The Elk Mountain pilot., 1924-12-11

on the wisdom of their venture When
at last they turned and made Off
toward the south of the island. he
found his clenched hands were shak-
Ing and his brow was wet. He hur-
ried down to the hut. where he found
white-faced girl Intellectually bar
Reading the door with suitcases
She uttered welcoming cry on his
appearance at the window.
"How did you escape? Where were
you? What can we do?"
To his own amazement perhaps as
much as hers, he laughed-almost
happily.
"They have gone away" he replied
we can't do anything at present"
She gazed at him in some bewilder-
ment. knowing nothing of the reac-
ton which had caused that strange
light in his face; and he laughed
again, boyishly; then leaned farther
in for closer inspection of the blue
clad figure with its cloud of hair
You are better?" he asked
The paleness of her cheeks changed
suddenly to red under his scrutiny.
Tin all right" she muttered.
turning away.
81 will go back for the water" he
remarked; and his face disappeared
from the aperture.
Barbara's mind was uncomfortably
confused Safe in some. refuge. she
had seemed to be sleeping for hours.
When she awoke she instinctively
sought for a hand which proved not
to he there. Throughout the terrified
moments that ensued, vague impress
sions of some midnight event chased
eluslvely through her brain. They
were intensified by Croft's appear
ance. Vainly she tried to capture the
threads; to separate the real from
the chaos of delirium. All was con
fusion, jumhled repetitions of accum-
ulated horrors. She caught first at
one thread; then lost ii and caught at
another But ever at one point her
cheeks burned. How much was true?
Surely not. The more she thought.
the more convinced did she become
of its Incredible reality. How
could she face her companion? He
alone could place the unraveled
threads in her hands. But how to
make him do so? How
So engrossed We're her thoughts
that she started violently nj the sound
of his voice again at the window.
"Your nerves are awfully weak" he
remarked.
They are not ~ she snapped indig-
nantly. Was she always to feel fool.
ish and, above all. appear so. with
| this man?
| Opening the door, she took in one
of the basins. without looking up
A scented, steaming bath could not
have been more welcome than that lit
tie basin of cold water. The freshness
invigorated her. reviving a girlish in
terest in appearances. Unpacking II
tiny travelling mirror. she proceeded to
do up her hair. dressing in one of the
cool washing frocks intended for Aus
tralia.
Croft was humping oh the hut. de-
manding breakfast, before the compile.
tion of this toilet. His quick glance
took in her dainty and very civilized
Y appearance uoNh u tnt eTdg sutdc
shoes but he made no comment.
| Again the contents of the old tin box
proved invaluable. with the addition OF
bananas and coconut. They spread
their store upon the ground outside, in
the early morning sunshine.
| Conversation languished. Croft
seemed distracted, deep in thought.
Her riddle of the night lay un-
solved.
After several furtive glances at his
face. she made plunge.
81 want to know"
"Yes? What?" Quickly his eyes
searched her own, causing her to low
er them confusedly.
II can't remember what happened
I'm afraid did l behave rather
stupidity, last night?"
He stretched out his hand for ba-
nana peeling it with irritating deliber-
alton before replying.
"You were. naturally. slightly un-
hinged after all your experiences"
This guarded reply was unsatisfac-
tory
She felt exasperated. Looking across
at him, she fancied the suspicion nf
a smile hovered around his lips.
You realize, of course, that any
thing did-or said-was because-l
mean, 1t was not my normal state!"
"oh, ! quite realize thatl" His tone
caused her to look up quickly again.
"Why are you laughingf" she asked
uneasily.
"why are you so afraid7" he re
forted.
Nonplused. she took refuge in a
dignified silence. Finishing her break
fast, she looked round the bay-at the
rugged hill beside them, the palms and
dense forest trees in the background
the coral shingle and white sand
stretching down to the magnificent
blue of the lagoon, in the distance the
a -