Avon Murder Mystery Monthly No. 41 — page 100: what you’re looking at

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

CHAPTER XVII Into the Pit IGH was the sun when I awakened; or so, I supposed, open- ing my eyes upon a flood of daylight. As I lay, lazily, recollection rushed upon me. | | It was no sky into which I was gazing; it was the dome of Norhala’s elfin home. And Drake had not aroused me. Why? And how long had I slept? I jumped to my feet, stared about. Ruth nor Drake nor the black eunuch was there! “Ruth!” I shouted. “Drake!” There was no answer. I ran to the doorway. Peering up into the white vault of the heavens I set the time of day as close to seven; | had slept then three hours, more or less. Yet short as that time of slum- ber had been, I felt marvelously refreshed, reenergized; the effect, | was certain, of the extraordinarily tonic qualities of the atmosphere of this place. But where were the others? Where Yuruk? T heard Ruth’s laughter. Some hundred yards to the left, half hidden by a screen of flowering shrubs, I saw a small meadow. Within it a half-dozen little white goats nuzzled around her and Dick. She was milking one of them. __ Reassured, I drew back into the chamber, knelt over Ventnor. His condition was unchanged. My gaze fell upon the pool that had been Norhala’s bath. Longingly I looked at it; then satisfying myself that the milking process was not finished, slipped off my clothes and splashed about. : I had just time to get back in my clothes when through the doorway came the pair, each carrying a porcelain pannikin full of milk. There was no shadow of fear or horror on her face. It was the old Ruth who stood before me; nor was there effort in the smile she gave me. She had been washed clean in the -waters of sleep. | “Don’t worry, Walter,” she said. “I know what you're thinking. But m—me again.” “Where is Yuruk?” I turned to Drake bruskly to smother the sob of sheer happiness I felt rising in my throat; and at his wink and warn- ing grimace abruptly forebore to press the question. oe men pick out the things and I'll get breakfast ready,” said Ruth. 102 ECOMC OOO (GO)