Show I.- I. S SrI rI w jv rr j Edison Marshall SI S T V 5 a t. t V I C 0 rt fI CHAPTER IV IV Continued Continued 4 They found Wilcox Mother Horton forton Hor for ton and the two girls crouching before before before be be- fore the stone hearth in the tIte half half- lighted turf house The fire was of t driftwood hissing and smoking The Tho only furnishings in the hut were fur sleeping robes robe a n tow few wooden dishes pokes of oil and supplies and primitive weapons and tools to wrest a living from the bleak blenk tundra and desolate sea sen But the tho squaws were vero smiling gesturing ng and rind ex extending ex cx- tending ev every ry hospitality they knew v. From the low bluff on which the huts stood Eric could survey the entire Island a II dreary vista It was little more than a lonely mountain mountaintop top in a lost sea the name of this Is Island and Eric asked Name she Aleut Abut word mean menn Place Where Everything Gone G o 0 n a e Away no Forlorn island Eric spoke quietly Fits it pretty well I should say Roy said how do neary near- near nearly nearly ly y sixty people manage to live here We catch salmon sea lion sometimes some some- tines times roots berries birds In s sea we ve catch seals halibut codfish But we no dare go out very far from harbor bad currents take Into nto rocks So fish halibut codfish mighty scarce Sixty people get along more than sixty everybody go hungry So we no have more than han n sixty He spoke calmly casually and andEric andEric Er Eric c watched him with Hh steely narro narrowed narrowed nar nar- ro rowed e eyes How cHow do you manage not It-not t not to have more than sixty We keep count When one baby more than sixty born he die Mother Hother she cry sometime but she know mow do no good Other women they hey put baby out on beach wind she be blow baby no live long Rather like Uke an nn exclusive club Roy noy said grim grimly Someone has to todie todie die dlo off ort before another can cnn get in But Jut dont don't look so shocked Ei lessen Plenty Monty of ot primitive people practice some infanticide some of of- the Eskimos for Instance but Instance but its it's usually hap hap- hazard lazard This TIIs is very new and interesting In In- cresting keeping an nn exact count Its horrible When the lon tion gets too large why cant can't some of the men defy the danger and and strike out for now lands That's the tho way real men do And Antl get themselves drowned That's romanticism In In contrast with good horse sense The only tiling flung that is troubling me Is that now the population Is seventy SIL Presently led them to the church Of the light that some far sailing Russian zealot had brought wrought to Forlorn island nearly two 1 centuries before only a dim glimmer remained In the front half of a two two room room turf house was a crude stone altar aIrel a n silver slIver Inthe Inthe in the he work ork of old Moscow and one gold candlestick Here the Aleuts came came to chant the prayers they did not understand to the tho white mans man's God on whom they had grafted their own animal gods and theIr devils ila of sea sen and storm In Inthe Inthe Inthe the rear room lived ll direct di dl descendant of the priest and custodian of ot the magic he be passed down She came out at once a slender girl with slanted black eyes her tawny skin scarcely darker than Nans Nan's golden tan Only a drop of white blood flowed in her veins but butt It t had refined her features and quickened her ber mind She gazed at nt atthe atthe the two white men half halt In a awe we half halt halfIn haltIn In hi exultation make prayer for you to come she told them in soft throaty tones Prayer him an nn- s vered God ho he big strong god give what she want But why Roy asked What did you want of or white people peo pie she hear stories pass down from priest She think dream wonder about white mans man's country think pray maybe sometime white pe people come here So she sho make Che Che- talk white mans man's talk so she ready when they come She heap lonely tired of ot little Island think maybe mabe be white ma man come take her away Turning from Roy toy she aho caressed Erics Eric's bare arm think your skin heap pretty heap smooth too like otter fur What might be bea a Jealous gleam came into her slanted slant ed black eyes see two I white girls come in boat with old woman Maybe one your wife Roy noy broke In quickly Neither la ls his wife but the girl with the curly dark hair will be bo my wife wICe soon no care about you I Ino Ino Ino no see you come como In dream I see tall taU tallman tallman man with eyes like lUte sea with akin like snow She r reached ached a II brown hand and anel stroked Erics Eric's cheek You no marry other girl maybe maybo maybo may- may bo be you rou marry me me priestess priest priest- ess of lost l st people people and and we have baby with kin like snow too black eyes were wro brimming and ana Eric must answer them straight A HA white man does not marry until he be is in love he told her kindly Love cLove comes to him when it comes he has no power to seize it or to make it go Then you no see FIrt heart In dream like I see you But you jOU see i her now nO maybe you catch love soon Her arms they strong they strong they strong they hold you tight She young and she she white girl like Uke you And she no say