Evening star., 1936-04-12
The Fabulous Valley
Continued from poss eight
Continued from pose eight

hItiC BlOup vi llBuIcS d lew nuIlQT6Q
feet away. His eyes were so strained
and bloodshot he could not make out
the figures clearly but he ran on
toward them, shouting and waving
wildly to attract their attention.
Before he had covered quarter of the
distance his bandaged foot slipped
upon small boulder and, crashing
forward he struck his head against
another boulder, knocking himself
senseless.
When he came to he thought at first
that he must have dreamed the whole
episode. for the valley was once
again empty and silent But the pain
in his head soon assured him that he
had actually fallen. And Immediately
he struggled to his knees he realized
the diamonds were no longer in his
pockets.
The sun was considerably lower in
the heavens, so he knew that he had
been unconscious for some time; even
so the people who had robbed him
and left him there to die could not
yet have gone any great distance. A
mad. blind rage filled him with a sud-
den energy and he set off at des-
perate pace to pursue and attack his
despoilers.
At the bend where he had seen the
figures Michael stumbled over the
bodies of a man and leopard. Both
were dead. Michael paused moment,
bewildered. Then he saw that the
dead man was his uncle Henry!
And Patricia - what of her? The
thought stabbed Michael like knife.
1t lent strength to his weary body -
for now there was double need for
his catching up with what he realized
must be Philbeach and his two ruff
fans - with Patricia at their mercy.
Actually, though Michael had no
means of knowing il. Patricia had
tainted almost at thes ape moment he
had. When she recovered conscious
ness she was lying on her back in the
wagon on heap of mating The
wagon was jolting gently onwards,
and, through the flap. Patricia could
see well enough to know that they had
turned southwards once more.
At the sudden memory of her
fathers terrible fate she raised her
self with a loud cry. Philbeach rode up,
dismounted from his horse, hitched it
to the back of the wagon, then
climbed in beside her.
Don't try to talk now, he told her
roughly. You'll feel better later" He
gave her a drink of water and, pro-
ducing a little bottle with some
tablets made her take four of them.
The drug was potent, for she had
hardly begun to wonder if they had
held up Michael after all, or if the
shooting had been sufficient to warn
him of his danger. when she dropped
into heavy sleep.
When she awoke again it was night.
Camp fires were cleaning and she
could hear Schwartz and Plettenberg
laughing together. Still half dazed
from the effect of the drug, she got up
and climbed out of the wagon. Phil
beach saw her at once and, as he
strolled over, she suddenly realized
with fearful, quickening of her heart
the full horror of her position.
He came quite close to her but did
not touch her, and said amiably:
Feeling better now? l wouldn't fret
myself about the old man too much.
All of us have to die some way"
Patricia nodded miserably, unable
tospeak, and Philbeach added quietly:
"You. and l are going to be good
friends from now on, aren't we?"
When she didn't answer he went on
firmly: II hope so, anyway, for your
sake as we'll as mine - because it lies
with you. Either you treat me decent
from tonight on. and I'll look after
you. or else you'll get what's coming
to vOup'