The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1940-10-25
Chapter Is
Protecting Hand


l. other-menacing forms of the
large camp dogs.
Lynn had heard dreadful things
about these huge, black Mongol-
ian mastIffS with rufus on their
necks, giving them the ferociouS
appearance of lions. They scav-
engered the fields of the dead and
sometimes did not wait for man
to die. She began to run as fast
as she could through the drag
ging sand and made for a huge
boulder that doomed ahead along
the edge of the dry wash. With
her back to this, she might fight
the dogs off for a while.
She stumbled and fell, then got
up and staggered on, and finally
fell again and lay for a moment
paralyZed with fear at a sudden,
quick pattering of feet through
the sand behind her.
A hand was laid on her shoul-
der and withdrawn.
Have you had enough?" asked
Temu DARN, dropping the rein
Of his pony and crouching down
beside her.
She tried to struggle 20 her feet
The dogs" she gasped.
MY dogs won't hurt you" he
said, throwing rug over her
shoulders and folding it across
her breast.
She knelt there facing him.
what a failure / ami" she
sobbed, trembling uncontrollably.
You're struggling against big
odds" he remarked reasonably.
InSurmountable odds, if only l
could make you believe it, Lynn.
Why wear yourself out like this?"
She sat and looked at him while
regaining her breath and self
control. Finally she shook her
head in despair.
Il am an American girl. l was
born free. feel the equal of men
when 1t comes to personal free
dom. l want to be master of my
own fate. I'm not like your East
ern women" She made little
gesture of futility. "Oh, l suppose
/ cannot make you understand. :"
He bent towards her and held
her gaze. I've known American
girls before you. | think | under
stand them very we'll If you'd
trust you intuitions little more
and your scheming intellect a
little less" he stopped. I'm the
one who cannot make you under
stand"
He rose and drew the horse to
him. helped Lynn into the sad
die, and sp-ang up behind her,
heading the horse towards camp.
THAT Chinese trading post you
were making for it would have
been better for the dogs to get
you"
'TlI escape you somehow" she
promised, through teeth set
against their chattering, some
times, somewhere"
Il saw you leave the tent. Why
did you stay so long at the well?"
he demanded.
She must not betray tn e
Frenchman. she saw. Il was
thinking" she replied quickly,
thinking and planning"
"Sure you weren't expecting
the Frenchman?"
Gould he be bribed?" she
asked lightly.
Il shouldn't wonder" Suddenly
Temu chuckled. Poor devil, you
should have seen him. He's been
fidgeting in my tent for the last
hour. Fortunately. he's one of the
crew driving the trucks back to
Pal Shu in the morning. / shall
take good care that you do not
encounter him again"
So he might have been able to
help her, after all, Lynn thought,
with a sense of overwhelming dis
appointment.
The Clues Return
uER captor drew up in front of
IL the tent and diSmounted.
Lynn slid down, hemmed in be-
tween him and the horse. 1t
seemed he had something to say.
Her eyelids fiuttered YEARLY
and then stiffened, steeling her
self against the faint smile curv-
ing his lips and gathering round
his eyes, which were black pools
of light in the radiance surround
ing them.
81 want to return your pos
sessions" he said, drawing a
handkerchief and some papers
from his pocket
She took them without a word,
the note she had left at the Chi
nese inn, the handkerchief she
had dropped in Pal Shu, and the
letter he had given the emigrant
woman-even the diamond ring.
81 let the woman keep your
money"
"Are you sure you don't want
the handkerchief to remember me
by" she asked with an effort az
Il don't need anything to re-
member you by" he said. you
are never out of my thoughts"
She looked up at him with new
hope and pressed light, enticing
fingers against his breast.
fTemu, if you like me the least
little bit, LET me return with the
caravan in the morning. You will
win my gratitude. my admiration,
my"
"You misunderstood" he inter-
ruuted. stepping back. II am the
Princes friend and incorrupt-
ible." He raised the tent flap that
she might enter.
Her eyes filed with tears OF