Shortlyaftertheyhadsettledthemselvestheyheardsomethingdescendingtheladderfromabove。Theyhopedthatitwouldcontinueondownthewellandfairlyheldtheirbreathasthesoundapproachedthedoortothestoreroom。Theirheartssankastheyheardthedooropenandfrombetweencracksinthevesselsbehindwhichtheyhidsawayellow-slashedWierooentertheroom。
Eachrecognizedhimimmediately,thegirlindicatingthefactofherownrecognitionbyasuddenpressureofherfingersonBradley’sarm。ItwastheWieroooftheyellowslashingwhoseabodewastheplaceoftheyellowdoorinwhichBradleyhadfirstseenthegirl。
Thecreaturecarriedawoodenbowlwhichitfilledwithdriedfoodfromseveralofthevessels;thenitturnedandquittheroom。
Bradleycouldseethroughthepartiallyopendoorwaythatitdescendedtheladder。Thegirltoldhimthatitwastakingthefoodtothewomenandtheyoungbelow,andthatwhileitmightreturnimmediately,thechanceswerethatitwouldremainforsometime。
\"Wearejustbelowtheplaceoftheyellowdoor,\"shesaid。
\"Itisfarfromtheedgeofthecity;sofarthatwemaynothopetoescapeifweascendtotheroofshere。\"
\"Ithink,\"repliedtheman,\"thatofalltheplacesinOo-ohthiswillbetheeasiesttoescapefrom。Anyway,Iwanttoreturntotheplaceoftheyellowdoorandgetmypistolifitisthere。\"
\"Itisstillthere,\"replied,thegirl。\"Isawitplacedinachestwherehekeepsthethingshetakesfromhisprisonersandvictims。\"
\"Good!\"exclaimedBradley。\"Nowcome,quickly。\"Andthetwocrossedtheroomtothewellandascendedtheladderashortdistancetoitstopwheretheyfoundanotherdoorthatopenedintoavacantroom——thesameinwhichBradleyhadfirstmetthegirl。Tofindthepistolwasamatterofbutamoment’ssearchonthepartofBradley’scompanion;andthen,attheEnglishman’ssignal,shefollowedhimtotheyellowdoor。
Itwasquitedarkwithoutasthetwoenteredthenarrowpassagebetweentwobuildings。AfewstepsbroughtthemundiscoveredtothedoorwayofthestoreroomwherelaythebodyofFosh-bal-soj。
Inthedistance,towardthetemple,theycouldhearsoundsasofagreatgatheringofWieroos——thepeculiar,uncannywailingrisingabovethedismalflappingofcountlesswings。
\"TheyhaveheardofthekillingofHimWhoSpeaksforLuata,\"
whisperedthegirl。\"Soontheywillspreadinalldirectionssearchingforus。\"
\"Andwilltheyfindus?\"
\"AssurelyasLuagiveslightbyday,\"shereplied;\"andwhentheyfindus,theywilltearustopieces,foronlytheWieroosmaymurder——onlytheymaypracticetas-ad。\"
\"Buttheywillnotkillyou,\"saidBradley。\"Youdidnotslayhim。\"
\"Itwillmakenodifference,\"sheinsisted。\"Iftheyfindustogethertheywillslayusboth。\"
\"Thentheywon’tfindustogether,\"announcedBradleydecisively。
\"Youstayrighthere——youwon’tbeanyworseoffthanbeforeI
came——andI’llgetasfarasIcanandaccountforasmanyofthebeggarsaspossiblebeforetheygetme。Good-bye!You’reamightydecentlittlegirl。IwishthatImighthavehelpedyou。\"
\"No,\"shecried。\"Donotleaveme。Iwouldratherdie。Ihadhopedandhopedtofindsomewaytoreturntomyowncountry。
IwantedtogobacktoAn-Tak,whomustbeverylonelywithoutme;
butIknowthatitcanneverbe。Itisdifficulttokillhope,thoughmineisnearlydead。Donotleaveme。\"
\"An-Tak!\"Bradleyrepeated。\"YoulovedamancalledAn-Tak?\"
\"Yes,\"repliedthegirl。\"An-Takwasaway,hunting,whentheWieroocaughtme。Howhemusthavegrievedforme!Healsowascos-ata-lu,twelvemoonsolderthanI,andallourliveswehavebeentogether。
Bradleyremainedsilent。SoshelovedAn-Tak。Hehadn’tthehearttotellherthatAn-Takhaddied,orhow。
AtthedoorofFosh-bal-soj’sstoreroomtheyhaltedtolisten。
Nosoundcamefromwithin,andgentlyBradleypushedopenthedoor。
Allwasinkydarknessastheyentered;butpresentlytheireyesbecameaccustomedtothegloomthatwaspartiallyrelievedbythesoftstarlightwithout。TheEnglishmansearchedandfoundthosethingsforwhichhehadcome——tworobes,twopairsofdeadwingsandseverallengthsoffiberrope。Onepairofthewingsheadjustedtothegirl’sshouldersbymeansoftherope。Thenhedrapedtherobeabouther,carryingthecowloverherhead。
Heheardhergaspofastonishmentwhensherealizedtheingenuityandboldnessofhisplan;thenhedirectedhertoadjusttheotherpairofwingsandtherobeuponhim。Workingwithstrong,deftfingersshesoonhadtheworkcompleted,andthetwosteppedoutupontheroof,toallintentandpurposegenuineWieroos。BesideshispistolBradleycarriedtheswordoftheslainWierooprophet,whilethegirlwasarmedwiththesmallbladeoftheredWieroo。
Sidebysidetheywalkedslowlyacrosstheroofstowardthenorthedgeofthecity。Wieroosflappedabovethemandseveraltimestheypassedotherswalkingorsittingupontheroofs。Fromthetemplestillrosethesoundsofcommotion,nowpiercedbyoccasionalshrillscreams。
\"Themurderersareabroad,\"whisperedthegirl。\"ThuswillanotherbecomethetongueofLuata。Itiswellforus,sinceitkeepsthemtoobusytogivethetimeforsearchingforus。
Theythinkthatwecannotescapethecity,andtheyknowthatwecannotleavetheisland——andsodoI。\"
Bradleyshookhishead。\"Ifthereisanyway,wewillfindit,\"
hesaid。
\"Thereisnoway,\"repliedthegirl。
Bradleymadenoresponse,andinsilencetheycontinueduntiltheouteredgeofroofswasvisiblebeforethem。\"Wearealmostthere,\"hewhispered。
Thegirlfeltforhisfingersandpressedthem。Hecouldfeelherstremblingashereturnedthepressure,nordidherelinquishherhand;andthustheycametotheedgeofthelastroof。
Heretheyhaltedandlookedaboutthem。TobeseenattemptingtodescendtothegroundbelowwouldbetobetraythefactthattheywerenotWieroos。Bradleywishedthattheirwingswereattachedtotheirbodiesbysinewandmuscleratherthanbyropesoffiber。
AWieroowasflappingfaroverhead。Twomorestoodnearadoorafewyardsdistant。StandingbetweentheseandoneoftheouterpedestalsthatsupportedoneofthenumerousskullsBradleymadeoneendofapieceofropefastaboutthepedestalanddroppedtheotherendtothegroundoutsidethecity。Thentheywaited。
