The Tomahawk., 1920-03-18

RRILL COMPANY i HS9 ~ - q
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 it had been struck by lorna
do. Strong limbs creaked and cracked
with reports like pistol shots and a
shower Of leaves fell with a faint
click clicking 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 thatch OF
the roof.
Andrea came fully to her senses and
called in a clear, high voice: I'm 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 singed, his hair burnt off In
patches. "Oh! White Man" 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
branch until he struck the first cleat,
and waited there to catch her. "Come
on, now" he said. I'm thirty seconds
whoever's left in this hell-hole will be
baked"
From below them and outside the
Gaia came the ululuing Of 3 thousand
panic-stricken voices, overlain but not
dominated by the believing of Mac
Closter, issuing drunken and impossi'
bic orders intermingled with horrible
and obscene oaths. As Trevor and An
drea reached the platform at the main
intersection Of the trees branches the
pail Of smoke that had been following
close on their heels descended with a
swirl and enveloped them. He turned,
caught up her skirt and threw it over
her head; then he seized her in his
arms, buried his face against her
breast and staggered blindly down the
spiral stairway.
In the van of the smoke, almost as
though he were being propelled by 1t,
he stumbled through the exit into the
cool air of night and a glare that paled
the face of the full moon. He dropped
Andrea to the ground, stepped over
her and stood face to face with the
raving Manchester. On the instant the
giant fell silent. He stared vacantly
for the space Of second; then his
ravaged face writhed into such an ex-
preston Of sublimated hatred as no
man lives to see twice. Murder wrote
itself large across his features, slow
murder with bare hands for this ene-
my who had sent up in smoke and
flame the one beloved earthly posses
sion Of the wreck of life. With a
choking gulp that seemed to rend his
throat he charged, head down, arms
thrown wide, talons clutching in an
ticipation.
His mouth twisted in thin smile,
Trevor shot from the hip. The bullet
of the heavy service revolver caught
Manchester in the shoulder and spun
him around three times. Trevor fred
again. The giants body seemed to
waver in the air, then crumpled and
fell spraying toward the gun, face
down.
"You've killed him." sobbed Andrea,
still on her hands and knees.
"In q way" said Trevor calmly and
half to himself. HE really died years
ago."