Evening star., 1924-06-22

nrlnS at them until they were as
near as possible to the cliff. We
were successful. and had felled one,
| when another appeared.
'Prennex garde" shouted lie Brun-
nee. That hakiuka has blood in his
eye"
Go around to the left and drive
him toward me-" commanded Peyral.
l was riding fast about his flank
when my horse put his foot in a rats
hole. l had my rife on my right arm
and / must have used it as a vauIting
pole unwittingly, for l struck the
earth about ten feet from my mount
1 was struggling to my feet when !
became aware that the hakiuka was
approaching with malice in his snort
ings. My horse had got up but too
late to bear me to security, and my
rifle was choked with mud.
i rushed for tree, but could see
none with low branches. 1 had a big
knife in my belt, a kind of Bowie
and, as 1 felt the hot breath of the
animal on me and saw his horns mag
nified to elephants tusks. I drew
the weapon.
The beast was within Ave feet of
me when he dropped. Peyral had put
a Winchester bullet in his heart. His
head was at my feet as he gave il
mighty toss, and laid it on the
sward of maiden-hair ferns in sub
mission to mans invention.
When / had made sure of the poor
hakiuka's being absolutely dead, and
had shaken myself together finding
no injuries, I thanked Peyral, whom
LIE Brunnec was already extoling for
craftsmanship and quickness of
thought.
"Rien. 1t is nothing" replied the
shaggy man. II like to kill.
pEYRAL became Increasingly
friendly, and a number of times
stopped me on my way to and from
the shore to invite me to drink with
him. LIE Brunnec said that this was
something new for Peyral, and that
he must be going crazy" But. like
All Suey, lie Brunnec hid his real
thought from me when I defended
Peyral and said that he was sinned
against oyermuch.
Peyrars daughter would desert the
veranda if I came upon it. but once
he called her, and when she did not
respond Immediately added "sacre"
to his order for her to come and be
presented to me.
She is a fine girl, but shy" he
said. and patted her clumsily.
Mademoiselle Peyral trembled un-
der his heavy caress, and with mere
ly a slight, awkward bow to me
hurried into the somber chamber.
She is shy" he repeated as he
drank his absinthe with mouthing
and grimacing. She needs a man
to train her right, a husband. eh. a
right? Peyrars voice was almost
gentle, but his mood changed in a
breath. He struck the board hard
with his shell. and yelled DO you
understand. American? I said a gentle
man. Her mother was aristocrat
Do you get that into your noodle ."
did not stop after that when he
bade me have a goutte with him, for
I was sensible of deep pity for the
her embarrassment, the deadly un-
reasoning shame or perplexity that
overwhelmed her at her fathers
gross attitude and my presence.
After few weeks Peyral did not
sing out to me any more, and I was
conscious Of a coldness, of a return
Of his first relation to me, and then
Of 81 nf
felt oppressed by his changing tenn
pers, and attributed them to his vary
ing degrees Of inebriety.
I split my rain-coat one day, and
after making a bad job of repairing
it, thought Of Peyral and his skill
as a tailor. With the coat on my arm
! climbed the stairs to his porch, and,
rails name. Ny voice echoed through
the house, and, with the intention Of
scribbling a note and leaving the
coat, 1 entered the nearest room.
Mademoiselle Peyral was sitting near
the machine but was not sewing.
She trembled as I approached her,
and looked frightened. I am timid
with women, and her nervousness
itself to me. / wished
was not there.
please give your father this coat,
and ask him to repair it, 1 said, and
put it down. Her downcast eyes and
heaving bosom, her evident extreme
timidity, and her pitiable situation
overcame me. She was of my own
race, and she was so white and so
fair. Before I could restrain myself
I said in English, Don't be afraid
of me! I am sorry for you," and I
patted her shoulder as I might have
a child's.
She shrank from me in apparent
horror, and ran from the room into
a farther one, screaming In Marque-
san. 1 started to follow her to ex-
plain or to appease her, but recon-
sidered.
Though was conscious of no
wrong. the familiar incidents in news
papers and gossip Of misinterpreted
to my mind as her cries resounded
through the black and tristful house. l
toward the porch to leave,
and deliberated. and awaited some
@z. )!