ItwasanhourbeforethecoastwasentirelyclearandthenamomentcamewhennoWieroowasinsight。\"Now!\"whisperedBradley;andthegirlgraspedtheropeandslidovertheedgeoftheroofintothedarknessbelow。AmomentlaterBradleyfelttwoquickpullsupontheropeandimmediatelyfollowedtothegirl’sside。
Acrossanarrowclearingtheymadetheirwayandintoawoodbeyond。
Allnighttheywalked,followingtheriverupwardtowarditssource,andatdawntheytookshelterinathicketbesidethestream。Atnotimedidtheyhearthecryofacarnivore,andthoughmanystartledanimalsfledastheyapproached,theywerenotoncemenacedbyawildbeast。WhenBradleyexpressedsurpriseattheabsenceofthefiercestbeaststhataresonumerousuponthemainlandofCaprona,thegirlexplainedthereasonthatiscontainedinoneoftheirancientlegends。
\"WhentheWieroosfirstdevelopedwingsuponwhichtheycouldfly,theyfoundthisislanddevoidofanylifeotherthanafewreptilesthatliveeitheruponlandorinthewaterandtheseonlyclosetothecoast。RequiringmeatforfoodtheWierooscarriedtotheislandsuchanimalsastheywishedforthatpurpose。Theystilloccasionallybringthem,andthiswiththenaturalincreasekeepsthemprovidedwithflesh。\"
\"Asitwillus,\"suggestedBradley。
Thefirstdaytheyremainedinhiding,eatingonlythedriedfoodthatBradleyhadbroughtwithhimfromthetemplestoreroom,andthenextnighttheysetoutagainuptheriver,continuingsteadilyonuntilalmostdawn,whentheycametolowhillswheretheriverwoundthroughagorge——itwaslittlemorethanrivuletnow,thewaterclearandcoldandfilledwithfishsimilartobrooktroutthoughmuchlarger。Notwishingtoleavethestreamthetwowadedalongitsbedtoaspotwherethegorgewidenedbetweenperpendicularbluffstoawoodedacreoflevelland。
Heretheystopped,forherealsothestreamended。Theyhadreacheditssource——manycoldspringsbubblingupfromthecenterofalittlenaturalamphitheaterinthehillsandformingaclearandbeautifulpoolovershadowedbytreesupononesideandboundedbyalittleclearingupontheother。
WiththecomingofthesuntheysawtheyhadstumbleduponaplacewheretheymightremainhiddenfromtheWieroosforalongtimeandalsoonethattheycoulddefendagainstthesewingedcreatures,sincethetreeswouldshieldthemfromanattackfromaboveandalsohamperthemovementsofthecreaturesshouldtheyattempttofollowthemintothewood。
Forthreedaystheyrestedherebeforetryingtoexploretheneighboringcountry。Onthefourth,Bradleystatedthathewasgoingtoscalethebluffsandlearnwhatlaybeyond。Hetoldthegirlthatsheshouldremaininhiding;butsherefusedtobeleft,sayingthatwhateverfatewastobehis,sheintendedtoshareit,sothathewasatlastforcedtopermithertocomewithhim。Throughwoodsatthesummitoftheblufftheymadetheirwaytowardthenorthandhadgonebutashortdistancewhenthewoodendedandbeforethemtheysawthewatersoftheinlandseaanddimlyinthedistancethecovetedshore。
Thebeachlaysometwohundredyardsfromthefootofthehillonwhichtheystood,norwasthereatreenoranyotherformofshelterbetweenthemandthewaterasfarupanddownthecoastastheycouldsee。AmongotherplansBradleyhadthoughtofconstructingacoveredraftuponwhichtheymightdrifttothemainland;butassuchacontrivancewouldnecessarilybeofconsiderableweight,itmustbebuiltinthewaterofthesea,sincetheycouldnothopetomoveitevenashortdistanceoverland。
\"Ifthiswoodwasonlyattheedgeofthewater,\"hesighed。
\"Butitisnot,\"thegirlremindedhim,andthen:\"Letusmakethebestofit。Wehaveescapedfromdeathforatimeatleast。
Wehavefoodandgoodwaterandpeaceandeachother。Whatmorecouldwehaveuponthemainland?\"
\"ButIthoughtyouwantedtogetbacktoyourowncountry!\"
heexclaimed。
Shecasthereyesuponthegroundandhalfturnedaway。\"Ido,\"
shesaid,\"yetIamhappyhere。Icouldbelittlehappierthere。\"
Bradleystoodinsilentthought。\"`Wehavefoodandgoodwaterandpeaceandeachother!’\"herepeatedtohimself。Heturnedthenandlookedatthegirl,anditwasasthoughinthedaysthattheyhadbeentogetherthiswasthefirsttimethathehadreallyseenher。Thecircumstancesthathadthrownthemtogether,thedangersthroughwhichtheyhadpassed,alltheweirdandhorriblesurroundingsthathadformedthebackgroundofhisknowledgeofherhadhadtheireffect——shehadbeenbutthecompanionofanadventure;herself-reliance,herendurance,herloyalty,hadbeenonlywhatonemanmightexpectofanother,andhesawthathehadunconsciouslyassumedanattitudetowardherthathemighthaveassumedtowardaman。Yettherehadbeenadifference——herecallednowthestrangesensationofelationthathadthrilledhimupontheoccasionswhenthegirlhadpressedhishandinhers,andthedepressionthathadfollowedherannouncementofherloveforAn-Tak。
Hetookasteptowardher。Afierceyearningtoseizeherandcrushherinhisarms,sweptoverhim,andthenthereflasheduponthescreenofrecollectionthepictureofastatelyhallsetamidstbroadgardensandancienttreesandofaproudoldmanwithbeetlingbrows——anoldmanwhoheldhisheadveryhigh——andBradleyshookhisheadandturnedawayagain。
Theywentbackthentotheirlittleacre,andthedayscameandwent,andthemanfashionedspearandbowandarrowsandhuntedwiththemthattheymighthavemeat,andhemadehooksoffishboneandcaughtfisheswithwondrousfliesofhisowninvention;andthegirlgatheredfruitsandcookedthefleshandthefishandmadebedsofbranchesandsoftgrasses。
Shecuredthehidesoftheanimalshekilledandmadethemsoftbymuchpounding。Shemadesandalsforherselfandforthemanandfashionedahideafterthemannerofthosewornbythewarriorsofhertribeandmadethemanwearit,forhisowngarmentswereinrags。
Shewasalwaysthesame——sweetandkindandhelpful——butalwaystherewasabouthermannerandherexpressionjustatraceofwistfulness,andoftenshesatandlookedatthemanwhenhedidnotknowit,herbrowspuckeredinthoughtasthoughsheweretryingtofathomandtounderstandhim。
