Plentywood herald. [volume] (Plentywood, Mont.) 1908-current, 1933-11-23

t't 'ARA LII phip
wreck, he could take down his guard.
His muscles need not be cooked Hike
the hammer of a pistol, and his eyes
could wander dreamlly, with no care
for fiicking shadows just past their
But suddenly the truce ended. It
had been only an illusion-false dawn.
Over the dunes and down the beach
came two dark figures.
One was a little man,, with a quick,
short step. The other, barrel-chested
and long of arm. had a hobbling, I'M
steady gait.
Like most men who dwell close to
the sources of life, Eric had a strong
intuitive power. A sense of grave
peril hung over him. Somehow he
knew that this open strand was to
be the scene of one of the great crises
of the island adventure.
Still the two nearing figures made
no suspicious movements. Sandomar
talked idly, Eric could see his head
turn, and frequently Garge's little
hand lifted to reply. To a. casual view
neither man was armed. The heavy
ten-foot pole on Sandomar's shoulder
was merely a piece of driftwood he
had dug out of the sand and could
well be carrying home for the supper
fire. Cargo had a stone the size and
shape OF a big potato In plain sight In
his hand.
But Eric's alarm grew. In Sando-
mars simlan arm that young tree
trunk was q mere club. And there
was something ominous about Garge's
stone, carried openly though 1t was,
that Eric could feel but at first could
not quite interpret. Suddenly the
truth dawned-the stone WIS In
Garge's right hand. What deed did
he anticipate, that he would be EN-
pioying his unframed left hand to sig.
nal to his master?
Eric's own right hand fell to his
side, in quick reach of his revolver, as
his foes trudged near.
II found this ere stone on the
beach, Cargo began when he vas ten
PAGES off. But he did not %stop--still
talking, he followed Sandomar until
both men stood within six feet of
their prey. 1.-THE old lady said she
wanted a pestle for MASKING up bread
root, and | thought this ere might do
Eric hardly heard him. His thoughts
were fairly flying. seeking deliver
ance. That these two foes had come
deliberately to kill him he had not
the least doubt.
To lose his head meant to lose his
life. . !. . But that danger was passed
now. Suddenly his fears scuttled
away like coyote cubs, and he was
cold and deadly as a she-wolf. II this
pair wanted a fnish-nght, by Cd.
they would get It'll He would not wait
for the trap to spring, but would strike
first and hard.
He could spare the two cartridges.
The only question war the best and
safest way to carry out his ron re
solve. In his present stand, he could
not reach for his pistol. Both men
would attack at once, and though he
might down one Of them, the other
would be almost certain to get In a
fatal blow.
Il saw a better stone for the pur-
pose just a few seconds ago" he said
t%houghtfully. He backed a few feet,
his eyes on the ground.
Apparently he had dropped his
guard. Actually 1t was as strict as
ever He was not searching for stones.
but watching the long shadows Of his
enemies, cast by the low sun.
The shorter shadow never wayered.
Garge's eyes were quick as a rats:
perhaps he saw through Eric's trick.
Anyway, 1t was not In his makeup to
attack from the front, ever though the
hated stern eyes were lowered. He
made the first move TO warn hts com.
rade.
But before the fingers of his I'm
trained left hand could waggle their
message, Sandomar's fury and hatred
broke from Its leash. He did not
whirl to strike sideways with the pole.
Eric was already out OF reach of such
a blow. Instead he jerked the short
end Of the pole straight down, with all
the s%uperhuman strength of his long
biceps. AS the long end flew up he
meant to change hands. his left at the
peie-end and his right far enough back
to give him leverage, then strike down
as with a club.
Sandomar's feet were unsteady, but
his hands were known to be quick
and clever. Cargo knew that they
would not tumble; that the giants
club would sweep up and down In 4
smooth and terrible arc, steadily gath
ering momentum until the air hummed,
a blow to shatter the back of a walrus.
1T 1t struck fair-and ~Sandomar's
blows usually did strike fair-the
tough salt-laden trunk would break
off on Eric's skull before 1t crushed
through to his collar-bone.
Eric was only ten feet distant,
In easy reach. Unless all signs failed
the mighty bludgeon would be hang
ing heavy over his head before he
looked up. Sandomar's brute heart
WAS SWELLING laruo md Iarppr with !