Show S SS S FORLORN ISLAND I 0 By Edison Marshall 0 0 0 Copyright by z dIeon Y Marshall lIb l Service 0 0 0 00 I 0 0 0 0 S S e so e s 0 so o s o s os s CHAPTER V Continued V-Continued 7 7 When the knife cuts on his rIdgepole ridgepole ridgepole ridge rIdge- pole recorded seven se days when days when seven eternities had come and gone since his exile on Forlorn Island Island- he had gone t to a n lonely reach rench of ot beach bench to scout game men were working quietly at the tho nets and traps The Aleuts seemed cheerful and the weather was worth recording In picture writing In the archives es of the Ole tribe For the first time since the shipwreck shipwreck shipwreck ship ship- wreck he could take talc down his guard His muscles need not be cocked like the hammer of ot a pistol and his eyes could wander dreamIly dreamily dream dream- ily fly with no care for flickering shadows shadows shad shad- Just past their corners But suddenly the truce ended It had been cn only an Illusion Illusion false false dawn awn Over the dun dunes s and down the ithe beach bench came two t dark figures One was a little man with a quick short step The other barrel barrel- and long of or arm had a hobbling hob bob hung bUng unsteady gait Like most men who dwell close to the sources of life Eric had a I strong Intuitive power A sense of I gr grave ve peril perU hung over him Wm Somehow Some how he knew that this open strand was to be the of one of the great crises of ol the Island adventure ad SUll the two nearing made figures no suspicious movements Sando- Sando mar talked Idly Eric could see his I head turn and frequently Garges Garge's hand lifted to reply To a I casual view neither man was armed The TIle heavy y ten-foot ten pole on Sando- Sando mars mar's shoulder was merely a piece of driftwood he lie had dug out of the sand Band and could we well be carrying home for Cor the supper fire Garge had a stone the size and shape of R big potato In plain sight In his I hand hantl Erics Eric's own right hand fell to his side In quick reach of his revolver re as his foes trudged near I III found this ere stone on the beach Garge began wh when n he wasten was wasten wasten ten paces ott off But he did not stop sun still still talking he lie followed Sando- Sando mar IDar until both men stood within six feet of their prey The liThe old lady said she wanted a n pestle for mashIng mashIng mashIng mash- mash Ing up breadroot and I thought this ere might do Eric hardly heard him His thoughts were fairly flying seeking deliverance That these two foes Coes ha had come deliberately to kill him he had not the least doubt To lose his head meant to lose his life But nut that danger was passed now Suddenly hi his fears scuttled away like co coyote ote cubs and find he lie was cold and deadly as a she- she wolf If It this pair wanted a finish- finish fight by G G-d G d they would get It J He would not wait for the trap to spring hut would strike e first and hard He could spare the two car car- The only question was the best and safest wa way to carry out his Iron resolve resol In his present stand he could not reach for his pistol Both men would attack at once and though he might down one of ot them the other would be almost certain to get In a fa fatal 11 blow I saw a n better stone for the purpose just a few seconds ago he said eald thoughtfully He lie backed a few feet teet his e eyes es on the ground Apparently he had dropped his guard Actually It was as strict as aseer I ever er Ho was not searching for stones but watching the tue long shadows shadows shad shad- owe of oC his cast by the low sun The rhe shorter shadow never wa wa- va- va vered Garges Garge's eyes were quick as a arat's arat's arat's rats rat's perhaps he be saw through I Erics Eric's trick An Anyway It was not in his ills up make-up to attack from Crom the front even en though the hated stern eyes were lowered He lIe made the first move mo to warn his companion But before the fingers of his bIs untraIned untrained untrained un un- un- un trained left hand could waggle their message fury and hatred broke from Crom Its leash He lIe did not whirl whIr to strike sideways ways with the pole Eric was already out of reach of such a blow Instead he lie Jerked the short end of ot the pole polo straight down with all the superhuman strength of his long biceps As the tho thelong thelong long end flew fiew up he lie meant to chan change e hands his left at nt the pole end an and his right far enough back to give him leverage le then strike down as with a club Eric was only ten feet distant In Ineasy Ineasy Ineasy easy reach Unless all signs failed the ml mighty bludgeon would be hangIng hangIng hanging hang- hang Ing heavy over his head bet before ore he lie looked Uj up brutal heart was swelling larger and larger Jarger with a horrible sadist ecstasy It was fulfilment victory revenge But as the Island priestess had often told toM In the kash a on winter nights chanting the ancient legends of or the Aleuts no man can escape his shadow v. At first move his black flattened Image mocked him him on the sand Eric saw Its first flicker His ills hand leaped heaped tl up and out fast Cast as a 11 striking salmon The blue steel of his re gleamed gleamed- In the sun- sun THE STORY FROM THE BEGINNING With ith his hil yacht