Inthefaceofthecliff,Bradleyscoopedacavefromtherottedgraniteofwhichthehillwascomposed,makingashelterforthemagainsttherains。Hebroughtwoodfortheircook-firewhichtheyusedonlyinthemiddleoftheday——atimewhentherewaslittlelikelihoodofWieroosbeingintheairsofarfromtheircity——andthenhelearnedtobankitwithearthinsuchawaythattheembershelduntilthefollowingnoonwithoutgivingoffsmoke。
Alwayshewasplanningonreachingthemainland,andneveradaypassedthathedidnotgotothetopofthehillandlookoutacrosstheseatowardthedark,distantlinethatmeantforhimcomparativefreedomandpossiblyreunionwithhiscomrades。
Thegirlalwayswentwithhim,standingathissideandwatchingthesternexpressiononhisfacewithjustatingeofsadnessonherown。
\"Youarenothappy,\"shesaidonce。
\"Ishouldbeovertherewithmymen,\"hereplied。\"Idonotknowwhatmayhavehappenedtothem。\"
\"Iwantyoutobehappy,\"shesaidquitesimply;\"butIshouldbeverylonelyifyouwentawayandleftmehere。\"
Heputhishandonhershoulder。\"Iwouldnotdothat,littlegirl,\"hesaidgently。\"Ifyoucannotgowithme,Ishallnotgo。
Ifeitherofusmustgoalone,itwillbeyou。\"
Herfacelightedtoawondroussmile。\"Thenweshallnotbeseparated,\"shesaid,\"forIshallneverleaveyouaslongaswebothlive。\"
Helookeddownintoherfaceforamomentandthen:\"WhowasAn-Tak?\"heasked。
\"Mybrother,\"shereplied。\"Why?\"
Andthen,evenlessthanbefore,couldhetellher。Itwasthenthathedidsomethinghehadneverdonebefore——heputhisarmsaboutherandstooping,kissedherforehead。\"UntilyoufindAn-Tak,hesaid,\"Iwillbeyourbrother。\"
Shedrewaway。\"Ialreadyhaveabrother,\"shesaid,\"andIdonotwantanother。\"
Chapter5
Daysbecameweeks,andweeksbecamemonths,andthemonthsfollowedoneanotherinalazyprocessionofhot,humiddaysandwarm,humidnights。ThefugitivessawneveraWieroobydaythoughoftenatnighttheyheardthemelancholyflappingofgiantwingsfarabovethem。
Eachdaywasmuchlikeitspredecessor。Bradleysplashedaboutforafewminutesinthecoldpoolearlyeachmorningandafteratimethegirltrieditandlikedit。Towardthecenteritwasdeepenoughforswimming,andsohetaughthertoswim——shewasprobablythefirsthumanbeinginallCaspak’slongageswhohaddonethisthing。Andthenwhileshepreparedbreakfast,themanshaved——thisheneverneglected。Atfirstitwasasourceofwondermenttothegirl,fortheGalumenarebeardless。
Whentheyneededmeat,hehunted,otherwisehebusiedhimselfinimprovingtheirshelter,makingnewandbetterweapons,perfectinghisknowledgeofthegirl’slanguageandteachinghertospeakandtowriteEnglish——anythingthatwouldkeepthembothoccupied。Hestillsoughtnewplansforescape,butwithever-lesseningenthusiasm,sinceeachnewschemepresentedsomeinsurmountableobstacle。
Andthenonedayasaboltoutofaclearskycamethatwhichblastedthepeaceandsecurityoftheirsanctuaryforever。
Bradleywasjustemergingfromthewaterafterhismorningplungewhenfromoverheadcamethesoundofflappingwings。
Glancingquicklyupthemansawawhite-robedWieroocirclingslowlyabovehim。Thathehadbeendiscoveredhecouldnotdoubtsincethecreatureevendroppedtoaloweraltitudeasthoughtoassureitselfthatwhatitsawwasaman。Thenitroserapidlyandwingedawaytowardthecity。
FortwodaysBradleyandthegirllivedinaconstantstateofapprehension,awaitingthemomentwhenthehunterswouldcomeforthem;butnothinghappeneduntiljustafterdawnofthethirdday,whentheflappingofwingsapprisedthemoftheapproachofWieroos。Togethertheywenttotheedgeofthewoodandlookeduptoseefivered-robedcreaturesdroppingslowlyinever-lesseningspiralstowardtheirlittleamphitheater。Withnoattemptatconcealmenttheycame,sureoftheirabilitytooverwhelmthesetwofugitives,andwiththefullestmeasureofself-confidencetheylandedintheclearingbutafewyardsfromthemanandthegirl。
FollowingaplanalreadydiscussedBradleyandthegirlretreatedslowlyintothewoods。TheWieroosadvanced,callinguponthemtogivethemselvesup;butthequarrymadenoreply。FartherandfartherintothelittlewoodBradleyledthehunters,permittingthemtoapproachevercloser;thenhecircledbackagaintowardtheclearing,evidentlytothegreatdelightoftheWieroos,whonowfollowedmoreleisurely,awaitingthemomentwhentheyshouldbebeyondthetreesandabletousetheirwings。Theyhadopenedintosemicircularformationnowwiththeevidentintentionofcuttingthetwoofffromreturningintothewood。EachWierooadvancedwithhiscurvedbladereadyinhishand,eachhideousfaceblankandexpressionless。
ItwasthenthatBradleyopenedfirewithhispistol——threeshots,aimedwithcarefuldeliberation,forithadbeenlongsincehehadusedtheweapon,andhecouldnotaffordtochancewastingammunitiononmisses。AteachshotaWieroodropped;andthentheremainingtwosoughtescapebyflight,screamingandwailingafterthemanneroftheirkind。WhenaWierooruns,hiswingsspreadalmostwithoutanyvolitionuponhispart,sincefromtimeimmemorialhehasalwaysusedthemtobalancehimselfandacceleratehisrunningspeedsothatintheopentheyappeartoskimthesurfaceofthegroundwhenintheactofrunning。
Buthereinthewoods,amongtheclose-setboles,thespreadingoftheirwingsprovedtheirundoing——ithinderedandstoppedthemandthrewthemtotheground,andthenBradleywasuponthemthreateningthemwithinstantdeathiftheydidnotsurrender——
promisingthemtheirfreedomiftheydidhisbidding。
\"Asyouhaveseen,\"hecried,\"IcankillyouwhenIwishandatadistance。Youcannotescapeme。Youronlyhopeoflifeliesinobedience。Quick,orIkill!\"
TheWieroosstoppedandfacedhim。\"Whatdoyouwantofus?\"
askedone。
\"Throwasideyourweapons,\"Bradleycommanded。Afteramoment’shesitationtheyobeyed。
\"Nowapproach!\"Agreatplan——theonlyplan——hadsuddenlycometohimlikeaninspiration。
TheWierooscamecloserandhaltedathiscommand。Bradleyturnedtothegirl。\"Thereisropeintheshelter,\"hesaid。\"Fetchit!\"
