The Argosy, Christmas 1912 — page 79: what you’re looking at

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

LOOSING THE TEMPEST. on Donaldson’s stock of skins, to which he offered no objections, and we spread them around in the most convenient places for beds. Even Gordon Morley, with a palatial yacht five minutes away by launch, flattened himself on two bear-skins and went to sleep. Ordway and I were near the en- trance to the cave. I soon fell asleep, the last thing I remember seeing hap- pening to be the huge bulk of the island- er as he hove himself down for rest. It was about midnight when I stirred, restless from the anxiety I had felt, and was still feeling, I at once be- came conscious of a form moving stealthily among the sleepers. It was too dark in the cave for me to recog- nize the moving person, but, without raising myself, I looked toward the spot where I had seen the islander lie down. He wasn’t there. Then the moving form drew nearer and I recognized Toloff. | My heart beat faster. What new tragedy was going to thrust itself into our affairs? I did not speak. I waited and watched. Joloff did not look at anybody till he got to Ordway and me. He paused barely a moment as if to make sure we were asleep. Then he passed on out of the cave. I rammed Ordway with my elbow. ae S -t! 99 The slight sound was enough for him, and quietly we crept to the en- trance and outside. “What is it? asked Ordway. “Tt is for us to prevent anything wrong,’ I answered in a_ whisper. “Crusoe is gone, and Joloff just left the cave.” Ordway gave a quick intake of breath. “To the cabin, then,” he said in as low atone as my own. “ Shall we take guns?” “No. That would look too much as though we expected violence.” We hurried toward the cabin. We What’s wrong?” 65 could see the form of Joloff a short distance ahead of us, and Ordway clutched my arm. “ He’s got a pistol in his hand!” I felt the tension of the moment. It was something I had never felt before. It was worse than any sense of danger to myself I had ever experienced. The broad square form of the island- er was at the cabin door. In a mo- ment Alma Sanderman came outside and joined him. He took her by the hand and led her away toward the rocky, indented headlands to the north. We could not hear a word they said. But we knew he was taking her to see her brother. Breathless, wordless, almost without our hearts beating, we crept on jn the wake of Joloff, who was trailing those two like a wolf. They; ignorant of what was going on behind them, indifferent to everything that happened except the object of their journey, did not turn. Joloff kept drawing nearer to them, and we kept getting closer to Joloff. The cold crisp air was vibrating with tragedy. There was .no doubt in my own mind that blood would be spilled, or a life destroyed, that night. CHAPTER XXXI. THE ENCOUNTER. THOUGH we could not hear a word that was said, we could see that Donald- son and the girl were conversing ear- nestly. The handsome head of the islander, on which he wore a fur tur- ban, was erect, almost motionless as he strode along, with his strong hand on Alma’s arm, helping her over the rough places. There was a stream about ten feet wide they had to cross, and he made no halt in his progress. He lifted her in his arms as if she were a baby, and splashed through, setting her down dry-shod on the other side. I rushed forward, as did Ordway, when the pistol in Joloft’ s right hand CoOMmicbook CO