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The voice died Stern found hih hi to turn his back

Retreat they must, he knew Retreat, at once! Already in the forest he understood that heads were being lifted, beastlike ears were listening, brute eyes peering and ape-hands clutching the little, flint-pointed spears Already the girl and he should have been half-way back to the tower; yet still, inhibited by that slow, grinning, staring advance of the chief, there the engineer stood

But all at once the spell was broken

For with a cry, a hoarse and frightful yell of passion, the obeah leaped--leaped like a huge and frightfully agile ape--leaped the whole distance intervening

Stern saw the Thing's red-glea eyes fixed on Beatrice In those eyes he clearly saw the hell-flame of lust And as the woe curse

The shot ild For at the instant--though he felt no pain--his ar rong! What? His trigger-finger refused to serve It had lost all power, all control

For God's sake, what could it be?

Then--all this taking but a second--Stern saw; he knew the truth Staring, pale and horrified, he understood

There, through the fleshy part of his forear-swift stroke, he saw the obeah's spear!

It dangled strangely in the firhteen inches of the shaft were red and dripping

Yet still the engineer felt no slightest twinge of pain

From his numbed, paralyzed hand the automatic dropped, fell noiselessly into theon the obeah, with the rifle

Stern felt his heart about to burst with hate He did not even think of the second revolver in the holster at his side With only his left hand now to use, the weapon could only have given clule stage, hi talon, of stone and club

The beloved wo in his ears, drove hiain, up, up, by the muzzle; and down upon that villainous skull he dashed it with a force that would have brained an ox

The obeah, screeching, reeled back But he was not dead Not dead, only stunned a un-barrel The stock, shattered, had whirled away and vanished a ferns

Beatrice snatched up the fallen revolver She stu away, the precious water flew No time, now, for any more