Shedidashebid,andthenhedirectedhertofastenoneendofafifty-footlengthtotheankleofoneoftheWieroosandtheoppositeendtothesecond。Thecreaturesgaveevidenceofgreatfear,buttheydarednotattempttopreventtheact。
\"Nowgooutintotheclearing,\"saidBradley,\"andrememberthatIamwalkingclosebehindandthatIwillshoottheneareroneshouldeitherattempttoescape——thatwillholdtheotheruntilIcankillhimaswell。\"
Intheopenhehaltedthem。\"Thegirlwillgetuponthebackoftheoneinfront,\"announcedtheEnglishman。\"Iwillmounttheother。Shecarriesasharpblade,andIcarrythisweaponthatyouknowkillseasilyatadistance。Ifyoudisobeyintheslightest,theinstructionsthatIamabouttogiveyou,youshallbothdie。Thatwemustdiewithyou,willnotdeterus。
Ifyouobey,Ipromisetosetyoufreewithoutharmingyou。
\"Youwillcarryusduewest,depositingusupontheshoreofthemainland——thatisall。Itisthepriceofyourlives。Doyouagree?\"
SullenlytheWieroosacquiesced。Bradleyexaminedtheknotsthatheldtheropetotheirankles,andfeelingthemsecuredirectedthegirltomountthebackoftheleadingWieroo,himselfupontheother。Thenhegavethesignalforthetwotorisetogether。
Withloudflappingofthepowerfulwingsthecreaturestooktotheair,circlingoncebeforetheytoppedthetreesuponthehillandthentakingacourseduewestoutoverthewatersofthesea。
NowhereaboutthemcouldBradleyseesignsofotherWieroos,norofthoseothermenaceswhichhehadfearedmightbringdisastertohisplansforescape——thehuge,wingedreptiliathataresonumerousabovethesouthernareasofCaspakandwhichareoftenseen,thoughinlessernumbers,farthernorth。
Nearerandnearerloomedthemainland——abroad,parklikeexpansestretchinginlandtothefootofalowplateauspreadoutbeforethem。
Thelittledotsintheforegroundbecamegrazingherdsofdeerandantelopeandbos;ahugewoollyrhinoceroswallowedinamudholetotheright,andbeyond,amightymammothculledthetendershootsfromatalltree。Theroarsandscreamsandgrowlsofgiantcarnivoracamefaintlytotheirears。Ah,thiswasCaspak。
WithallofitsdangersanditsprimalsavageryitbroughtafullnesstothethroatoftheEnglishmanastoonewhoseesandhearsthefamiliarsightsandsoundsofhomeafteralongabsence。
ThentheWieroosdroppedswiftlydownwardtotheflower-starredturfthatgrewalmosttothewater’sedge,thefugitivesslippedfromtheirbacks,andBradleytoldthered-robedcreaturestheywerefreetogo。
WhenhehadcuttheropesfromtheiranklestheyrosewiththatuncannywailingupontheirlipsthatalwaysbroughtashuddertotheEnglishman,andupondismalwingstheyflappedawaytowardfrightfulOo-oh。
Whenthecreatureshadgone,thegirlturnedtowardBradley。
\"Whydidyouhavethembringushere?\"sheasked。\"Nowwearefarfrommycountry。Wemayneverlivetoreachit,asweareamongenemieswho,whilenotsohorriblewillkillusjustassurelyaswouldtheWieroosshouldtheycaptureus,andwehavebeforeusmanymarchesthroughlandsfilledwithsavagebeasts。\"
\"Thereweretworeasons,\"repliedBradley。\"YoutoldmethattherearetwoWieroocitiesattheeasternendoftheisland。
Tohavepassedneareitherofthemmighthavebeentohavebroughtaboutourheadshundredsofthecreaturesfromwhomwecouldnotpossiblyhaveescaped。Again,myfriendsmustbenearthisspot——
itcannotbeovertwomarchestothefortofwhichIhavetoldyou。
Itismydutytoreturntothem。Iftheystillliveweshallfindawaytoreturnyoutoyourpeople。\"
\"Andyou?\"askedthegirl。
\"IescapedfromOo-oh,\"repliedBradley。\"Ihaveaccomplishedtheimpossibleonce,andsoIshallaccomplishitagain——IshallescapefromCaspak。\"
Hewasnotlookingatherfaceasheansweredher,andsohedidnotseetheshadowofsorrowthatcrossedhercountenance。
Whenheraisedhiseyesagain,shewassmiling。
\"Whatyouwish,Iwish,\"saidthegirl。
Southwardalongthecoasttheymadetheirwayfollowingthebeach,wherethewalkingwasbest,butalwayskeepingcloseenoughtotreestoinsuresanctuaryfromthebeastsandreptilesthatsooftenmenacedthem。ItwaslateintheafternoonwhenthegirlsuddenlyseizedBradley’sarmandpointedstraightaheadalongtheshore。\"Whatisthat?\"shewhispered。\"Whatstrangereptileisit?\"
Bradleylookedinthedirectionherslimforefingerindicated。
Herubbedhiseyesandlookedagain,andthenheseizedherwristanddrewherquicklybehindaclumpofbushes。
\"Whatisit?\"sheasked。
\"Itisthemostfrightfulreptilethatthewatersoftheworldhaveeverknown,\"hereplied。\"ItisaGermanU-boat!\"
Anexpressionofamazementandunderstandinglightedherfeatures。
\"Itisthethingofwhichyoutoldme,\"sheexclaimed,\"——thethingthatswimsunderthewaterandcarriesmeninitsbelly!\"
\"Itis,\"repliedBradley。
\"Thenwhydoyouhidefromit?\"askedthegirl。\"Yousaidthatnowitbelongedtoyourfriends。\"
\"ManymonthshavepassedsinceIknewwhatwasgoingonamongmyfriends,\"hereplied。\"Icannotknowwhathasbefallenthem。
Theyshouldhavebeengonefromhereinthisvessellongsince,andsoIcannotunderstandwhyitisstillhere。IamgoingtoinvestigatefirstbeforeIshowmyself。WhenIleft,thereweremoreGermansontheU-33thanthereweremenofmyownpartyatthefort,andIhavehadsufficientexperienceofGermanstoknowthattheywillbearwatching——iftheyhavenotbeenproperlywatchedsinceIleft。\"
MakingtheirwaythroughafringeofwoodthatgrewafewyardsinlandthetwocreptunseentowardtheU-boatwhichlaymooredtotheshoreatapointwhichBradleynowrecognizedasbeingneartheoil-poolnorthofDinosaur。Ascloseaspossibletothevesseltheyhalted,crouchinglowamongthedensevegetation,andwatchedtheboatforsignsofhumanlifeaboutit。Thehatcheswereclosed——noonecouldbeseenorheard。ForfiveminutesBradleywatched,andthenhedeterminedtoboardthesubmarineandinvestigate。Hehadrisentocarryhisdecisionintoeffectwhentheresuddenlybrokeuponhisear,utteredinloudandmenacingtones,avolleyofGermanoathsandexpletivesamongwhichheheardEnglischeschweinhunderepeatedseveraltimes。
ThevoicedidnotcomefromthedirectionoftheU-boat;butfrominland。CreepingforwardBradleyreachedaspotwhere,throughthecreepershangingfromthetrees,hecouldseeapartyofmencomingdowntowardtheshore。
