The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1939-03-25

4 IeFeQ On TIE ground were split
cushions, instruments. maps. She
had interrupted a search of the
Wreckage. Rene could have
crawled out. There! To that round
headed rock. The others were too
far away for a seriously injured
man to reach them. Down on her
hands and knees. she buried des-
perate hands in the sand. She
sought. The sand was loose. Her
heart leapt, in amazed triumph.
She had them! She pulled out the
| small, black macintosh case. for
whose contents one. perhaps two
men had died.
Standing, she kicked back the
sand with her foot. A rifle lay at
little distance from the dead guard.
She picked it up. She looked to-
wards the lights of the car. She
needed its refuge desperately. She
ran, at an angle, towards the road.
Hassan would be gone, unless she
could reach him. A shot! She
dropped fiat. But they were not
firing at her. Near the road she
saw the car, headlights still burn
ing. come to slow standstill. Has
san was dead or wounded! But she
W3S within two hundred yards. If
only she could reach it. Petrol
crouch"d, planning her own saliva
ton. The car was her only hope.
She must distract the two Egyp-
tians, from dragging Hassan out,
make them tear back to the plane.
Pointing the heavy rifle skywards,
she fired.
She heard shouts. Hassan's
enemies turned, and ran back to-
wards the plane. They passed so
close to her, crouched behind
shelf of rock. that the sand dis
placed by their thudding feet fell
rafting on her back. When the
time came to run, would her legs
refuse to move, as a part of this
nightmare? But somehow, fear
seemed to have little effect on her
actions, tonight. The ruse could not
have worked more simply, and
successfully, had she been un-
afraid Had she picked up this old
rifle with real purpose, instead
of a helpless clutching at any
weapon of self-protection. Her
breath coming in gasping sobs,
Petrol reached the car. She ran to
the far door. The shadow of the
hood would hide her, making her a
difficult target. She opened it. Has
san was lying slumped over the
wheel. groaning.
Pursued
|"GET over, Hassan. I'm going to
~ drive. Well get away"
Afterwards, she realized that she
spoke in English. But he obeyed.
T h n k heaven, the engine re-
sponded at once, when she pressed
the self-starter. They were going
to get away! The car bounced for
ward. Where was that brake? Has
san put one hand down, and re-
leased it for her. They were going
to get away! Petrol heard shots.
She knew they were being pur-
sued. She felt sharp sting in her
shoulder. glanced at it, saw blood,
and knew that she was lucky to be
sitting here alive, able to drive on.
The wounded man lurched against
her. The dispatch case slipped from
her lap to the floor of the car,
among the gears. The cold barrel of
the rifle leaning against the door
beside her knocked to and fro, hit
ting her arm. She drove fast. Fast
er than she had ever driven before.
She was near the Camel Police
Station. when she saw the head
lights of three cars travelling to-
wards her. Fear again! She had
thought she was safe, but now
there were more of them-going
to try to prevent her escape. Fast
er, faSterl But as she passed them,
she heard a shout, caught glimpse
OF khaki police uniforms, and tin
hats; saw Tony's face, white in the
moonlight, straining out of the
leading car. Tony!
Petronella found the brake, and
pulled to a gradual standstill.
STOPPING, she picked up the dis
patch case. Yes, he should have it.
But that was all. Never anything
else; never again, her love and
ESss SAtS 1~aAACilIOC1C0 Ills I1ItSs
She slipped it of. She threw It
away into the sand. Thou art my
Woman" She laughed, a short,
hard laugh. That was what he had
thought. She had been soft enough
to agree with him. But it was not
true any longer; after tonight.
Tony had played his last game
with her. This time. it was her turn
to walk out. She looked at the
grueSome figure beside her. Blood
oozed between the fingers which
covered his eyes. Another sacrifice
to Tony's ambitionl She shud-
dered. She had been fool.
She was appalled, by her own
lack of insight into his character.
She had had two proofs of his
hardness, but had refused to be-
lieve. But for that fiuke of hearing
Fleur crying in her room, she
might never have discovered what
he was really like. till it was too
late. She might have married him
before she found out how little
love meant to him.
YEARLY she climbed out Of the
car. She felt giddy. Her shoulder
was not painful. but the sight of
her own blood made her feel faint.
and afraid.
She walked down the moonlit
road to meet them. Tony and Mike
were there, and police - Tony
reached her first. He seemed to
tower over her. He was as angry as
she was.
"Petrel, what the devil do you
mean by doing such a thing? What
in heavens name induced you to
take risk like that? Oh, my dear,
you're woundedp He tried to catch