Washington telegraph., 1920-02-27

lAtl1 - d1a1AAAlaAAA
claimed itself frankly and seemed to
be trying to rock her to comfort and
oblivion.
Suddenly a terrific ripping crash
above her head tore through her numb
ed senses and brought her staggering
to her feet. The whole monster struc-
ture of the Gaia swayed and bent as
though 1t had been struck by a lorna
do. Strong limbs creaked and cracked
with reports like pistol shots and
shower of leaves fell with a faint
click-clcking that could be distinctly
heard as If through the interstices Of
the general and grosser commotion.
The roaring of the airplane that she
had thought an hallucination suddenly
ceased. Presently smoke, pearl-gray,
began to seep through the thdtch of
the roof.
Andrea came fully to her senses and
called in a clear, high voice: "Tm here,
White Man; I'm here, White Man"
She repeated the cry steadily at short
intervals until he shouted an answer.
Following the sound of his voice, her
eyes caught the CLEAN of his hunting
knife, hacking a way through the
thatch and when, finally, his feet were
thrust through the opening, she seized
and guided them TO fOothold. In an
other second he was standing before
her Even in the dim light she could
see that his face was blackened, his
eyebrows, eyelashes and mustache en-
tirely singcd, his hair burnt off in
patches. "Ohi White MANI she
gasped. throwing out both hands to-
ward him.
'Drop it," said Trevor shortly.
Which way to the ground?"
She showed him. He slid down the
bmnch until he struck the first cleat,
and waited there to catch her. "Come
on, now" he said. 'fn thirty seconds
whoever's left in this hell-hole will be
biked."
From below them and outside the
fia came the ululuing of a thousand
nnindted by the belI0wfng or nfa---
Qoster issuing drunken and impossi-
BE orders intermingled with horrible
ahd obscene oaths. As Trevor and An
dea reached the platform at the main
Intersection of the trees branches the
mll of smoke that had been following
dose on their heels descended with a
swirl and enveloped them. He turned,
ought up her skirt and threw 1t over
Ter head; then he seized her in his
ams, buried his face against her
heast and staggered bllndly down the
9iral stairway.
In the van Of the smoke, almost as
tough he were being propelled by it,
he stumbled through the exit into the
ool air Of night and glare that paled
be face Of the full moon. He dropped
4ndrea to the ground, stepped over
Ter and stood face to face with the
nving MacClostGr. On the instant the
aHnt fell silent. He stared vacantly
Or the space of a second; then his
avaged face writhed into such an ex-
ression of sublimated hatred as no
nan lives to sec twice. Murder wrote
tself large across his features, slow
lurder with bare hands for this enc
ly who had sent up in smoke and
anne the one beloved earthly posses
ion Of the wreck Of n life. With a
boxing gulp that seemed to rend his
troat he charged. head down, arms
brown wide, talons clutching in an
tcipatiOn.
His mouth twisted in a thin smile,
revor shot from the hip. The bullet
{ the heavy service revolver caught
lacClOster In the shoulder and spun
I'm around three times. Trevor fired
gain. The giants body seemed to
'aver in the air, then crumpled and
all sprawling toward the gun, face
own.
"You'vc killed him." sOb5ed Andrea,
iill on her hands and knees.
"In a way" said Trevor calmly and
hlf to himself. "4Ie really died years
co."