HesawBaronFriedrichvonSchoenvortsandsixofhismen——allarmed——whilemarchinginalittleknotamongthemwereOlson,Brady,Sinclair,Wilson,andWhitely。
BradleyknewnothingofthedisappearanceofBowenTylerandMissLaRue,noroftheperfidyoftheGermansinshellingthefortandattemptingtoescapeintheU-33;buthewasinnowaysurprisedatwhathesawbeforehim。
Thelittlepartycameslowlyonward,theprisonersstaggeringbeneathheavycansofoil,whileSchwartz,oneoftheGermannoncommissionedofficerscursedandbeatthemwithastickofwood,impartially。VonSchoenvortswalkedintherearofthecolumn,encouragingSchwartzandlaughingatthediscomfitureoftheBritishers。Dietz,Heinz,andKlatzalsoseemedtoenjoytheentertainmentimmensely;buttwoofthemen——PlesserandHindle——
marchedwitheyesstraighttothefrontandwithscowlingfaces。
Bradleyfelthisbloodboilatsightofthecowardlyindignitiesbeingheapeduponhismen,andinthebriefspanoftimeoccupiedbythecolumntocomeabreastofwherehelayhiddenhemadehisplans,foolhardythoughheknewthem。Thenhedrewthegirlclosetohim。\"Stayhere,\"hewhispered。\"Iamgoingouttofightthosebeasts;butIshallbekilled。Donotletthemseeyou。Donotletthemtakeyoualive。Theyaremorecruel,morecowardly,morebestialthantheWieroos。\"
Thegirlpressedclosetohim,herfaceverywhite。\"Go,ifthatisright,\"shewhispered;\"butifyoudie,Ishalldie,forI
cannotlivewithoutyou。\"Helookedsharplyintohereyes。
\"Oh!\"heejaculated。\"WhatanidiotIhavebeen!NorcouldI
livewithoutyou,littlegirl。\"Andhedrewherverycloseandkissedherlips。\"Good-bye。\"Hedisengagedhimselffromherarmsandlookedagainintimetoseethattherearofthecolumnhadjustpassedhim。Thenheroseandleapedquicklyandsilentlyfromthejungle。
SuddenlyvonSchoenvortsfeltanarmthrownabouthisneckandhispistoljerkedfromitsholster。Hegaveacryoffrightandwarning,andhismenturnedtoseeahalf-nakedwhitemanholdingtheirleadersecurelyfrombehindandaimingapistolatthemoverhisshoulder。
\"Dropthoseguns!\"cameinshort,sharpsyllablesandperfectGermanfromthelipsofthenewcomer。\"DropthemorI’llputabulletthroughthebackofvonSchoenvorts’head。\"
TheGermanshesitatedforamoment,lookingfirsttowardvonSchoenvortsandthentoSchwartz,whowasevidentlysecondincommand,fororders。
\"It’stheEnglishpig,Bradley,\"shoutedthelatter,\"andhe’salone——goandgethim!\"
\"Goyourself,\"growledPlesser。HindlemovedclosetothesideofPlesserandwhisperedsomethingtohim。Thelatternodded。
SuddenlyvonSchoenvortswheeledaboutandseizedBradley’spistolarmwithbothhands,\"Now!\"heshouted。\"Comeandtakehim,quick!\"
Schwartzandthreeothersleapedforward;butPlesserandHindleheldback,lookingquestioninglytowardtheEnglishprisoners。
ThenPlesserspoke。\"Nowisyourchance,Englander,\"hecalledinlowtones。\"SeizeHindleandmeandtakeourgunsfromus——wewillnotfighthard。\"
OlsonandBradywerenotlonginactinguponthesuggestion。
TheyhadseenenoughofthebrutaltreatmentvonSchoenvortsaccordedhismenandtheespeciallyvenomousattentionshehadtakengreatenjoymentinaccordingPlesserandHindletounderstandthatthesetwomightbesincereinadesireforrevenge。InanothermomentthetwoGermanswereunarmedandOlsonandBradywererunningtothesupportofBradley;
butalreadyitseemedtoolate。
VonSchoenvortshadmanagedtodragtheEnglishmanaroundsothathisbackwastowardSchwartzandtheotheradvancingGermans。
SchwartzwasalmostuponBradleywithgunclubbedandreadytosmashdownupontheEnglishman’sskull。BradyandOlsonwerechargingtheGermansintherearwithWilson,Whitely,andSinclairsupportingthemwithbarefists。ItseemedthatBradleywasdoomedwhen,apparentlyoutofspace,anarrowwhizzed,strikingSchwartzintheside,passinghalf-waythroughhisbodytocrumplehimtoearth。Withashriekthemanfell,andatthesametimeOlsonandBradysawtheslimfigureofayounggirlstandingattheedgeofthejunglecoollyfittinganotherarrowtoherbow。
BradleyhadnowsucceededinwrestlinghisarmfreefromvonSchoenvorts’gripandindroppingthelatterwithablowfromthebuttofhispistol。TherestoftheEnglishandGermanswereengagedinahand-to-handencounter。PlesserandHindlestandingasidefromthemeleeandurgingtheircomradestosurrenderandjoinwiththeEnglishagainstthetyrannyofvonSchoenvorts。
HeinzandKlatz,possiblyinfluencedbytheirexhortation,wereputtingupbutahalf-heartedresistance;butDietz,ahuge,bearded,bull-neckedPrussian,yellinglikeamaniac,soughttoexterminatetheEnglischeschweinhundewithhisbayonet,fearingtofirehispiecelesthekillsomeofhiscomrades。
ItwasOlsonwhoengagedhim,andthoughunusedtothelongGermanrifleandbayonet,hemetthebull-rushoftheHunwiththecold,cruelprecisionandscienceofEnglishbayonet-fighting。
Therewasnofeinting,noretiringandnoparryingthatwasnotalsoanattack。Bayonet-fightingtodayisnotaprettythingtosee——itisnotanartisticfencing-matchinwhichmengiveandtake——itisslaughterinevitableandquicklyover。
DietzlungedoncemadlyatOlson’sthroat。Ashortpoint,withjustatwistofthebayonettotheleftsentthesharpbladeovertheEnglishman’sleftshoulder。Instantlyhesteppedclosein,droppedhisriflethroughhishandsandgraspeditwithbothhandsclosebelowthemuzzleandwithashort,sharpjabsenthisbladeupbeneathDietz’schintothebrain。SoquicklywasthethingdoneandsoquickthewithdrawalthatOlsonhadwheeledtotakeonanotheradversarybeforetheGerman’scorpsehadtoppledtotheground。
Buttherewerenomoreadversariestotakeon。HeinzandKlatzhadthrowndowntheirriflesandwithhandsabovetheirheadswerecrying\"Kamerad!Kamerad!\"atthetopsoftheirvoices。
VonSchoenvortsstilllaywherehehadfallen。PlesserandHindlewereexplainingtoBradleythattheyweregladoftheoutcomeofthefight,astheycouldnolongerendurethebrutalityoftheU-boatcommander。
