Argosy, Vol. 117, No. 2 — page 50: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

200 he forced himself to lie quiet while the star moved slowly across the sky, and at length, when the time had come, he rose gently, cautiously, to his feet, and took the rough’ flint he had seized from the pile that after-. noon—he had taken care, without seeming to do so, to lie down on the rude dagger when his guard had tied him to the tree. Carefully, noiselessly, with the flint in both hands, he cut the thongs that bound him to the tree, then those that held his feet. He then held the flint between his feet and sawed his handcuffs back and forth across it till he was free. He stepped across the soft earth to his sleeping guard, bent over the negro, who lay on his back with wide-flung arms, and with one fierce stroke—no lighter for the kicks and blows of the past week—he drove the dagger into the body of the unconscious man. There followed a_ single, convulsive plunge of the dark form, one gasping sob, and the negro was dead, and En-ro, taking his ax and lance, slid like a ghost among the trees. He had but a vague idea, caught from the chatter of his many visitors, of where he would find Va-m’rai, but he set out to look for her, treading silently on the carpet of dry pine-needles, and avoiding the dark bodies that lay stretched in sleep on the ground all about. He felt utter contempt as he saw how carelessly the negroes lay down wherever night found them. ‘No wonder,” he thought, ‘‘ that Snorr- m’rai-no takes heavy toll of these fools! Why, even the beasts know better than to sleep unhidden on the ground!” Presently, down a little forest aisle, he caught a glimpse of something white, and turned that way. It was Va-m’rai, sleeping under a tree, and now En-ro went even more cautiously than before, stooping feet testing the ground before him that no cracking twig might sound an alarm, nos- trils spread wide to catch any faintest scent, every muscle and nerve tense and ready to spring, eyes and ears alert. The girl was bound and tethered as he had been, and was guarded by three ne- groes, and En-ro smiled scornfully as he saw that they too were asleep—* Fine guards!” he thought. “A warrior of the THE ARGOSY. Ta-an who slept on guard would surely die!”’ He stepped over them and cut Va-m’rai’s bonds, the slight touch waking the girl, who sat up with a little cry. ‘* Quiet!” whispered En-ro, then helped her to her feet, for she was stiff and lame from being tied. She clung to him, breath- ing fast with excitement, and he kissed her, then hand in hand they stepped carefully over the sleeping guards and disappeared in the forest. Dawn found them many miles from the negroes’ camp. They had traveled hard, had waded for more than a mile up a run. ning stream, and at last, climbing a low hill on whose rocky ledges they left no trail, had come to a small cave, hidden among trees. Here they gathered dry leaves for a bed and for covering, and lay down to sleep. When they woke the sun was sink- ing toward the edge of the world, and En-ro, rising, stretched himself and yawned. “T must seek food,” he said. ‘“ My belly cries out within me!” and Va-m’rai answered: * T, too, will go.” ‘** Nay, keep hidden and wait my return; there may be peril,” said En-ro, but Va- m’rai put her arm about his shoulder and whispered: ‘“ Let me go, my love! It is long that we have not been together, and what is peril to the daughter of a chieftain of the Ta-an?”’ And En-ro laughed, whereby she knew her wish was granted. They went together to a game trail En-ro had marked, leading down to a place where the brook widened into a pool. Approaching silently and against the breeze, they hid behind a screen of brush and waited. Presently they heard, far off, the sounds of beasts coming to drink, and soon three or four bison came into view. They tramped down to the water and drank, then stood in the pool for a time, stamping, shaking their heads, and splashing. Next came a herd of wild cattle, and hard on their heels a dozen or more wild sheep, all trooping to the water-hole together. En-ro looked the sheep over carefully and CORMICLOO (CG cS) (C@)