Licking Valley courier., 1922-06-08

for him It's been sounding again, You
know; but, again, II doesn't sound for
him, Henry, not for himip
"The Miwakai What do yeW aaasin
by that? What's that got to do with
thisi" His swollen face was thrust
forward at her; there Yves threat
against her In his tense. muscles and
his bloOdshot eyes
She did not shrink back from him,
or move; and now he was not waiting
for her answer. Somethlng-a sound
had caught him about. Once 1t
echoed, low In Its reverberation but
penetrating and quite distinct. It
came, so far as direction could be as
signed to It, from the trees toward the
shore; but 1t was like no forest sound.
Distinct, too. was 1t from any noise df
the lake. It was like Druml Yet.
when the echo had gone. 1t was a SEN
sation easy to deny-a hallucination.
that was all. But now, low and distinct
1t camee again; and, as before, Con-
stance saw 1t catch Henry and hold
him. His lips moved, but he did not
speak he was counting. "Two." she
saw his lips form.
The sound of-the Drum was c9ptIpu-
iuN .the beats a 4ew secondSf spsA.t
Twelve" Constance counted to her.
self The beats had seemed to be
quite measured apd regular at first /;
but now Constance knew that this was
only roughly true; they beat rather In
rhythm than at regular intervals.
"Twenty-twenty-dne - twenty-five I"
Constance caught breath and waited
for the next beat; the time Of the In.
terval between the measures of the
rhythm passed, and still only the
whistle of the wind and the uhdertone
Of water sounded. The Drum had
beaten Its roll and, for the moment,
was done.
Twenty-Five had been her count. as
nearly as she could count at all; the
reckoning agreed with what the, Indian
woman had heard. Tive had died
then, since the Drum last had. beat,
when Its roll was twenty. Two more
than before: that meant Ave were leftd
Constance caught up her gaAlsA
hood from the table and putt - Her
action seemed to call Henry to hfsi-
self.
"What are you going to doi"he de-
manded.
I'm going out"
He moved between her and the door.
Not alone, you're notl' His heaN'
voice had a deep tone Of menace, IN ",
he seemed to consider and deeide
something about her. "There'aA farm.
house about mile back; I'miHofng "a
take you ever there and ieavsyeu with
those people,"
Il will not go therei"
He swOre. an carrf yoA ahenr
She shrank back from 'hinil ss h,
lurched toward her with shands oyt
I'stretched to seize her; M fellpwkG
her, and she avoidet him adkits 10 HI
guilt and terror hah given shsr ;menta
ascendency over him. hib physfea,
strength could still force hef TO III
will and. realizing the ihpSsAbAits
Of evadlng him or overcoming Nhim
she stopped.
"Not that" she, cried. "Don'tktouol
mel"
"Come with me. then I" he,commahd
ed; and he went to the door and jan
his snowshoes on the t,snow at,S
stepped into them, istoopfnA anu tHsSt
ening the straps; he stood by Will
she put on hers, He did nd dtAemp
again to put hands upon her as the!
moved away FROM the little dhbih to
ward the Woods back of the clearing
but went AHEAD breaking the trail 70
her with his snowshoes. He movet
forward slowly; he could travel, II Ia
had wished, three feet to every tw
hat she could cover but he SCENE,
not wishing for speed but rather 70
delay. A deepi dull resonance wa
booming above the wood; II BOONE
again and ran into rhythm. N
longer was II abbves at least II Was no
only above; 10 was all about them
here, there, to right and to left, before
behlnd-the booming Of the Drum
Doom was the substance Of that SCUM
Of the Drum beating the roll Of III
dead.
(Ths ccftiuuation Of this htoreslir
nd absorbing story Of uysteiy ar
rlumph .Of right, 1.-THE Indian DrAn
iii appeal in the next issnS % Il
Courier. II you, are not aiftndO
ibstriber send IN your naAS VII
Fl.N ezdvet On our iiseiy Il !
-.r s..-.-!a-s.-. :