Theremainderofthemenwerelookingatthegirlwhonowadvancedslowly,herbowready,whenBradleyturnedtowardherandheldouthishand。
\"Co-Tan,\"hesaid,\"unstringyourbow——thesearemyfriends,andyours。\"AndtotheEnglishmen:\"ThisisCo-Tan。YouwhosawhersavemefromSchwartzknowapartofwhatIoweher。\"
Theroughmengatheredaboutthegirl,andwhenshespoketotheminbrokenEnglish,withasmileuponherlipsenhancingthecharmofherirresistibleaccent,eachandeveryoneofthempromptlyfellinlovewithherandconstitutedhimselfhenceforthherguardianandherslave。
AmomentlatertheattentionofeachwascalledtoPlesserbyavolleyofinvective。TheyturnedintimetoseethemanrunningtowardvonSchoenvortswhowasjustrisingfromtheground。
Plessercarriedariflewithbayonetfixed,thathehadsnatchedfromthesideofDietz’scorpse。VonSchoenvorts’facewaslividwithfear,hisjawsworkingasthoughhewouldcallforhelp;butnosoundcamefromhisbluelips。
\"Youstruckme,\"shriekedPlesser。\"Once,twice,threetimes,youstruckme,pig。YoumurderedSchwerke——youdrovehiminsanebyyourcrueltyuntilhetookhisownlife。Youareonlyoneofyourkind——theyarealllikeyoufromtheKaiserdown。IwishthatyouweretheKaiser。ThuswouldIdo!\"AndhelungedhisbayonetthroughvonSchoenvorts’chest。ThenhelethisriflefallwiththedyingmanandwheeledtowardBradley。\"HereIam,\"
hesaid。\"Dowithmeasyoulike。AllmylifeIhavebeenkickedandcuffedbysuchasthat,andyetalwayshaveIgoneoutwhentheycommanded,singing,togiveupmylifeifneedbetokeeptheminpower。OnlylatelyhaveIcometoknowwhatafoolIhavebeen。ButnowIamnolongerafool,andbesides,IamavengedandSchwerkeisavenged,soyoucankillmeifyouwish。
HereIam。\"
\"IfIwasafterbein’theking,\"saidOlson,\"I’dpintheV。C。onyournoblechist;butbein’onlyanIrishmanwithaSwedename,forwhichGodforgiveme,thebistIcandoisshakeyourhand。\"
\"Youwillnotbepunished,\"saidBradley。\"Therearefourofyouleft——ifyoufourwanttocomealongandworkwithus,wewilltakeyou;butyouwillcomeasprisoners。\"
\"Itsuitsme,\"saidPlesser。\"Nowthatthecaptain-lieutenantisdeadyouneednotfearus。Allourliveswehaveknownnothingbuttoobeyhisclass。IfIhadnotkilledhim,IsupposeI
wouldbefoolenoughtoobeyhimagain;butheisdead。Nowwewillobeyyou——wemustobeysomeone。\"
\"Andyou?\"BradleyturnedtotheothersurvivorsoftheoriginalcrewoftheU-33。Eachpromisedobedience。
ThetwodeadGermanswereburiedinasinglegrave,andthenthepartyboardedthesubmarineandstowedawaytheoil。
HereBradleytoldthemenwhathadbefallenhimsincethenightofSeptember14thwhenhehaddisappearedsomysteriouslyfromthecampupontheplateau。NowhelearnedforthefirsttimethatBowenJ。Tyler,Jr。,andMissLaRuehadbeenmissingevenlongerthanheandthatnofaintesttraceofthemhadbeendiscovered。
OlsontoldhimofhowtheGermanshadreturnedandwaitedinambushforthemoutsidethefort,capturingthemthattheymightbeusedtoassistintheworkofrefiningtheoilandlaterinmanningtheU-33,andPlessertoldbrieflyoftheexperiencesoftheGermancrewundervonSchoenvortssincetheyhadescapedfromCaspakmonthsbefore——ofhowtheylosttheirbearingsafterhavingbeenshelledbyshipstheyhadattemptedtosneakfarthernorthandhowatlastwithprovisionsgoneandfuelalmostexhaustedtheyhadsoughtandatlastfound,morebyaccidentthandesign,themysteriousislandtheyhadoncebeensogladtoleavebehind。
\"Now,\"announcedBradley,\"we’llplanforthefuture。Theboathasfuel,provisionsandwaterforamonth,Ibelieveyousaid,Plesser;therearetenofustomanit。Wehavealastsaddutyhere——wemustsearchforMissLaRueandMr。Tyler。Isayasaddutybecauseweknowthatweshallnotfindthem;butitisnonethelessourdutytocombtheshoreline,firingsignalshellsatintervals,thatweatleastmayleaveatlastwithfullknowledgethatwehavedoneallthatmenmightdotolocatethem。\"
Nonedissentedfromthisconviction,norwasthereavoiceraisedinprotestagainsttheplantoatleastmakeassurancedoublysurebeforequittingCaspakforever。
Andsotheystarted,cruisingslowlyupthecoastandfiringanoccasionalshotfromthegun。Oftenthevesselwasbroughttoastop,andalwaystherewereanxiouseyesscanningtheshoreforanansweringsignal。LateintheafternoontheycaughtsightofanumberofBand-luwarriors;butwhenthevesselapproachedtheshoreandthenativesrealizedthathumanbeingsstooduponthebackofthestrangemonsterofthesea,theyfledinterrorbeforeBradleycouldcomewithinhailingdistance。
Thatnighttheydroppedanchoratthemouthofasluggishstreamwhosewarmwatersswarmedwithmillionsoftinytadpolelikeorganisms——minutehumanspawnstartingontheirprecariousjourneyfromsomeinlandpooltoward\"thebeginning\"——ajourneywhichoneinmillions,perhaps,mightsurvivetocomplete。
Alreadyalmostattheinceptionoflifetheywerebeinggreetedbythousandsofvoraciousmouthsasfishandreptilesofmanykindsfoughttodevourthem,thewhileotherandlargercreaturespursuedthedevourers,tobe,inturn,preyeduponbysomeotherofthecountlessformsthatinhabitthedeepsofCaprona’sfrightfulsea。
Theseconddaywaspracticallyarepetitionofthefirst。
TheymovedveryslowlywithfrequentstopsandoncetheylandedintheKro-lucountrytohunt。Heretheywereattackedbythebow-and-arrowmen,whomtheycouldnotpersuadetopalaverwiththem。Sobelligerentwerethenativesthatitbecamenecessarytofireintotheminordertoescapetheirpersistentandferociousattentions。
\"Whatchance,\"askedBradley,astheywerereturningtotheboatwiththeirgame,\"couldTylerandMissLaRuehavehadamongsuchasthese?\"
Buttheycontinuedontheirfruitlessquest,andthethirdday,aftercruisingalongtheshoreofadeepinlet,theypassedalineofloftycliffsthatformedthesouthernshoreoftheinletandroundedasharppromontoryaboutnoon。Co-TanandBradleywereondeckalone,andasthenewshorelineappearedbeyondthepoint,thegirlgaveanexclamationofjoyandseizedtheman’shandinhers。
\"Oh,look!\"shecried。\"TheGalucountry!TheGalucountry!
