Evening star., 1938-02-09
Drain ON Iinl0ra .A
by Charles Henry

She saw then that his casual air was
assumed to disguise his real feelings
about the trouble brewing on Timora.
He wasn't hardboiled like MacCauley
and Lane. She got out her books and
prepared to tabulate, but Pearson was
too tense to work and came over and
interrupted her.
We'll" he said, Il guess you know
why MacCauley hates your friend
Christopher now"
Denise didn't. although she had
given considerable time to that puz-
cling fact. Pearson appeared sur
prised when she asked him to clarity
his statement.
You saw what happened yesterday,
didn't you?" he demanded. well, that
wasn't the first time that Christopher
made fool out of MacCauley. Once
before. in a dispute of some sort or
another, Christopher whaled the tar
out of the big stiff" Pearsons eyes
glowed as he recalled the scene. you
can imagine what that did to Mac
Cauley. He's prouder than the devil Of
his strength and to be licked is simply
1ntolerable. The day CHRISTOPHER
stretched him unconscious in the sand
at the dock he made himself an un-
relenting enemy who Is just waiting
for chance to slip a knife into his
back"
SO that was the reason! She had
been far from the truth, having laid
the antagonism to the fundamental
dlf1erences in character between the
two to some fancied slight or snub
or an entire incompatibilty. Some
now. she hadn't thought Of CHRISTOPHER
as a powerful man. arrogant perhaps
IN his well-bred intellectual way, but
thoroughly man Of thought. She
understood now why she had felt 40
confident the day before when Mac.
Cauley threatened him.
But she had seen him fighting and
mad known the strength of his arms
and strange exultation filled her
neart and he could earn the hatred of
men ike MacCauley by coolly breaking
them and casting them aside. It was
a primitive exultation that had no
place in the psychology of a modern
girl but on Timora the veneer of CIV
llization slowly gave way to the rough.
ness OF barbarity.
Pearson strolled to one of the win
dows to take a look at the weather
len 10 one it rains inside of an hour"
ne said, jerking his head at the in
verted bowl Of gray that seemed to be
settling down from the heavens, AT
any rate, it isn't coming along with
the hurricane. That's something to be
thankful for. 1t makes our Job easier"
He went to the door of the cable
room. which adjoined the office, pluck
ing the rifle from its resting place.
Denise watched him passively,
cant understand MacCauley," he
muttered. He spent a small fortune
to lay his blasted cable and now he
refuses to put in radio sending set
The mans bats. Gables go on the frit,
too easily to satisfy me. He com.
plneS conservatism with bullheaded-
ness-you can't argue with him."
Pearson idly charged the magazine Of
the gun in his hands. Il SUPPOSE" he
remarked offhandedly, you know that
he loves you?"
"What?' echoed Denise in astonish-
ment
But Pearson did not reply, because
another matter absorbed his interest
Out OF the north, slowly, deliberately.
several staccato reports rolled and
reVerberated in the still. hot air, A
pause, and then more reports. Pear
sons face went white even as Denise
watched him, and his hand trembled
slightly as they held the Winchester
1ts come he muttered unbelievinely.
Its happened!"
Oenlse was puzzled as more thuds
sounded in the north and rolled down
70 Where they were standing in the
once OF the Jones' -MacCauley Co.
"Thunder?" Denise asked bewi,der.d
ny the tense, apprehensive attitude of
the young clerk.
He smiled briefly.
Not yet" he said. Just a freak
OF nature. We've heard gunshots car
rled 10 miles through still air" He
laughed. but you'll have all the thun.
oer you want inside of five minutes"
He was not mistaken, for scarcelv
mad ne spoken when a terrifac crash
ripped the sky open above them and
iet loose deluge. In moment everv-
thmg was chaotic. Sound and vision
We're distorted by the hurricane rush
OF wind and water.
Denise started to say something
then looked towards the door. al
powerfully muscled brown figure
ioomed in the open space. A flare of
hghtnlng threw them into bold ont
line. His eyes narrowed, and in his
nand he swung a deadly double edged
KRIS. He grinned as he looked at the
trembling figure of the white woman
OF 11mora. and his primitive face was
klndled with emotion.
She saw him tensing for a leap to-
wards Pearson, and screamed. John!
Turn quick"
tCopyrisht 1881