the tho Intrepid abandoned by its Us crew Felix Horton millionaire tailing with hi hit hi mother hi hI dault daughter ter Non Nan and nd Roy Stuart put puts Into Squaw Harbor Alaska to recruit Falling Fallin to secure ailor Horton engages a bunch of A gigantic Pole Is II a their leader kader At the request of Captain the Intrepid skipper shipper an old friend Eric holding maters masters paper per but unemployed engages to sail as al chief officer Nan Non attracted by Eric indulges In a moonlight flirtation which brings them both to the th threshold of Interest in each other if not of 01 love lovo The Th Intrepid is II wrecked by one on of crowd Eric take takes command of a small boat with Horton Hortons party Unable to help belp thy they watch kill Captain and sad leave 1 the skip ship with hi his crowd has thrown Eric a revolver From one of the Aleut i Indian Indians ashore abor who speaks a little English Eric learns learn there then Is no communication with the outside world orld priestess of tb the Island descended from a white man In tho the remote past also knowl knowing some lomo English welcomes the tho castaways castaway declares there shall hall bo ho no law on the island laland but Eric having the tho only gun cows COWl him bErn for the time time declaring he ho is the law Jaw and lays Jays out work ork for lor all Nan faces the situation bravely Erics Eric's love Jovo for her first felt on the Intrepid swells ells and he ho tells her he means mean to win her for his hll mate She Sho is 1 not unwilling l' claims claim Eric as her ber own to his hi dismay light On his face was a look of doom As the sweeping barrel came level with breast Eric pulled the trigger But the silence held heM There was only a futile click chick of ot tho the hammer bammer against the breach brench The gun had bad misfired CHAPTER VI VITO Viro TO ro ALL ii intents Intent and purposes Eric Erie I was finished He lIe had no time to dodge or grapple with his enemy yet he ho lived U on I It was not a miracle from Beyond but something hardly less strange and awe ing the trig the workings of hidden natural natural nat nat- urn ural laws on men and minds The same degeneration In Sando Sando- mars mar's brain that gave him his gorilla strength and savagery age had afflicted him with deafness per deafness per per- I 1 I e- e S r As the Sweeping Barrel Came Level With Breast Eric Pulled the Trigger haps Imps b by Natures Nature's scheme of checks and balances He Ue could see but he could not hear He lie did not know that Eric had bad already tried In vain to kill him and was now no noat at his mercy Instead he thought that he himself was close dose to death And lIe he dar dared d not face the great dark I IlIe He lIe believed belIe his only hope was to beg quarter With his great strength he lie stopped the club In midair then swung it aside Before it struck the ground his huge ape like arms were towering In surrender over his head In the meantime where was Garge He De was not deaf ho deaf ho had heard the gun click clIck and and now was his chance to hurl his stone But the trouble was that his strength lay wholly and utterly In Sando Sando- mar Garges Garge's hand band started to draw back but the sight of Sando Sando- mars mar's great paws In the air made the Iron In his muscles melt and run out His arm dropped slack to his side He Ho could not pass a signal to his mate yellow eyes were I I I locked on Erics Eric's face Cace Presently the chance had gone b by Eric had backed swiftly away only a lucky throw could down him hIm now now One stinging curse cracked slowly from gray lips Ups I then he wheeled and strode rapidly toward the village The next thing Eric knew he lie was crouching In the half dusk of or his turf house the thc door closed close and barred Ho He was aware of sharp nausea Not yet set could he learn the full fun truth ills His fumbling hands and nd st stag staging rIn r- r In ing e eyes es could make no adequate examination of or the defective ver vcr It was an style old le weapon with a n solid soUd breach Rallying his faculties Eric unscrewed the little ramrod from below the barrel and turning the c cylinder lInder pushed out the cartridges ono one by one Presently he be found one dented In the rim by the firing pin And AntI now the grim truth was was' plain The gun held six shells Five FI of ot these Including the failure were new and bright made for mo modem modern mod mod- em ern center fire revolvers re But this weapon was rim-fire rim and antl not even evena ecna a gunsmith with his tools could change e the mechanism so that It could coul ci discharge cen fire center fire ter-fire cartridges cartridges car cur es Only Ony one of the six shells was rIm fire a over left-over from some for for- for j mer gunplay or tar target et practice It was old Its brass somewhat corroded corroded cor cor- and of doubtful value but it was the only remaining rampart against death dishonor and Unconscionable unconscionable unconscionable un un- I conscionable disaster With cool and steady movements Eric began beg to put tho the dummy loads back In their chambers Th The Theone lone rim fire cartridge was the last grimly he turned the c cylinder until It was In position to fire Then he unbolted the door and pushed out Into the fading da day nO Roy and