Evening star., 1939-11-12

AS ne anu OtIlciS oltCli Sii'"S' '
said, "In New Guinea, the difference
between the quick and the dead IS
that if you aren't the first, you're 60
ing to be the second" He had always
been among the quick" Before the
patterned. iridescent head, as big as
calf's, had swung down from the dark
ceiling of the cave to the spot where !,
Coralyn was standing, he had made
his leap, drawn the gun from its
holster and .
The bull rush that Blackwood made
all but knocked hun off his feet; flung
him right into the orbit of that sway
ing, slnuous head and neck, and under
the swiftly falling loops OF ke-body.
The wavering tongue. yard-long.
licked at him like black flame.
Raeburn was brave man, but for one
moment, fear, like dart OF steel.
struck through him; he thought, this
is it. it has come
Then he knew that it had not come
yet He had recovered his footing. .
emptied the gun right into the snakes
tiendish face and as it fell lashing its
enormous coils. he jumped quickly out
of the way to the open entrance
where Coralyn was standing, shaken
and crying. with the arm of the other
man about her waist 1t was not the
gas this time. he thought. 1t was just
plain hellsh mischief by Blackwood.
This pleased HIM. obscurely. When
they had gained the summit again.
when the carriers were loaded and sent
forward. and the march back to the
coast begun. when he was walking. as
before, duck-fashlon, on the narrow
track behind the girl and her lover, he
had time to think The result was that
when they reached. some days later.
the white coast and the bead-blue sea /.
and the glttering. swinging palms. he
found an opportunity to speak to
Coralyn alone.
you've made out the date you
wanted?" he began.
She nodded. lingering her Pan-plpe.
She was all on wires today. ready to
dance. ready to sing, eager to blow
upon her little plaintive flute; she was
as Raeburn remembered himself to
have been, before ten years of Papua
had sucked the marrow out of his
youth Something colder than the
tongue of the snake seemed to touch his
heart as he looked at her, but he went
on: You're going back to Sydney" =.
Just SO"
Are you going to marry him.
She was moved; her gray-gold eyes
veiled themselves behind those amaz-
ing lashes that must. he thought, be
real after all. why do you want to
know"
Because" he said plainly, Il ought
to have you myself"
She tried to laugh; she was shaken.
he could see it, He did not reach out
and take her hand He did not touch
her waist, although he famed to do so.
She must decide Through her silence.
he spoke. You We a right to know the
facts of the case. Do you know that
Blackwood tried to kill me - twice?'
She said, 81 thought it was only
once"
The sea broke kissing on hot sand,
three times. Then he spoke. "And -
knowing that - you'd ="
She said, Il know I'll be gosh-awful
unhappy with him
He waited; the sentence hung in the
air, unfinished. And maybe Id be
happy with you - don't know. But
| know you would come to hate me.
I'm not your kind; not, inside me, the
girl you think | am But he knows me
i am his type. | love him and
want to be with him - happy or not,
After all, it was because he wanted me
that he tried to kill you. A woman can
forgive that"
There was another pause. From the
store behind, they could hear old
WinderS voice, raised as the voices of