The Wilmington morning star., 1940-11-14
CHAPTER ~TWENTY-SEVEN

Gun, staring in the early sun
light at Tommy Hazeldeane' SUD
denly burst out laughing.
"Glad you've got something te
laugh at" Tommy growled, "bu.
Pm damned if 1 a see Wna1 II IS;
now Gun laughed. But l DO WIS.,
YOU could see yourself, my dear
fellow. 1 would never have thought
= couple of days, even OF this
could have made you look like
that"
so far as that goes, you don't
look precisely an oil painting your
self, my man."
mo, 1 suppose not" Gun con
sented, I'm too hungry to looS
like an oil painting. I wish theyd
bring that bread along"
som hungry as Hades. But
I always am, now. So damned hun.
cry that I'm beginning to think OF
nothing but food"
Gun nodded, Understandings.
THAT'S the queer part of it-or,
rather. it isn't. It's the natural
part of it. After all, despite our
years of what we call civilization
man is still a primitive animal at
heart! It's only the essential things
of life that matter. If anyone had
told you a fortnight ago that the
most important thing in the world
to you one day would be a hunk
of bread, you'd have laughed, now
wouldn't your"
II certainly should! I was never
a high brow, and I've always had
a certain respect for my stomach,
but 1 would never have thought
that food would have counted SO
much"
That's because you were never
starved. I have, so I know. That's
where this devil Trent is SO dam
ned clever. And he's got it to a
fine art. 1t wouldn't have been any
good to have starved us. The stages
of starvation are, first a sense OF
hunger. Then that gives place to
a sense of emptiness and faintness.
Then pains. And finally, a sort OF
coma, Authorizations, and so on,
But. after the first two or three
days, the craving to eat never
comes back
"You seem to know all about it,
observed Tommy.
II do. 1 told you I'd been through
it. But, by keeping us with always
a little to eat, but nothing like suf-
ficlent even to stop the cravings OF
hunger, Trent keeps us at the first
stage all the time. And that's the
dangerous stage-the stage when
men will commit crimes-e v e n
murder-just for food. He's con-
WINGED that if he keeps us-at
any rate, you, in this state long
enough, desperation will make you
spill the beans. Oh. he's clever, al
right, damn him!
"Amen!" said Tommy. But vol
are right, Gun-he's clever. I'm
beginning to feel myself that he'll
succeed if he keeps on like this
long enough. Hang it, I wouldn'1
commit any real crime, as yet, ano
I certainly wouldn't turn traitor
but I'd give every penny I possess
in the world, and ten years of my
life, for a good square meal, e
strong drink, a smoke, a bath, ane
a comfortable bed for a few hours
And it's getting worse every day.
cry day"
Gun shot an anxious glance a
his companion. He didn't quite like
his tone. Tommy Hazeldeane was
weakening. His critical examina'
ton of the man did not bring any
comfort, either.
The dew bath idea was more
spartan than effective. What could
be done with the dew on the grass
and their handkerchief, they had
done. But it didn't amount tc
much. There was dirt grimed into
Tommy's skin, particularly where
the stubble of days surrounded his
chin. His eyes were bloodshot, and
red around the rims and, from
sheer weakness due to semi-starva.
ton, his lower lip was not toe
steady. His clothes were rumplec
and creased, his linen badly soiled
His hands, too, were unsteady, ane
his fingers never still. Always h,
was plucking at something, or rest
lessly INTERVIEWING together.
No, decidedly Tommy did no
Bella LANAN-COURT F