Show FORLORN ISLAND by EDISON MARSHALL service copyright by edison marshall CHAPTER XI continued 19 at cist first the spectacle seemed like a weird dance rather than a duel to the death the tide began to crawl in the wind died and the moon sailed galled from star to atar without one blow struck home San domar lum W bared over the sand hammering the air his left hand thrust out as a guard the least of bis his short choppy blows would have crushed eric s skull but always the quarry danced away doggedly he followed him turning as he turned wheeling sometimes standing still and swaying as eric tried to rush in lunging like a bear at every opening eric sparred for time no one knew better tl it an he that he was fight ing a losing fight his 1 only hope lay in some fluke of luck that for one brief instant would equalize the odds against him ile was much lighter on his feet than his foe suppler better coordinated but this could not begin to compensate for San domar domars s super human strength he dared not feint because he could not pass his ene my mys s guard he ile knew well that un less he struck full force an overhead swing at close range the huge left paw would catch and tear the weapon from his grasp never before hid bid b id he realized the full reach and power of San domar s arms the watchers were grimly patient with them it was just a question how long eric could dodge the terr ble flint they hated him with all the fury of their throwback throw bick they ached to see him fall yet they gave him credit for his dance of death he lie was I 1 ke a fencer without a fo 1 they grasped the strange terrible incon gruity of his perfectly timed cati catl ke with such a partner under such a moon on the beach of such a sea he ile was I 1 ke San domar s shadow as bird hard to catch and destroy cut but ie fric was tir ng tl TI e telegraph of h s eye and brain was a fraction slower his step not quite so light no one knew even himself the price he paid in nerve force the very tide of h s life was running out more tb thin in once the hum m ng fl 11 nt just missed his shoulder they fought to the water s e edge de d e and hack back to the ridge they fought fo ht in the firelight and the cold moon beams once they drew clear to the edge of the mud reef where the creek met the tide eric heard it suck and smack its muddy lips just in time to back into it would mean to sink over his knees in clinging 9 sit it they meant to kill him quickly true most of them had no motive other than bl nd hate and fear but they were too crazed to care they did not stop to th th hit thit it fric pries s bones would be poor ing now his fall could not change their defeat to vie tory to wipe him out could never wipe away the debt they owed the law they were men of low organization and could express themselves only through violence when barge turned to a screaming dervish and ran to avenge his pal they followed by brute instinct ills eyes sunk in his head cold sweat drenched him head to foot there was a growing heavy pain in his upraised arm he must strike soon if at all even enen now should the chance offer he could not deal a full powered blow soon so soon the weapon must fall from his hand would the lucky fluke he fought for never come no he must win or lose by his own powers and he found them wanting the lurid eyed sailors saw the end was near rush him sandy B bg g smith yelled go to it you gorilla I 1 you ve got him groggy but San domar neier changed pace onward he lunged patient tireless and a dull dim thought brood ing in eric s brain suddenly took vivid for sa domar was deaf I 1 he failed to heed smiths 3 as rs because he did not hear them this was the handl handi cap nature had put on him to atone for his giant s strength both were due to the same flaw in his brain and this hand cip was eric s strength I 1 ills dead white leyes began to glow like garnets in their black rings tie ile partly lowered his weapon as though in extreme exhaustion H s shoulders sagged his feet faltered San domar quickened his lumbering pae the sailors began to utter hoarse yells but still eric managed to dodge the terrible flint staggering reel ing he backed down the beach san gan domar pushing him hard no danger of his escape the creel creek would boon soon cut him off it he turned to wade into it the frightful hammer would fall now fric leard again the suck and smack of the mud reef drawn by the flowing tlde tide but San domar did not hoar hear for nr sound did not exist eric backed straight toward it there was a warning gurgle just behind him he appeared to trip and came lung ing but just as the flint hummed down he wriggled aside his enemy whirled to follow him but his momentum carried him a step too far he felt the softness under his mukluks even before it seized him but his reflexes were tardy and he had never been fast on his feet his ills desperate plunge was a spi t second too late with a shapeless bubbi ng yell he shot down into the silt slit eric saw him like a horrible dwarf plunging on foot long stumps his mouth open his arms waving erics eric s flint ax swung high in his arms deliberately he aimed remorse lessly he put all the rallied remnants of his shoulder strength into the blow for San domar the moon went out and the utter dark he had feared so long clutched him at last CHAPTER XII San domar was dead lying in the silt SIR from which he sprung and nan was safe his ills pack would have their vengeance then break up with no tiger to lead them they would never dare follow the bent of their wild hearts their dream of liberty was near its end As eric knelt beside the mud reef hurled down by the momen turn of his stroke and too tired to rise this was his only consolation his own hopes burned low and flick ered out he ile had won his island war but his own life would be the price the peace terms would be made too late to save him already his enel ene LEM 0 ZOE 91 AS A at first the e seemed like a we rd dance rather than a duel to the death bsales were sweeping toward him across the moonlit beach brandishing their weapons A irad jackal ran howling in front if eric could turn them only a mo ment he might be saved As soon as their heads cooled they would be glad to make peace but he was ike I 1 ke a spent swimmer even if he could get to his feet he could not raise his hand they would stretch him beside San domar before they knew what they were doing it was a bitter and ironic fate but it was not written that eric should win his war only to lose his life there was an angry whistle over his head and a native spear stabbed the sand not two paces in front of garge barge unable to stop or swerve he tripped over it and went to his knees As he clambered up fric heard him utter a groan of despair it was a long time yet perhaps five seconds poss bly ten before eric eries s swimming brain could grasp what had happened wh zwing out of the moonlight the spear made no sense