Show CHAPTER V continued a youve already antagonized em certainly you dont In imagine ingine that taken kindly to this little monarchy youve set up rise against you against your friends too the first chance they set get if sando mar uses his hend and you know he has hag a good one he can lead them in a revolt that will sweep us all into the sen sea the only sensible thing now Is to go the whole hog hoe rule ern em with nn an iron hand regard the island not as their property but ours and make it so tough for them that gladly break biml their taboo to help us find our way back to civilization roy hoy went on well lot let that go for now but theres another matter we wont let go 0 1 I refer to what you told the first night on the island eric turned gravely that I 1 wanted one of the girls yes I 1 thought at first you must refer to baarle or that possibly it was just part of your bluff since then ive noticed your attitude toward nan and I 1 heard beard your voice though I 1 hear what you salil said when you accosted her this morning ive been forced to the conclusion that you meant nan and meant it seriously erics eyes turned gray 1 I did mean nan and I 1 did mean it serl seriously 11 then ral im obliged to tell you lay off boltl I 1 simple and plain it ill tolerate tol prate your seizing the reins here bere but I 1 wont stand to see you paying court to my prospective wire wife erics anger had been rising like the tide before a gale hut but suddenly it ran out and left him struggling with a smile she the lie one to decide about this unfortunately not nol As dictator here you feel that you have the right to protect the aleuts aleuns against an invaders ruthlessness As nans friend I 1 have to protect her against tier her own folly I 1 concede that you are a gentleman still in any normal state of affairs you have a dogs chance with nan you could give her nothing she would have to give you everything you could never fit into her life or she in yours tours but out here when every old standard Is wiped away she Is likely to lose her head you may make a primitive appeal to her I 1 can understand that very well and sweep her air off her feet then be another shipwreck when we get back to civilization I 1 mean to protect tier her against that and protect you too erics smile was now open and broad you worry about me does that mean confine your energies to running the island it means I 1 can look out for myself Alore moreover over I 1 think nan can too erics smile faded and he faced roy koy straight anyway my attentions to nan are nob odys business but hers and mine and if I 1 can possibly get tier her im going to do it roy hoy did not answer for a long time at last his lips curled 1 I see that your idealism Is only for outside consumption the welfare of your shipmates cut much ice fee when your own desires are involved tru true e I 1 respect you for that its fact not fiction but in secret you can remember that im your enemy eric was ringed about with enemies on all the island he had find only one staunch and unfailing hig ally mother fells felix horton leaned on him against hla his will wilcox looked to koy as his chief find and would take his ats side tn in any break with eric marle adored tier her mistress blew hot and cold with her and nan herself was half pal half foo San domar and his men secretly plotted hla his death where did the alerts aleuts stand without their friendship eric could not win hut but they too resented tits his law eric could control the natives only so eo far us as he could awny their priestess and he could as well stake his life on tomorrows weather I 1 Fir ebeart wits her name mime she was ras aw aj one of tin the epim ants and she obeyed bor owr m p in v i ay iy i t tl ay iy tho the shrine on hi ln iv balled him in throaty throbbing tones white chief 1 lie he paused and she came to the doorway in her slanted eyes cyca was a gleam that stirred his pulse calling to the brute that slept in some black cellar of his brain but her dark skin repelled him hial you no come see heap much she chided gently ire re been working hard to get food for the people but you no get Fir eheart food she want she mighty hungry mighty thirsty she smiled wistfully you no cAtch catchi love betl yet not yet Firc heart rut but I 1 want you to be my friend your skin like snow claybe your llort like ice fee Fir eheart she no want be be your friend she be your girl I 1 maybe you think no so pretty as girl who come in boat maybe you think no white man want her nut but fino fine big white man come to tier her last night say he take her say he want her heap she did not fall to see that this shot went home who was it eric E he asked quickly wan whose hose skin like milk hair like dry grass ile he say his name swede she smiled and nodded ile he promise take Fir eheart to white mans country treat her fine FIr eheart no give to him yet but maybe she will it if white chief no catch love pretty quick erics flesh crawled at the pros hect aa virgin priestess of the lost isle in the arms of the worst cut 0 Q you no come see sec Firc heart heap much she chided gently throat in Sando San domars crew but when he be opened his lips to protest the ringing words would not come how little and futile was one mans power id rather you married one of your own tribe lie he told her at last 1 I no marry aleut I 1 white girl ile he saw her dusky skin shin tier her straight coarse hair her slanted eyes then if you want swede take him ire he wont carry you away with him if he does docs hell not stay with you but if youre determined to have a white man I 1 suppose hes as good as any the eager light died in her eyes 1 I no want him I 1 I 1 tell you big lie fire heartsie heart she feel cold sick when swede touch her put arm around her I 1 want you yon man I 1 see in dream fler fier voice gathered power when you touch land hand she no cold she warm like when sun bun comes through cloud she no sick she feel like she ly fly in air like pouch kle kie it if you no catch love soon Fir eheart think maybe she he but erie eric could only turn aside it if swede makes trouble for you come and tell me and remember 17 what hat I 1 said that love comes when it comes and no man can catch it now let you and me be friends the girl gazed dreama dreamily ly away maybe you never catch love for fire heart she murmured at last maybe you want girl who come in boat I 1 hear you say so first night you come but Fir eheart make prayer she no hear right but maybe she did hear right and now eric must deal in an half lies iles the safety of his whole party was at stake 1 I think the girl you yon mean