ItismycountrythatIneverthoughttoseeagain。\"
\"Youaregladtocomeagain,Co-Tan?\"askedBradley。
\"Oh,soglad!\"shecried。\"Andyouwillcomewithmetomypeople?
Wemaylivehereamongthem,andyouwillbeagreatwarrior——oh,whenJordiesyoumayevenbechief,forthereisnonesomightyasmywarrior。Youwillcome?\"
Bradleyshookhishead。\"Icannot,littleCo-Tan,\"heanswered。
\"Mycountryneedsme,andImustgoback。MaybesomedayI
shallreturn。Youwillnotforgetme,Co-Tan?\"
Shelookedathiminwide-eyedwonder。\"Youaregoingawayfromme?\"sheaskedinaverysmallvoice。\"YouaregoingawayfromCo-Tan?\"
Bradleylookeddownuponthelittlebowedhead。Hefeltthesoftcheekagainsthisbarearm;andhefeltsomethingelsetheretoo——
hotdropsofmoisturethatrandowntohisveryfinger-tipsandsplashed,buteachonewrungfromawoman’sheart。
Hebentlowandraisedthetear-stainedfacetohisown。
\"No,Co-Tan,\"hesaid,\"Iamnotgoingawayfromyou——foryouaregoingwithme。Youaregoingbacktomyowncountrytobemywife。Tellmethatyouwill,Co-Tan。\"Andhebentstillloweryetfromhisheightandkissedherlips。Nordidheneedmorethanthewonderfulnewlightinhereyestotellhimthatshewouldgototheendoftheworldwithhimifhewouldbuttakeher。
Andthenthegun-crewcameupfrombelowagaintofireasignalshot,andthetwowerebroughtdownfromthehighheavenoftheirnewhappinesstothescarredandweather-beatendeckoftheU-33。
AnhourlaterthevesselwasrunningcloseinbyashoreofwondrousbeautybesideaparklikemeadowthatstretchedbackamileinlandtothefootofaplateauwhenWhitelycalledattentiontoascoreoffiguresclamberingdownwardfromtheelevationtothelowlandbelow。Theengineswerereversedandtheboatbroughttoastopwhileallhandsgatheredondecktowatchthelittlepartycomingtowardthemacrossthemeadow。
\"TheyareGalus,\"criedCo-Tan;\"theyaremyownpeople。Letmespeaktothemlesttheythinkwecometofightthem。Putmeashore,myman,andIwillgomeetthem。\"
ThenoseoftheU-boatwasruncloseintothesteepbank;butwhenCo-Tanwouldhaverunforwardalone,Bradleyseizedherhandandheldherback。\"Iwillgowithyou,Co-Tan,\"hesaid;andtogethertheyadvancedtomeettheoncomingparty。
Therewereabouttwentywarriorsmovingforwardinathinline,asourinfantryadvanceasskirmishers。Bradleycouldnotbutnoticethemarkeddifferencebetweenthisformationandthemoblikemethodsofthelowertribeshehadcomeincontactwith,andhecommenteduponittoCo-Tan。
\"Galuwarriorsalwaysadvanceintobattlethus,\"shesaid。
\"Thelesserpeopleremaininahuddledgroupwheretheycanscarceusetheirweaponsthewhiletheypresentsobigamarktousthatourspearsandarrowscannotmissthem;butwhentheyhurltheirsatourwarriors,iftheymissthefirstman,thereisnochancethattheywillkillsomeonebehindhim。
\"Standstillnow,\"shecautioned,\"andfoldyourarms。Theywillnotharmusthen。\"
Bradleydidashewasbid,andthetwostoodwitharmsfoldedasthelineofwarriorsapproached。Whentheyhadcomewithinsomefiftyyards,theyhaltedandonespoke。\"Whoareyouandfromwhencedoyoucome?\"heasked;andthenCo-Tangavealittle,gladcryandsprangforwardwithout-stretchedarms。
\"Oh,Tan!\"sheexclaimed。\"DoyounotknowyourlittleCo-Tan?\"
Thewarriorstared,incredulous,foramoment,andthenhe,too,ranforwardandwhentheymet,tookthegirlinhisarms。ItwasthenthatBradleyexperiencedtothefullasensationthatwasnewtohim——asuddenhatredforthestrangewarriorbeforehimandadesiretokillwithoutknowingwhyhewouldkill。Hemovedquicklytothegirl’ssideandgraspedherwrist。
\"Whoisthisman?\"hedemandedincoldtones。
Co-TanturnedasurprisedfacetowardtheEnglishmanandthenofasuddenbrokeforthintoamerrypealoflaughter。\"Thisismyfather,Brad-lee,\"shecried。
\"AndwhoisBrad-lee?\"demandedthewarrior。
\"Heismyman,\"repliedCo-Tansimply。
\"Bywhatright?\"insistedTan。
AndthenshetoldhimbrieflyofallthatshehadpassedthroughsincetheWierooshadstolenherandofhowBradleyhadrescuedherandsoughttorescueAn-Tak,herbrother。
\"Youaresatisfiedwithhim?\"askedTan。
\"Yes,\"repliedthegirlproudly。
ItwasthenthatBradley’sattentionwasattractedtotheedgeoftheplateaubyamovementthere,andlookingcloselyhesawahorsebearingtwofiguresslidingdownthesteepdeclivity。
Onceatthebottom,theanimalcamechargingacrossthemeadowlandatarapidrun。Itwasamagnificentanimal——agreatbaystallionwithawhite-blazedfaceandwhiteforelegstotheknees,itsbarrelencircledbyabroadsurcingleofwhite;andasitcametoasuddenstopbesideTan,theEnglishmansawthatitboreamanandagirl——atallmanandagirlasbeautifulasCo-Tan。Whenthegirlespiedthelatter,sheslidfromthehorseandrantowardher,fairlyscreamingforjoy。
