Worcester Democrat and the ledger-enterprise., 1937-02-05
CHAPTER VII

from Qock TO DulWdrk, ana So OIL uIl-
til, trembling with acute anxiety, he
gained the bow of the lie de Tarascon.
Once upon the sloping deck, he dash
ed aft up the port side towards the
salon where he had left the girl, and
bitterly cursed himself for his incred-
ible stupidity in leaving her unguard-
process he had got the impression
that the strange creatures that had
borne off Carnforth were purely noe
turnal. AS he paused, deep in the
bowels of the liner he heard a bes-
tial howl ringing through the depths
of the great deserted vessel.
"Liette-Liette-" His laboring lungs
seemed ready to burst with his exer-
tions, sweat poured down his fore
head in binding streams when he ar
rived before the door of the cabin she
had occupied.
The interior was a scene of the wild
est disorder, furniture overturned and
the food supply she had Been in the
act of packing scattered far and wide,
all mutely testifying to Liette Lin
coins evidently frantic struggle a.
gainst the fate which had overwhelm-
ed her. The cabin was empty of
that slender dark-haired girl.
Tormented with self-reproach and
horror, Struthers dashed out into the
corridor again and beheld something
white cleaning down that same pas
sage through which the mechanic had
been borne to an unknown fate.
He darted forward and snatched up
the handkerchief, to be greeted by al
whiff of subtle perfume.
Now grimly silent, he sped through
the same dark, deserted corridors he
had followed Carnforth's bloody trail
once more to find himself looking out
of the open baggage port. This time,
however, he saw quick movement
amid the deepening sunset light on
the deck of the Spanish cargo boat
on the far side Of the line. It was
a sight that halted the blood in his
veins and held him rigid where he
stood. There, barely seen above the
little steamer rail, was the indescrib-
ably hideous face and bust of such
an outlandish creature as Struthers
had never seen. In shape the fea-
lures were vaguely, grossly human,
but the eyes were too great-they
were enormous, owl like, white with
that unhealthy whiteness of fish's
belly. From mass Of wildly stream
ing hair sprouted two short, up-curv-
ing horns that rose from a tangled
black name from either side of the
low-browed Uranium.
Sick with disgust and his sense of
loss, Struthers whipped up his auto
matte, sighted swiftly, and fired just
as that gargoylesque head vanished
from sight with the suddenness of
magician's coin. Whether he hit or
not he could not tell.
Then on the far side of the steam
'er, Struthers caught the sound of in
distinct cultural jabberings and the
crashing noise of heavy bodies MAX
ing rapid progress across the rotting,
tangled hulks. For the first time he
caught sight of the despoilers, weird
hairy ape-like figures that travelled
with uncanny speed over sagging deck
and rotting spar, bearing in their
midst the limp bedraggled form of
the girl who had been his companion.
At that distance he could only guess
whether Liette still lived.
strange horned figures quickly lost
suit, it was quite unavailing. The
strange horned figures quicly lost
themselves among the towering gray
wrecks which reared treacherous
ramparts in his path.
Sick with an indescribable dread
and breathing heavily from his futile
numbering pursuit, Hugh Struthers ex
perienced the chill depths Of despair
at that moment. His sense of help
lessness to prevent the girls prob
able torture and death was madden
ing, quite unbearable. AS he stood
bewildered, not knowing which way to
turn, he realized that those strange
monsters APPARENTLY had almost human
intelligence, and long accustomed to
the treacherous footing of the wreck
pack, could make his efforts at es-
cape or pursuit appear pathetically
slow.
Dashing the sweat from his eyes,
he gazed miserably about at the sun
set tinted tangled spars and rigging,
and all the while vision of Liette