Show GOLD CHAPTER X continued 14 still worse was to follow caesar the second in command among the owned a nondescript black dog of the spaniel type which ranged ner the island as it pleased and on the very next evening shortly aate dark we heard from the woods at thi southerly end of the island a sudden agonizing yelping which ceased almost as abruptly as it began in the dark ness the sound was positively terrify in suggesting all kinds of unseen tor f tures and caesar by daylight as brave a man as you could find refused to go to the rescue of his pet in the morning we searched for him but in vain the dog had vanished as corn pleter as though the earth had lowed him the maid was triumphant her story was now substantiated and indeed bv this time it did seem as it somebody some bodi or something man or spirit was haunting the island yet realizing difficulties of exploring the mangrove swamp we took no action save to be in before nightfall to lock up the goats and the poultry and on the ground floor to make sure that door and win dows were thoroughly barred one thing however we did not do we took no heed of our herd of half wild cattle which roamed the island at will that they also might be at tacked never crossed our minds yet it was on the succeeding evening that another tragedy was added to the list e had just finished supper dusk was falling and helen and I 1 were debating whether or not we would tik our customary stroll which we had abandoned since the night of the hur she had asked me whether I 1 really believed there was danger when her question was suddenly answered for her by a great bellowing of cattle running to the door I 1 could see six or eight of them barely visible in tha dim light dashing at full tilt toward the house as it they felt that here at least they might find protection I 1 seized my gun and went out wishing greatly that cudjo the leader of th marcons maroons were with me but there had been much talk of a rebellion amon the slaves and he had gone up the river the day before on a scouting trip to see what he could learn in the way of news caesar and bill how ever were already on hand like mv pelf with their rifles in ahr hands the three of us stood close together casting doubtful g ances at the black shadow of the woods caesar usually brave as a lion for once hesitated what think he asked me to tell the truth I 1 have been very glad to retire into the house but since he had appealed to me in this way I 1 did not wish to be quoted after ward as having counseled prudence and as a matter of fact to retreat like frightened chalden because of a stampede of catte in the darkness appeared the very height of cowardice and so with a resolution I 1 was far from feeling and with what was I 1 fear that species of false bravery which comes from the dread of being thought afraid I 1 replied I 1 think we ought to go ahead come on boys and well clear up this mystery for good and all thus appealed to two old fighters like dill and caesar could not well demur and at once as the light was each instant growing dimmer we walked hpward the border of the trees at the edge of the thicket we halted cocked our rifles made cure that our knives and pistols were in readiness then spreading out a little slowly advanced among the trees there were no sounds any where save the faint tread of our own footsteps and I 1 was beginning to feel renewed courage and rather to pride myself upon my decision when we suddenly emerged into a little clear ing and as we did so I 1 gave an un controllable start I 1 could not have eald that I 1 had been anything yet tan as it may sound I 1 had a feeling that some one had been in that clear ing but a moment ago and in spite of myself I 1 felt my hair actually bals on my scalp at the same mo caesar whose eyes were as keen as those of a lynx gave vent to a low exclamation at once I 1 hastened to his side and found him and bill peering intently toward the farther elde of the clearing look like one of cattle said cae bar maybe somebody bide we dare go by this time though I 1 am tar from making the statement boastfully I 1 had become wrought up to such a pitch of excitement that now instead of being half frightened to death I 1 was in a state of absolute recklessness with a terse come on 1 I 1 advanced taking advantage of the taint light that still the clearing though all be nd its boundaries was dark and sl lent as the grave I 1 did no wait to see whether or not I 1 was followed for as I 1 say I 1 was fair beside myself with the tension ot 1 whole affair but as a matter of tact caesar and bill were close at my heels and in a moment wa were standing by the silent heap upon the ground it was one of the cattle no doub of it lay in a strangely con position with forelegs fore legs extend cil is if in a last desperate effort at f e it and with head thrown back a it to me far I 1 i it in pop the animal were r ia wf arf n fai ir noi utip a cri for i by ELLERY H CLARK copyright ltv by dobbs co its strange and unnatural attitude was now explained the heifer a neck had been broken its throat was torn and bleeding terribly so that the ground about was soaked with blood with courage suddenly evaporated I 1 threw a terrified glance at the forbidding blackness of the woods surely this was not the work of human hands an 1 at the moment