ThemandismountedandstoodbesideTan。LikeBradleyhewasgarbedafterthefashionofthesurroundingwarriors;buttherewasasubtledifferencebetweenhimandhiscompanion。
PossiblyhedetectedasimilardifferenceinBradley,forhisfirstquestionwas,\"Fromwhatcountry?\"andthoughhespokeinGaluBradleythoughthedetectedanaccent。
\"England,\"repliedBradley。
Abroadsmilelightedthenewcomer’sfaceasheheldouthishand。
\"IamTomBillingsofSantaMonica,California,\"hesaid。\"Iknowallaboutyou,andI’mmightygladtofindyoualive。\"
\"Howdidyougethere?\"askedBradley。\"IthoughtourswastheonlypartyofmenfromtheouterworldevertoenterCaprona。\"
\"Itwas,untilwecameinsearchofBowenJ。Tyler,Jr。,\"
repliedBillings。\"Wefoundhimandsenthimhomewithhisbride;butIwaskeptaprisonerhere。\"
Bradley’sfacedarkened——thentheywerenotamongfriendsafterall。\"TherearetenofusdownthereonaGermansubwithsmall-armsandagun,\"hesaidquicklyinEnglish。
\"Itwillbenotricktogetawayfromthesepeople。\"
\"Youdon’tknowmyjailer,\"repliedBillings,\"oryou’dnotbesosure。Wait,I’llintroduceyou。\"Andthenturningtothegirlwhohadaccompaniedhimhecalledherbyname。\"Ajor,\"hesaid,\"permitmetointroduceLieutenantBradley;Lieutenant,Mrs。
Billings——myjailer!\"
TheEnglishmanlaughedasheshookhandswiththegirl。\"YouarenotasgoodasoldierasI,\"hesaidtoBillings。\"InsteadofbeingtakenprisonermyselfIhavetakenone——Mrs。Bradley,thisisMr。Billings。\"
Ajor,quicktounderstand,turnedtowardCo-Tan。\"Youaregoingbackwithhimtohiscountry?\"sheasked。Co-Tanadmittedit。
\"Youdare?\"askedAjor。\"Butyourfatherwillnotpermitit——
Jor,myfather,HighChiefoftheGalus,willnotpermitit,forlikemeyouarecos-ata-lo。Oh,Co-Tan,ifwebutcould!
HowIwouldlovetoseeallthestrangeandwonderfulthingsofwhichmyTomtellsme!\"
Bradleybentandwhisperedinherear。\"Saythewordandyoumaybothgowithus。\"
BillingsheardandspeakinginEnglish,askedAjorifshewouldgo。
\"Yes,\"sheanswered,\"Ifyouwishit;butyouknow,myTom,thatifJorcapturesus,bothyouandCo-Tan’smanwillpaythepenaltywithyourlives——notevenhisloveformenorhisadmirationforyoucansaveyou。\"
BradleynoticedthatshespokeinEnglish——brokenEnglishlikeCo-Tan’sbutequallyappealing。\"Wecaneasilygetyouaboardtheship,\"hesaid,\"onsomepretextorother,andthenwecansteamaway。Theycanneitherharmnordetainus,norwillwehavetofireashotatthem。\"
Andsoitwasdone,BradleyandCo-TantakingAjorandBillingsaboardto\"show\"themthevessel,whichalmostimmediatelyraisedanchorandmovedslowlyoutintothesea。
\"Ihatetodoit,\"saidBillings。\"Theyhavebeenfinetome。
JorandTanaresplendidmenandtheywillthinkmeaningrate;
butIcan’twastemylifeherewhenthereissomuchtobedoneintheouterworld。\"
AstheysteameddowntheinlandseapasttheislandofOo-oh,thestoriesoftheiradventureswereretold,andBradleylearnedthatBowenTylerandhisbridehadlefttheGalucountrybutafortnightbeforeandthattherewaseveryreasontobelievethattheToreadormightstillbelyinginthePacificnotfaroffthesubterraneanmouthoftheriverwhichemittedCaprona’sheatedwatersintotheocean。
Lateinthesecondday,afterrunningthroughswarmsofhideousreptiles,theysubmergedatthepointwheretheriverenteredbeneaththecliffsandshortlyafterrosetothesunlitsurfaceofthePacific;butnowhereasfarastheycouldseewassignofanothercraft。DownthecoasttheysteamedtowardthebeachwhereBillingshadmadehiscrossinginthehydro-aeroplaneandjustatduskthelookoutannouncedalightdeadahead。ItprovedtobeaboardtheToreador,andahalf-hourlatertherewassuchareuniononthedeckofthetriglittleyachtasnoonetherehadeverdreamedmightbepossible。OftheAlliestherewereonlyTippetandJamestobemourned,andnoonemournedanyoftheGermansdeadnorBenson,thetraitor,whoseuglystorywasfirsttoldinBowenTyler’smanuscript。
Tylerandtherescuepartyhadbutjustreachedtheyachtthatafternoon。Theyhadheard,faintly,thesignalshotsfiredbytheU-33buthadbeenunabletolocatetheirdirectionandsohadassumedthattheyhadcomefromthegunsoftheToreador。
Itwasahappypartythatsailednorthtowardsunny,southernCalifornia,theoldU-33trailinginthewakeoftheToreadorandflyingwiththelatterthegloriousStarsandStripesbeneathwhichshehadbeenbornintheshipyardatSantaMonica。
Threenewlymarriedcouples,theirbondsnowdulysolemnizedbythemasteroftheship,joyedinthepeaceandsecurityoftheuntrackedwatersofthesouthPacificandtheuniquehoneymoonwhich,haditnotbeenforsterndutyahead,theycouldhavewishedprotractedtilltheendoftime。
AndsotheycameonedaytodockattheshipyardwhichBowenTylernowcontrolled,andheretheU-33stilllieswhilethosewhopassedsomanyeventfuldayswithinandbecauseofher,havegonetheirvariousways。