DeValera hurried hurrIer forward forward for for- ward to meet him suppressed excitement ex ex- on their faces There seems to be some somo trouble brewing Roy noy began and Garge Gorge came In very excited and rounded up their gang They are mighty bold and Garge hinted to DeValera of a big Jamboree c tonight Have you any Idea what's got ot Into them 2 Eric did not answer but looked keenly Into the Irishman's dark nar nor set row set row e es What time did he sa say the row was going to start I DeValera hesitated briefly He didn't tell ten me He knows Im I'm with you fellows But nut I was Just suggestIng suggesting suggesting suggest suggest- ing to Mr Stuart that unless youre you're mighty confident perhaps we wc ought to make a n compromise compromise- Compromise with the I Erics Eric's tones were rough Ill lOrn decIde decide dedde de de- de- de cide what's to be done and dont don't need any suggestions Now go and help the natives with today's catch DeValera's right hand went up Ina Ina in ina a salute half before beCore he lie remembered that he was no longer before beCore the mast At once he lie turned to obey It seems to me youre you're a little bit high-handed high Roy noy said quietly Our position Isn't so good that you youcan youcan ou can rIsk risk antagonizing DeValera lIes lIe's one of our party party- Do you ou trust him t Eric broke broJe InAs InAs inAs In As far as I can trust anybody In this mess We want only those who'll stick through thick and thin The rest will wUl do more harm than good And Anti AndI AntiI I dont don't want DeValera to know mow our plan of ot battle no Roy's Roys s hand band was perfectly steady as he lI lighted a smoke You think therell there'll be a mutiny tonight A good one They think they can kill 11 me or bluff bluer me out They may do one but Its It's too late for the other Now get Horton norton and the rest and bring em here A moment later Eric ic rIc gazed Into the tense pale faces of his friends His first question shot between J 1 hard lips raised the short hairs on their scalps Nan can cnn you row Her answer came quick and clear Pretty fa fair Ir Mother Horton can you Even E Evena Ecna a little hittie I used to as a girl Ill I'll do my d dest d-dest dest If that's what you mean What are you getting at Eric Erich Horton gasped I must know kno at once on There may be some trouble tonight to to- night If Im I'm killed as many of ot you as can must leave tho the Island Dont Don't ask me where you'll you go I know I I there'd be only one chance In a hundred bundred of getting through the reefs alive but alive but that's a n better petter chance than to sta stay here at mercy Im not so sure of or that Roys Roy's tones camo came cold coM and gray through the cold gray dusk We might be beable beable beable able to persuade him and his crew crew crew- For Gods God's sn say Roy believe me I You cant can't trust them a n minute much less this whole night The Thc tide title of or his courage for the moment running running run run- ning out surged up again They wont won't likely make mac trouble until nearl nearly dark darle and as soon as the light falls fails I want you ou to be ready to go You three women will wiil leave leae the lie fire Ore and sn say youre you're going to bed Horton you go with them At once circle back bade to the beach and ship the boat bont ready to shove off og on a n seconds second's notice Put lut In It every ery oar and paddle you ou can find finch from all boats boats so so the they cant can't follow tollow you until un til youve you've got a good head beach start put In water and blankets too Then watch there In the dark until the dangers danger's over or over or until I go godown I down Until you ou go down clown I Nan echoed slowly You mean youre you're going to try to stand them oft off alone If lilt they can be stood off at nt all I can do It alone For others to stay wont won't help my chances and will only throw Dwa away lives And ItI it I wouldn't delay the pursuit more than a minute or two two taking taking all tho the handle that and that and themore themore the tho more of ot you to row the better chance you'll hn have ve of ot getting through the reefs I think that's true Roy said be only a chance In a bundred hundred hundred hun bun dred at best Nan looked at him strangely Then to Eric Erie When we see you fall taU were we're to steal away Is that It Get away quietly If you can cnn In any case get case get away Ro Roy and Wilcox Wll- Wll cox better stay b by the fire almost to the last to keep the gang from getting on to your plan but when they see tho the Jigs Jig's up they can duck shove shove- you ort oft and pile In with you Row now as fast as ns you can They'll TheU not get started right away lose you In the darkness You'll probably probably probably ably be bo drowned drowned In the morning but the hundredth chance remains Hortons Horton's gray face taco suddenly turned dark red Im going to stay I 1 Its It's my daughter and my mother and by G G-d G d I can help fight for them I His gaze grew fixed and his voice began to break They they dont don't need me In the boat boat boat- I and and If if they get to civilization civilization- they they can can draw on on-my on my account account- Ho did not see Nans Nan's eyes fill fin with tears but ho he saw Eric Erie |