I 1 could have sworn that I 1 saw something moving in the trees and heard the snapping of a twig it was enough thoroughly panic stricken all three of us dashed head long across the clearing and through the woods beyond nor did we stop there but kept on running until we were once more within a stone s throw of the house then indeed we pulled up and gazed at one another not 1 think ashamed of ourselves but thor demoralized and at a loss to account for this new tragedy we found mcallaster McAll lster eagerly await ing us hut there was little we coul 1 do to relieve his anxiety for a long time we talked mcallaster McAll lster held stub to the theory that this was work of men who came from the main land in a boat yet this seemed hardev possible for besides the strong ability of our seeing them there nas the added puzzle of the heifer its broken neck and bleeding throat but to this mcallaster McAll lster answered that the animal s neck was broken bv its fall caesar and bill laid the whole blame on evil spirits in gome way con aured hither by the murdered man possibly nil the wa from africa I 1 for my part was frankly puzzled and could suggest no theory at all with morning and the cheerful sun shine the events of alie night beeme 1 incredible and it was without fear eliat we started to revisit the groe to my relief cudjo had returned from his scouting trip reporting all quiet among the slaves and he disposed to ridicule ou story went with us to the woods ills face as he bent over the body of the heifer was a study for he was a man of unusual intelligence and the superstitious imaginings of his race meant nothing at all to him yet while he discarded the adea of an thing supernatural he was at a lost to tell who had done the deed the Ii elfers neck interested him immense ly and oer it he shook his head this afternoon he announced we hunt island all men all armed all keep together it then come evening I 1 watch here I 1 and one other man f gee him I 1 admired his courage and his decision and felt that alth him as a corn canlon I 1 was ready to take the risk but when I 1 volunteered he shook ahls head master no let you he said decisively think too much danger master no let me if tell him so no tell him io get other man come alone but this doubt of getting another man stung caesar in spite of his be alef in ghosts I 1 go he announced quietly and cudjo nodded well pleased that afternoon with the consent of andrew we made careful preparations and explored as thor as we could the mangrove swamp with the exception of one par tangled spot to the westward of he house which mcallaster McAll lster prom alsed to make his special care when we bended wended our way homeward without we fel tolerably certain that it was not in the swamp that our foe was lurking but where then on the island could he himself the treetops indeed would serve but their smooth trunks rose without a branch for many feet and we had only to stand awl look upward to know that the most of us could not scale them io the mystery re unsolved and its shadow cast a gloom over the entire household hor did I 1 to tell the truth feel en easy in my mind over cuda and caesar yet they were both ma ture men expert and resourceful ani I 1 did not dare to offend them by in forming mcallaster McAll lster of their plan for tuna tely for its success mcallaster McAll lster retired early and watching not without anxiety from the doorway I 1 saw the two figures emerge from their and melt silently into the dark ness for some time indeed I 1 waited outside halt wishing to go known to their assistance and to take up a position near them in case they needed reinforcements but after an hour had passed and no sound broke the stillness of the night I 1 went in and was soon sleeping soundly I 1 do not know what woke me it may have been a pure coincidence or it may have been through some mys agenas which we do not wholly understand but in an instant I 1 was broad awake it wag perhaps an hour before daybreak I 1 calculated and feel ing that cudjo would no longer als approve my coming I 1 decided to dress steal out and join them in the wooda to hear the story of their vigil As I 1 left the house a shadow from the ma roon quarters joined me and I 1 was not sorry to recognize big bill with the rifle in his hand his face looked troubled and anxious and when I 1 asked him why he was abroad so early I 1 discovered that he biad been awakened in the same strange manner as myself too he felt that it foreboder foreboded fore boded evil for he muttered ap something bad happen we had traversed perhaps halt the to the woods when of a sud den and the more dreadful because without warning there arose on the morning air a most frightful shriek high pitched heartrending the scream of a man in agony then came the sharp report of a rifle and a second later an imploring cry rang out twice repeated help I 1 helal oh god and then absolute silence it was too much for 0 er wrought nerves coming as the climax 0 a series 0 lesser mis adventures it was indescribably herrl tying and I 1 felt no surprise as I 1 saw bill turn and fairly take to his heels and though I 1 did not follow his ex ample I 1 take no credit to myself I 1 would bladl have done so had not pride prevented and stubbornly with teeth set and heart hammering against my ribs