The Elk Mountain pilot., 1924-12-04

uhsteadiiy she walked to the wa
ters edge, searching with straininR
eyes the shore and the distant reef.
without result. Nameless dread at her
heart, she turned to ascend the
slope toward the palm grove. thinking
TO get from there n clearer view Of
the wrecked machine.
movement behind, among the
trees, presently caused her to look
round quickly. 1t was, Enthusiastically,
football: evidently Croft had re-
turned and come to the river. With
a sigh of relief, she left the tree and
turned inland to greet him.
Then. for moment. all power
seemed to leave her body She stood
rooted to the ground, her lips moving
without uttering sound. her eyes
dilated.
About ten feet away. pair Of
fierce. restless eyes gazed upon her,
fascinated, from sooty-black face re-
pulsive by its breadth of nose and
thickness of lips. The dark, naked
form. Of medium height and sinewy
build. glistened as II fresh from the
water: the frixxy black hair clunR
damply about the ears and forehead.
AZ he stood watching her, like an anil
NAL watching Its prey. the coarse lips
parted In a slow devilish grin. {.
With a quick stream of unintelligibls
words. he sprang forward.
The spell broke. With one shrek
Of terror. she turned and fed madly
down the slope.
The unintelligible muttering ceased.
A blood-curdling yell like some wild
war-cry pierced the still air, echoing
around the bay quick agile
steps sounded close In her wake.
The unearthly strength born of
emergency came to Barbara. Every
thing save the distant hut faded from
her sight; time ceased; coherent
thought fed from her. Only one In
stinct reigned-that of the hunted
beast to reach its lair. That, once
there, defense might prove equally
impossible. she never paused to con-
slider. The bare feet drew nearer in
their hot pursuit; the weird cry again
and again resounded over the bay.
Closer he came she heard his
short snorting breathing closer !:
the warmth of it-fanned her neck
+. closer yet, and hand caught
roughly at the sleeve of her blouse,
tearing the soft silk to ribbons as she
wrenched her arm free closer,
and this time the sinewy black fingers
grabbed the bare arm itself. -.
Ill
her reeling brain; something hurtled
past her shoulder =. with saw
age snarling groan. her captor fell
sprawing upon the ground.
.Dazedly she looked around. Spring
ing over cnags, scrambling through
brushwood, Croft came down the hill
behind the hut at break-neck speed.
The n9tive, quickly regaining his feet,
cast one glance toward the tall white
figure with blazing eyes. dropping. to
his muddled senses direct from the
heavens; then, without a word, he
turned swiftly and leapt. with ex-
traordinary rapidity, back toward the
palm grove.
Her transient strength oozing away,
Barbara staggered forward.
Croft caught her by the arms.
"What the devil made you leave the
hut?' he demanded angrlly.
All tendency to faint left her. No
lash of a whip could so have quick
ened her bewildered brain. She re-
coiled in his grasp, gazing up into his
face dumfounded. Amid the confusion
of her mind his extreme pallor struck
her forcibly. His eyes pierced her
like flaming steel.
Hadn't you enough sense to realize
this possibility"
Now was the time to assert herself.
she hesitated; searched vainly for a
retort; opened her mouth; closed 1t
again. In her weak state circum-
Feeling utterly insignificant, she mere
ly turned her miserable eyes seaward.
'I-was only loOking-for yOu," she
murmured unsteadily.
Opposition may wear down a man,
as fortress, with time; but help
lessness silences all guns. He stood,
breathing hard. still grasping her arm.
SuEihk haSC WIN CyCs
longer flashing with anger, but smol-
dering with something she could not
define-something composed of horror
and fear.
"G-dw he muttered at last, In 4
different tone. 'If had been too
late!"
For a moment he stood silent, scan
ming the vicinity Of the palm grove |;
perceiving no signs Of the native, he
turned with her toward the hut.
II rescued most Of the wireless and
luggage" he said, turning the subject
of her thoughts abruptly. II brought
some of our things across, and left
the rest on the reef. You were asleep.
So took the wireless up the hill, and
fixed up the aerial"
Sinking once more upon the coats,