this to any man before When Eric and Roy were out of hearing each got the first real glimpse of ot the others other's souL They respected each ench other deeply they could work worl together toward certain I ends yet they were as ns remote as ns pine and palm Eric had Inherited the l idealism of ot the North The basIs basis ba ba- ba- ba sis of or his strength was character But Roys Roy's guiding light was logic Ho He was ruled and guided by his brain never his heart His superior or intellect ran cold as nn hn an electric dynamo He could be kindly brave where bravery was something more than a tradition but he took life as he found it made the best of It and never gazed beyond Which of ot these two types have contributed most to cl civilization civIlization- th the Intellectual or the emotional the realist or the dreamer Which Is most Important In the ultimate destiny of mankind Which would woul triumph in this Island adventure adventure- a n re enactment re-enactment on a II small scale of mans man's long war with sa savagery and the raw powers of ot nature Only time could tell teU Ericssen this girl Is our one hope Roy said If It you'll play your part parte we e enn con can be tree free in two months She's fallen In love with you at nt first sight whatever sight whatever that means means and and as priestess she controls controls controls con con- the island If the young men menor of or the tribe would go with us we c could reach rench civilization You know that as well as I. I They could feel their way in a n dozen covered kayaks ka yaks a good many would be lost but some would be sure to find the strait t. t Throw their lives hives away to save sav I our own skins That's what It i amounts to What of oC It An inbred hopeless handful of ot savages Eric Erie we must look after neter ourselves first first and and our women women women-that's that's the first law of ot life Ufe But Id I'd have to play square with She's no common squaw squaw to to these people she's a a semi-sacred semi being whose virginity is closely guarded guarded and and the only way I could Induce her to raise the taboo would be to marry her in her own own church and take her w with th me to the outside world Oh you'd have to pretend It was the real thing But for you the ceremony would woul be an empty form when we reached the tho first fust settled Island we e could buy her a n lot of ot new dresses a phonograph If IC she site wanted wante It and leave her happy And Antl really she's not a bad looking girl Shed She'd make your stay here very pleasant Erics Eric's blue eyes had a cold shine You can drop that Stuart I wouldn't break trust with even if we dont don't leave heave hero here for the rest of our natural lives If I married mar mar- ned ried her hero here In her church I Id I'd stand by It but Im I'm not going to cross my blood with Aleuts to save sae you or anyone else ese A cynical gleam came camo Into nc Roys Roy's ys y's cold eyes Its plain that Horton and I will have to take matters Into our own hands We cant can't rely on you youre you're too d d-d d d gallant And AndI I warn you jOU that our methods may be lie a n lot tougher on your Aleut friends than titan a little romance with witha a n squaw They rhey returned to the barabara to find their comrades rolled in blankets blan asleep gang were roaming about the Island fraternizing fraternising ing with the natives saving their strength for tor trials certain to come Eric and Roy flung themselves down clown on the fur robes and rested too It rt was mid afternoon before they had all awakened rubbed their eyes and definitely crossed the border bor bor- der between life like life like dreams and fantastic reality Nan now v demand demand- ed that she know the worst Im Pm grown up and able to stand It Are Arc we going to spend spen a n week at this charming winter resort Roy noy hesitated but Mother for ton thrust her lean elbows vs into his ribs T Tell n ber hen herl i the tho clear old voice urged If It shed she'd use her head bead shed she'd figure it out for tor herself A week from now our salmon fishing should be well under way way Eric said gravely elj In three months the summer will be gone and the seal fur-seal herd heading south A little littlemore littlemore more bad luck carelessness or overconfidence and well we'll be gone too not rescued but lead dead Tho The most we can hope for this winter is Just to live live to to hang bang on Then if we can cnn keep up tip our strength and our numbers to plan some way ay to freedom The girl looked at him straight And if It we wo survive BurvIe at nt all we may maybe maybe maybo be bo here three years Is that it I should guess that well we'll either win or win or definitely lose withIn lose within one year She gazed a II long time into the hissing fire I suppose wed wod all be lucky to have gone down with the ship You might suppose so so-I so I dont Erics Eric's tone was deep and rough I thank God Im I'm here still able to fight Im I'm going to make the best of ot It an and as ns soon as you get your bearings I know you will too And theres there's a II way out o t If we can Just find It It And HAnd well we'll get along Mother rother Horton chirped Thank heaven Ive I've still got two good teeth to chew those tough little birds s. s C C I I IMarie Marie put two