Browning chief. [volume] (Browning, Mont.) 1941-1953, 1945-01-19
CHAPTERXIX

She staggered out of the door
which the three struggling men had
crashed open. She crossed little
porch and walked down step into
the yard. She stopped beside
stunted tree.
Pierre was standing less than
yard away from the two fighting
men. The revolver was raised. He
was waiting his chance to shoot
Steve without hitting Winthrop Lam
ming.
Zorie remembered her fathers
saying, Hold your breath when you
pull the trigger" She drew deep
breath. The air was cool and sweet
with the early morning fragrance of
Chinese jasmine.
She aimed the pistol at Pierre's
head. She held the trigger back.
The explosions almost kicked the
pistol out of her hand But she
did not once blink. Pierre spun
about. The revolver dropped from
his hand. He pitched forward into
the mud.
One of Steve's muddy fists struck
Mr.. Lanning in the mouth. She saw
Mr.. Lanning sag to his knees with
his hands covering his mouth.
All of the strength left Zorie. The
pistol slipped out of her hand and
she sat down in the mud.
Then Steve's strange, rumbling
voice said, "Baby, we did It'll"
She put her hands to her face.
She felt sick and confused. Her
hands and her feet were throbbing
with pain. Steve was trying to lift
her up, but she was too weak to
help.
Steve sat her down in a chair on
the little porch. She saw him at
tending to Mr.. Lanning. Steve had
found some pieces of rope. He
tied Mr.. Lanning's hands together,
then he tied his ankles together, just
as Mr.. Lanning had tied hers, in the
garage at Uluwehi. And she won
dered what, after all he'd been
through, was keeping Steve alive.
She heard Steve talking, in his
strange, throaty voice to Basil
Stromberg. She heard Steve say he
was sorry he had shot Mr.. Strom-
berg in the shoulder.
II intended" Steve said, 'to shoot
you in the head"
She heard other voices, and
thought she was ina gining them
the sharp, thin voice of the admiral,
and the excited voice of Paul. 1t
was, Zorie decided moment be-
fore she slid out of the chair I'M
conscious, very ironical. She had
tried so desperately to detain Mr..
Stromberg until Paul and the ad-
miral arrived. And here they we're!
The days were difficult, especially
the first ones, but it was the nights
that Zorie really dreaded. Every
night, even with her bedside lamp
on, all the things she wanted to for
get kept coming back and living
themselves all over again, so that,
in spite of sleeping capsules, she
could not sleep.
A morning came when Zorie felt
amazingly better. She had had a
good night, fairly free from disturb
ing images. She ate a big break
fast and she asked the nurse if she
couldn't get dressed and sit out in
the sunlight on the little lanai that
adjoined her bedroom.
"Can I see some people?" Zorie
asked. 81 would love to see some
people,"
"What people would you love to
.see?" her nurse asked.
Il would love to see Lieutenant
Duncan"
Steve came out onto the lanai-but
he was not alone. The admiral trot-
ted along beside him.
Steve wore white Stacks and fad
ed blue cotton polo shirt against
which his muscular darkness was
striking. He bore surprisingly few
evidences of that battle to the death
almost to the death-in the mud
at Kokee. There was small SWELL
ing above his right eye, a healing
scratch on his chin. That was about
all. He was as splendid as usual,
and the moment she saw him, that
old feeling came over Zorie.
His blue eyes were sparkling. He
carried ginger flower lei in one
hand. He bent over and looped it
about her neck.
with the compliments" he said
in his deep, lazy voice, "of the
Democratic Administration, the
cheering populace, and the entire
United States Navy-with especial
gratitude from my chief in Homo
lulu"
The admiral said excitedly, "But
how are you, my dear?"
practically recovered, thank
you"
We've been very anxious about
you-and very anxious to see you"
"The nurse" Steve reminded him,
said ten minutes, and not to excite
her"
"But ten minutes won't begin to
,be long .enough!" Zorie protested.
'"There are 50 many things I want