intends to marry roy I 1 dont suppose I 1 could get her no matter how much I 1 want her Fir eheart make prayer he get her quick so you no think of her no more then maybe you want 11 A low red flame shone through the black iris of her eyes cut but she tell you she no common squaw she priestess of lost people she no wait walL till she old woman for you come take her she love hard like big tide in full moon but she no love like devil wave sweep over rocks in the meantime sa San nd domars omars gang had kept the law although their looks were sullen they worked lly ily and well but eric knew that this was only the calm before tho the storm ills guard did not relar but tightened with the passing days darkened by fears plagued by evil dreams hla his nerves constantly on ed edge gehe ha ion longed ed for the blow to fall so the war co could ild end either in definite victory or hopeless defeat when the knife cuts on his ridgepole recorded seven days when seven eterniti eshad come and gone since ills his exile on forlorn uland island erle eric had gone to a lovely reach of bench beach to scout gamed game Sando San domars maes men were w working quietly at the nets and traps the aleuts aleuns seemed cheerful and the weather was worth rEcord recording laj la in plo ture lure writing la in the archives of the th tribe for the first arst time since the shipwreck he could take down his guard ills muscles need not be cocked like the hammer of a pistol and his eyes could wander dreamily with no care for flicking shadows just past their corners but suddenly the truce ended it had been only an Il Illusion luston false dawn over the dunes and down the beach came two dark figures one was a little man with a quick chort abort step the tha other barrel chelsted and long ion of arm had a hobbling bobbling unsteady gall galt like roost most men who dwell close to the sources of life eric had a strong intuitive power A sense of grave peril hung over him somehow be knew that this open strand was to be the scene of one of the great crises of the he island adventure still the two nearing figures made no suspicious movements San Jomar domar talked idly eric could see his head turn and frequently garges little hand lifted to reply to a casual view neither man was armed the heavy ten foot pole on San domars shoulder was merely a piece of driftwood he had bad dug out of the sand and could well be carrying home for the supper fire garge barge had a stone the size and shape of a big potato in plain sight in his bis hand dut but erics alarm grew in sando mars simian arm that young tree free trunk was a mere club and there was something ominous about gorges garges stone carried openly though it was that eric could feel but at first could not quite interpret suddenly the truth dawned the stone was tn in garges right hand what deed did he fie anticipate that he joulo bo be ero em his untrained left hand to signal to his master erics own right hand band fell to hla his side hide in quick reach of his revolver as aa ills hla foes trudged near 1 I found tills this ere stone on the beach garge barge began when lie he was ten paces off but he did not stop still talking he ha followed San domar until both men stood within six feet of their prey the old lady said she wanted a pestle for mashing up breadroot and I 1 thought this ere might do eric hardly heard him nis iris thoughts were fairly flying seeking deliverance that these two foes had come deliberately to kill him ho he had not the least doubt to lose his head meant to lose his bis life dut but that danger was passed now suddenly his fears scuttled away like coyote cubs and he be was cold and deadly its as a she wolf if this pair wanted a finish fight by G d they would get it I 1 he would not wait for the trap to spring but would strike first and hard lie could spare the two cartridges the only quest question lon was the best and safest way to carry out his iron resolve in his present stand he could not reach for his pistol both men would attack at once and though he might down one of them the other would be almost certain to get in a fatal blow 1 11 I saw a better stone for the pur par pose just a few seconds ago he be said bald thoughtfully he backed a few feet ills his eyes on the ground apparently lie he had dropped his guard actually it was as strict as aa ever ite ire was not searching for stones but watching the long shadows of hla bli enemies cast by the low sun the shorter shadow never wavered garges eyes were quick as a rats rails perhaps he saw through eries erics trick anyway it was not in his makeup make up to attack from the front even though the hated bated stern eyes were lowered lie ire made the first move to warn his comrade iut but before the fingers of his untrained left hand could waggle their message San domars fury and hatred broke from its leash lie ile did not mot whirl to strike sideways with the pole eric was already out of reach of such a blow instead he jerked the short end of the pole straight down with all the superhuman strength of his bis long biceps As the long end flew up he be meant to change hands his bis left at the pole end and his right far enough back to give him leverage then strike down as with a club San domars feet were unsteady but his hands were known to be quick and clever gargo knew that they would not fumble that the giants club would sweep up and down in a smooth and terrible are arc steadily gath momentum until the air hummed a blow to shatter the back of a walrus if it struck fair calr and San donars domars blows usually did strike fair the tough salt laden trunk would break oil off on eries erics skull before it crushed through to ills hla collarbone collar bone hone eric was only ten feet distant in easy reach unless all signs failed the mighty bludgeon would be hanging heavy over his head before lie he looked up San domars brute brota heart was swelling large and larger with a horrible sadist ecstasy it was wag fulfillment fill ment victory revenge ra out but as the island priestess had often told in u tile the on winter nights chanting the lie ancient legends of the aleuts aleuns no man can escape his shadow at San domars first move his ha black flattened image mocked him on the sand eric ita first flicker ills hand leaped up and out fat as a striking salmon the blue steel of his revolver gleamed in the sunlight on his bis baca faca was a look of doom As the sweeping barrel came level with San domars breast eric pulled the trigger lilt but the silence held there wa was only a futile clickoff the hammer against the breach the sun gun had misfired TO US BB I 1 |