Worcester Democrat and the ledger-enterprise. (Pocomoke City, Md.) 1921-1953, 1937-02-12

grease which he applied in liberal
quantities to his face and hands. This
done, he set forth again on his recon-
noitering journey towards that dis
tant mysterious promontory. Half
way there he heard board snap some
where in the darkness, and so halt
ed, listening intently. Gradually he
became aware that many other furtive
figures were moving in a course par
allel to his own.
Half an hour later Struthers halt
ed, found he could go no further
without imminent risk of discovery,
and so lying flat on the Shiny vapor-
Gus deck of an old-fashioned bark
whose masts rotted through, falling
to lie like windfelled pines across the
deck. In silence he listened to the
scattered groups of voyagers, heard
their cultural, harsh voices and clack
ing laughter. One group actually
trotted across the deck within ten
feet of where he lay motionless a.
mong the tangled rigging.
He knew he was still consider
able distance from his goal, but he
did not dare penetrate further with
out running extreme danger of cap
ture-capture that would inevitably
mean an unspeakable blotting out of
not only himself but the girl he was
endeavoring to save. Among the shad-
ows he started violently as to his ears
came that dull booming sound he had
heard once before, only on this &C.
casion, it was much louder and clear
er, a steady blood-quickening rhy.
thin.
j Tunk-ta-ta-tunk. tunk-ta.
ta-tunk. called the hollow sounding
toms-toms while a great fire lit the
heavens and the wreck pack across 8
small bay that opened directly ahead
Everywhere about Struthers came thu
sound Of stealthy progress. Silhout
ted against the fire-lit background o.
hoary wrecks, he could see tens ant
dozens, all sizes and shapes arme,
with axes, spears, and other odd in
; struments. Though they must hav
: known the use of firearms, their vic
ious culture seemed childlishly enough
= to disdain them.
4 Presently the call of the dane
drums rose louder, and the fire com
E menced to glow even brighter, flicker
0 ing up and up, lighting up the wreck
in fullest detail that showed ever,
< tottering mast, every black port hol
: and every warped rotten deck.
j ooh, Cod" thought Struthers, hi
last hope shattered, "there must b
5 at least a couple of thousand O
a them" Black, soul-searing despai
e gripped him as he realized that evel
: with a machine gun-had he bee
able to find one in that bewilderinl
: mass of derelicts-he could not hop
t to drive off that mob Of savages
: Doggedly, seeking solution to hi
problem, he remained lying flat OF
: the wet deck until the last of the con
gregating canibals had passed; then
and then only did he begin a cautious
, hopeless retreat through the treach
erous darkness.
When Struthers bruised, breathles.
!, and determined to struggle to the enc
reached the lie de Tarascon he prud.
emily collected his few belongings anC
abandoned the great ship to the rats
On his return journey he selected as
a hiding place the pilot house of 8
big steel ore boat that lay but a lit.
tie distance beyond the collier From
this point of vantage he was situated
high above average deck level anG
found himself able to view the fly.
ing boat.
!, Calmer than he had been in many
hours he stripped himself of the evil
j. smelling regalia, wiped clean his face
!. and hands, removed the miscellaneous
jewelry decking his person. With the
vague intention of using the gauds
in the future, he crammed them into
: his pockets and fell once more tt
evolving plaza plan, which as il
took shape, appeared so childish, 81
/ ridiculous that for a moment he hest
, tated to adopt it.
l But there's no other way" he sigh
: ed, GIVE got to risk it. Shooting
e won't accomplish anything"
J, The endless hours licked ava,
/, while there gradually appeared befor,
e his eyes such a breath-taking spec
tacle as he had never thought to be
3 hold. The lazy, warm, humid win,
e had shifted slightly to the south an,
: thus warmed the air over the wrecl
e pack; as it did so weird blue flame
d began to lick out into the darkness
n flames growing miraculously in siz
: and color ran up the rigging like leap
t ing malicious elves. Selling hunpril,