it was like a p ece of winter magic conjured up by a shrieking priestess in the there was a confused sound behind him but he thought it was only his blood roaring in his ears slowly he got to his feet and turned sweeping down the bluff to his defense came a horde of warriors all the fighting men of the tr be were there armed with spears and checha quo empty handed ran before them it v was as his long throw that had checked garge barge and saved erics life horton roy and wilcox were viere well to the front but even swifter than the warriors ran three women eric saw them plain as they splashed across the moonlit creek one was nan of course the otner two were Fir eheart and chuga bilm mother of kanak bread upon the waters I 1 young and fleet of limb these three had left mother horton toiling far behind at first there was only incoherent shouting brandishing of deap ons coffus on vaguely he saw the natives sweep by him savage fig ures in the moonlight and instantly surround and smother his enemies cooky and petroff were A ere begg ng mercy bill and the smiths dropped their weapons and raised their bands hands then there was a confused rush of little events that eric could hardly catch and fit into their places in the big moving whole garge barge put up his knife and pressed his hands to his temple in utter cl cesi eslair air wll wil cox dancea danced drunkenly drun Lenly on the sand roy shrugged his shoulders dusted his hands smiled dryly warm drops fell on erics erles swollen wrist that he thought at first were blood but they were only nan nans s tears rineheart rire Pir heart eheart paused before him and gave a ke grunt ile e come I 1 thank god godl I 1 Fir Firc eheart heart s love no 0 lo 10 o e they fight like easle eagle and h g asb fish flop 4 li hard but by in m by eagle catch him fly away aray to rock eat him all up the coarse lips trembled no love him all gone only love he left rineheart rire heart no have you but she love you always eric tr ed to answer but his throat closed tl TI e outer scene grew blurred and faded leaving naught but a sq law s eyes burning into his own lie ile was lost in the shadow of far of off things beyond his ken he ile forgot garge barge only three strides away and did not see the delicate little hands fall from the ashen face and the snaky gave sharpen as it fastened on his breast for a few brief seconds he even forgot nan he ile could not understand firel eart R part here was vias a strong current but instead of flowing into the sea it seemed to waste upon the sands in this stark drama of the north there could be no lost sequences yet as far as his veiled eyes could see Fir eheart 4 love was thrown away As he marveled the movement of events stopped short there fell a breathless interlude awful as the dead calm in the center of a hurricane the wind paused in the sky sly and fluttered down ille e a torn pennant the curled edge of a wave hung bung suspended over the beach even the moon moons s path on the water rippled no to more nan gasped and eric turned to her behind him garge barge s suni en eyes grew large and larger as they fastened on fries pric s broad hack back there stood the man who had killed sandy only three steps away anay it was kismet fulfillment rap ture already the pit was yawning under his feet now its flame leaped up into his pol poisoned dying heart with a moan that rose to a shriek he drew his knife and lunged victory was certain eric had bad his back turned and could not whirl in time the tribesmen had let their guard fall in ile tl e interlude and though they flung bick their spears they were a full hilf second too late nan s view was cut off by fric s ders she could not see and she co ild not save he would shatter at her feet before she knew what had happened but at his side stood one who loved him with a savage hopeless love her love was ike 1 ke an eagle so she had said and now it soared on suni t pinions without a sound she leaped between eric and the blade into her dark breast the steel plunged deep it v w as a death blow she felt the bowl break the cord loosen but tl e work was done the debt paid in full when she departed presently at least st sip A would leave no enemy in erics eric s path to trouble her rest in the sea caves cives she was a priestess of divine descent beloved of the lost people and her harnois ois avenged her quickly even before s ale I 1 e fell the seal ng spears were ng through the air three of them buzzed and stung one struck the killer in the left s de one in the right and a th rd entering the back at close range slithered through his body and stood out a third of its length for an instant he stood I 1 ke le a strange fowl skewered alive he ile wilted slowly but even kindly death d d not compose his limbs on the good sand bed it was part of the fantastic horror of this night that he must partly dangle on the tripod of spears a shapeless thing in the moon light I 1 ke a teepee canvas blown from place by a gale yet it happened that nether ne ther eric nor nan glanced twice in that d rec alon fric gathered the dying girls girl s head in his arms nan an knelt by her s de the slanted ink pool eyes had al ready begun to film over but they quickened perceptibly as they gazed into those she loved she struggled for breath I 1 go she asked at last soon now Fir eheart Fir eheart no care she no have you anyhow she mighty glad go in your place she go home to great greit god who come from vi IN est god of the mon god of the candlestick eric nodded but he could not speak now you no stay here when fire heart gone she no want come back in winter madni midnight ht see you in white girls girl s arms take her go back to home country I 1 raise taboo 4 erics eric s breast heaved and the words poured free we well 11 go soon as we can soon as we can learn the way look in sea otter poke by fire heart hearts s bed where she keep charms you find paper wrote by pale paleface face priest long time ago she choked drew a sobbing breath then went on bravely we no can read paper but it big medicine old shamans think it tell way vay through shoals nan an clutched the quivering hand don t try to talk any more Fir eheart better talk fast breath he go I 1 ke lamp flame she rested a moment then the dull tones rolled again into the silence Fir eheart n no 0 show you before she u want ant keep you here until you catch love then we go through shoals together but you no catch love for Fir eheart NOW she go lie in sea cave where tide run and white girl lie in 5 3 our arms A gray glaze settled on her face her eyes shone like a dying moth moths s but she rallied for one last effort Fir eheart love you wh te chief she whispered no forget her when you go to own countr and I 1 tell b 9 god ghe you good luck and arid Fir eheart ebeart glad she d e for you i the whisper faded away the eyes rema ned open but their fir pir sent light flickered and went out TO BE CONTINUED |