Evening star., 1927-12-10


lift the tree ont of the road. Will you
show the gentlemen how strong you
are, and go with them to lift the tree?
You will get a fine ride, and they will
see how strong you are"
She turned suddenly and spoke to
Maj. Manning:
us it far? I would not like him to
go far. He is like. child; he gets
confused
"a mile and half at the outside
not so much really"
ma, that is nothing. Wilt thou
go, Anton?"
To her surprise Anton stepped for.
ward, nodding his shaggy head. Never
for an instant had she supposed that
he would go. A little, sharp stab of
anger edged with fear went through
her as Maj. Manning reached back
ward to throw open the rear door.
"All right. Get in," he said; and
Anton, stumbling at the step, knocked
his forhead against the wet canvas
hood, thrust awkardly into the car,
and sank sprawling on the back seat.
AS the car picked up speed, young
Dugdale laughed.
whats the matter?" snapped
Maj. Manning.
We'll, we seem to have comman.
deered the village idiot; and I was
thinking that the joke would be on
us all right if we got him there and
found he wouldn't play"
you stop thinking and attend to
business"
We've some way TO go yet"
"How d'you know? Half the Konigs
wald may have come down since we
turned. You keep your eyes skin
ned" Maj. Manning's voice rasped
his ugly face was very cress and
puckered. Philip Dugdale took a
glance at it grinned, and dried up.
mo wonder they call him Monkey u
he thought. ''I wish knew whether
he's really shirty. That's the worst
of it with the ma jor-you never can
tearing temper, and you never know
whether he's going to bite your head
off or suddenly start raging"
When the car stopped and the two
men got out, Anton was ready enough
to follow their example. The head
lights of the car showed the block in
the road very plainly. The bank on
the right had slipped, bringing down
with it a pine, which lay right across
the wet road. Anton ran forward and
kicked the tree with his foot. 1t was
not large; but it was too large for
him to lift alone. He turned, waving
his arms. beckoning, a wild, uncOuth
figure with the rain streaming from
his long. rough hair and beard.
AS Manning and Dugdale came up.
he ran, still waving, to the head of
the tree and began to tug at it. He
had lifted it a couple Of feet by the
time they came up, and the three OF
them hauling together were able to
drag it round so as to leave room for
the car to pass.
Manning Strengthened himself.
Good heavens, the fellows strong!'
he said, and pushed his wet hand
down into his pocket, fumbling for
his money. The fellow certainly de-
served a good tip. "Where is he?"
he called; and then one of those blue
flares showed him Anton close in
under the bank. staring up at the
gap which the tree had left, at the
matted roots. the raw, torn earth
and at something else.
The flare died, and suddenly Dug
dale was shouting at the top OF his
voice:
"Come back! Here. you-oh, I say,
come back"
Even as he shouted, Manning had
him by the arm and they were both
running. There was flash that was
white, a molten light that showed
them the falling, sliding bank, with
the trees atop Of it fitting, falling,
too. Then with the darkness there
came such a crack of thunder as
neither of them had ever heard be-
fore.
When 1t had passed into a long
roll that echoed from every side at
once, they found themselves close to
the car, almost touching it. The rain
had redoubled and came slicing down
quite straight, for the wind seemed to
be holding it's breath.
"I say" said Dougdale, rather
breathlessly. THAT poor DEVIL" His
voice sounded extraordinary small and
weak.
Maj. Manning summoned his pa
rade voice and shouted back:
''Have you got a torch?"
'"There's one in the car"
"Get it!'
Anton Blum lay on his back where
a branch Of the second tree had swept
him down. The branch must have
struck him on the head, for there was
blood running from his forehead into
the rain and mud of the road.
With an odd sense of irritation
Manning reached for one of the great
wrists, and felt the pulse beat strong.
Then the thing happened. The wind
had fallen silent. Dugdale was COM
ing up. He, Manning, had dropped
the fellows wrist and turned the light
on to his face, when suddenly the
thing happened. The man opened his
eyes, blinked at the light, and pushed
it away.
The beam lit Manning's cross. anx-
ious face, showed for an instant the
little black eyes, the bottle-brush mus
tache, the numberless Fuckers, the
white scar on the chin. Anton Blum
looked up, laughed and said:
"Hullo, Monkey, that was a bit of
crump-wasn't it?"
The dazzle Of the light in his eyes:
the laugh; the unbelievable words!
Manning felt as If he had been hit
three times in rapid succession. In
sudden. furious resentment he pushed
with all. his might against the iron
lsh t-~l~A