition. The
three elephants had come together,
they had milled beneath this tree, they
were even now indubitably beneath the
next they had encountered-for when