leather handbags saved from the wreck in the middle of ot the floor Here are our earthly possessions Nan said gravely I think wed we'd better see what we have now and divide up She dumped the contents of the bags on the floor On top more precious pre pro cious clous than tItan rubles rubIes lay half halt a n dozen The Fire Was of Driftwood HissIng HissIng Hiss Hiss- Ing and nd Smoking cakes of ot soap which the old housekeeper housekeeper housekeeper house house- keeper had put in with her own skinny hands When they're gone in n about two weeks well we'll have to tomake tomake tomake make soft soap with fat and ashes Mother Horton explained And Antl by crackle fifty years jears ears of oC lu luxury ury hasn't made mo rue forget torget how howl I 1 There were ere two Identical safety razors two packages of ot blades and rind anda rinda a device de Sharing these each of ot the four men could make some sort of ofa a decent toilet a c considerable con considerable con con- h. h factor in their morale orale There were three brushes plenty plent of oC combs and scissors a n pound of pf to tobacco tobacco to- to bacco when It was gone gon the pipe pipe- sm smokers lers could use the little willow bark and again Mother Hortons Horton's contribution some somo needles and thread a n carton of ot cigarettes and anda a II Bible There was simple Jewelry the jewelry the best had been left behind In n a n vault bank lt- lt articles of apparel and for toilet us use peculiarly yr feminine towels a n carton of matches this was Roys Roy's Inspiration a wicked wicked- looking hunting knife that Wilcox bad had bought In Seattle Roys Roy's ethnological ethnological logical notes noles some mens men's sleeping and antl under garme garments t ts and approximately atey a II thousand dollars dollar In n cur curt rency S The division of ot the spoil spon passed gaily what might have havo been a dark hour N Now ow they could coul un understand the Joy of an Eskimo squaw at th the gift of ot a n yard ar of ot cloth or a fl butcher knife Roy called Horton aside astle to advise an Immediate truce with Sando Sando- mars mar's gang It would woul bo be hard to Ignore an and forget the shame In the dawn but policy polley demanded no less Combined they made a ll formidable able party of oC thirteen men They could dominate the he timid Aleuts possibly force them to break their taboo Moreover 1 If tho the whites bites must must make the Journey alone granted an n almost al most Impossible feat the bloodstaIned bloodstained bloodstained blood blood- stained hands would be needed to work the boat And Antl It soon Boon may be a question of ot life lite and death Roy said The rhe food rood supplies on this Island are decidedly de de- de limited Eric thinks hard hartl r work an and more efficient n methods will feed teed the whole population but butI I doubt It We have ha no rifles and we cant can't do much more with native gear than they lr s. s Y You ou think we e m ma may y ha havo e to ration ration ration ra ra- ra- ra tion the natives ves Horton asked Possibly for a n few months months And we cant can't do 00 q It It without support I 1 admit Its It's a lilt bit raw to raw to come to their Island and antl then half- half starve them them but but the fittest must sur survive e 1 After Uter all aU they're Just a handful of oC Inbred savages of ot not the slightest vai value o to the world But could human wolves wol be controlled It looked reasonable to Roy noy Their pack probably lacke cohesion three o of them had n no nci hand in the killings and would want peace As for women worn wom en the they c could uld have their pick of the squads squaws this would keep them satisfied and and himself could take now that Eric had rejected her The gd grim faced tl crew crow still hung back when Eric's Erics ci- ci crowd wd sought the comfort of tho the bea beach Only when h n the seame seal meat seal L was ns boiled I the birds sizzling and tho the ro bread root t-brend t baked on the rocks d did d they push sullenly near Horton spoke to them casually and made room In in the circle but only Garge the little cockney showed any sociability Nan would never forget torget this picture pic pie ture ture ture-thie the loV r red d fire In in the fading light n a av fretful sea Ben under blowing gray ci clouds and Cad the Island poj p-op lace gather d here In in the the the- truce truc of tho the bread and tl me meat meat t. t It It was was hard to v whether r she was sl sleeping in h her r own canopied b bed bd d in a I- Ig g glit- glit lt city and this was wag no more than a n dream In th the night or wh whether th er she had died and was born again on th s hopel Isle hopeless ss and the distant lights beauty and and warmth were no more than a n vision in a n white willie squaws sQuaW s soul ut Lets et corrie come to an nn understanding nd Ing all nil of ot us us from rom the the intrepid Horton Horton forton Hor- Hor ton bea began w with lh every show of confidence con con- Were In a bad predicament predicament ment to say ay the tho least but it Wont Won't last long and I we we should cooperate cooperate cooperate co co- co- co operate Just as as' as though we were still on the ship A And d' d since Ill I'll pay all the bills In the the- the end end I think I may mayns as well remain In |