I 1 pressed on toward th woods thankful that at last a faint light was beginning to show around me if I 1 was to die I 1 wished to meet death face to face not to be struck down in the dark I 1 reached the edge of the clearen ln without mishap and peering forth duew instantly that ahe worst had happened in the center of the glade face downward lay the body of cudjo a little nearer just on the edge of the t do not know what woke me clearing a head and shoulders projecting from the undergrowth be brayed the body of caesar A hast examination destroyed the last vei alge of hope both men were beyond all aid caesar I 1 judged had been struck down from behind alti awful force while it was only to evident that cudjo had met his deatle by the same hands that had slain the hapless heifer I 1 felt my brain going neer before had I 1 believed in am alres or warlocks war locks yet now I 1 did and for an instant I 1 was actually con that here was the work of ghosal altor from beyond the grave then in a flash of reason I 1 some how regained m power of control e had searched alie island nothing was there I 1 his deed had happened within a few moments if done by visitors from the mainland they could not yet have escaped As fast as my leg would carry ue I 1 dashed through the strip of woods that led to the seaward point and then I 1 could have shouted at alie sight of it there was a canoe of cottonwood its single oc cupan making his paddle fly it was leht enough for me to see that he wore a scarlet handkerchief about his head and een in the dim light I 1 had the impression that he was not a negro but a white man I 1 threw m rifle to my shoulder aimed at the base of tho mans neck and pressed the my aim was true for at alie report ne halt leaped to hl feet dropping his paddle and clutching at the air then plunged over the side upsetting ohp canoe in his fall and floated glang feebly but without as it seemed to roe any real notion of what he wa doing aith a feeling of relief that athla mysterious murderer was at las laid low I 1 started to run to the where the boats lay moored but throwing a hasty glance over m shoulder I 1 stopped in my tracks for even as I 1 looked I 1 saw his body rise halt out of the water as it impelled by some force from beneath the waves then swiftly and silently disappear from sight to rise no more I 1 needed no explanation some one 0 the huge sharks that haunted the lagoon had secured a meal and the identity of the mysterious murderer would never be come known the effect of the affair on mcallis ter was remarkable the solving ol 01 the mystery lifted an enormous weight from his spirits my killing of the marauder in the canoe especially him I 1 was in the highest favor and again and again he praised my skill with the rifle hat a gift 1 he would say admiringly what a bonny gift and again where might I 1 be now if I 1 dadna written you to come and join me he was so pleased indeed that 1 had not the heart to impart to him the doubts that still remained in my mind for the more I 1 thought about it thal less I 1 could arrive at a satisfactory conclusion that this mysterious tor was the murderer seemed plain and yet if it was against our house hold that he had designs why had h slain the dog hy had he slough the heifer whit possible ob eject was there in thus alarming our garrison and putting us on our guard the theory which I 1 at last adopted as the most probable was that thlu was a madman seized with some blood lust and prowling about in the darkness III e a beast of prey to grat afy his murderous frenzy for twenty four hours quiet reigned then at breakfast helen told us that her maid had during the night been almost frightened to death she had awakened in the darkness had heard a faint scraping noise outside her room and while she had lain there quaking at these cautious hardly au dable sounds something she was sure of it had peered in at the window it was she thought a lare man very broad shoulders she had creamed and immediately the visitor had vanished of course none of u took this seriously for almost all the blicks are imaginative to the highest degree so instead of allowing our selves to become disturbed we heard the with a smile thus the nett night came sultry unbearably hot with a high moon peering occasionally through drifting clouds I 1 or some time I 1 tried to sleep but finally overcome by wakefulness I 1 determined to resort to my expedient of the rop and slipping on my light est clothing I 1 armed myself croppe 1 noiselessly to the ground and was just starting to walk away when I 1 heard a noise as it of a door closing ia though some one were entering or leaving the housa I 1 myself against the wall I 1 waited and pros antty a figure came into view not needless to sa that of a ghost or de mon but the bent and commonplace form of Mcl llster carrying a spade in his hand I 1 could scarcely beleve my ayea what new phase of the mystery was this evidently mcallaster McAll lster was am belled by some motive more direct than that of mere sleeplessness for he proceeded with a swift and certain step toward the mangroves man groves and sud it flashed over ma this was the apoi he biad examined himself and from which he had excluded th rest of us on the day when we had searched the island As cautiously as possible I 1 waited until he |