FREE BOOKS

Author's List




PREV.   NEXT  
|<   114   115   116   117   118   119   120   121   122   123   124   125   126   127   >>  
y, and Blake would have taken the girl. They were queered by the way Bram would squat on his haunches, and stare at her. The second day I saw him mumbling over something, and looked sharp. He had one of Celie's long hairs, and when he saw me he snarled like an animal, as though he feared I would take it from him. I knew what was coming. I knew Blake was only waiting for Bram to get away from his Kogmollocks--so I told Celie to give Bram a strand of her hair. She did--with her own hands, and from that minute the madman watched her like a dog. I tried to talk with him, but couldn't. I didn't seem to be able to make him understand. And then--" The Swede cut himself short. "They're moving, Phil! Take the men with the battering rams--and let them get half way before you fire! ... You see, Bram and his wolves had to have meat. Blake attacked while he was gone. Russians killed--Armin and I cornered, fighting for the girl behind us, when Bram came back like a burst of thunder. He didn't fight. He grabbed the girl, and was off with her like the wind with his wolf-team. Armin and I got into this cabin, and here--forty days and nights--" His voice stopped ominously. A fraction of a second later it was followed by the roar of his rifle, and at the first shot one of Blake's Kogmollocks crumpled up with a grunt half way between the snow-ridge and the forest. CHAPTER XXVI The Eskimos were advancing at a trot now over the open space. Philip was amazed at their number. There were at least a hundred, and his heart choked with a feeling of despair even as he pulled the trigger for his first shot. He had seen the effect of Olaf's shot, and following the Swede's instructions aimed for his man in the nearest group behind the main line. He did not instantly see the result, as a puff of smoke shut out his vision, but a moment later, aiming again, he saw a dark blotch left in the snow. From his end of the crevice Olaf had seen the man go down, and he grunted his approbation. There were five of the groups bearing tree trunks for battering-rams, and on one of these Philip concentrated the six shots in his rifle. Four of the tree-bearers went down, and the two that were left dropped their burden and joined those ahead of them. Until Philip stepped back to reload his gun he had not noticed Celie. She was close at his side, peering through the gun-hole at the tragedy out on the plain. Once before he had been astounded by the look
PREV.   NEXT  
|<   114   115   116   117   118   119   120   121   122   123   124   125   126   127   >>  



Top keywords:
Philip
 

Kogmollocks

 

battering

 
nearest
 

choked

 

feeling

 

hundred

 

number

 

instructions

 

pulled


trigger

 
amazed
 

advancing

 
CHAPTER
 
forest
 

Eskimos

 

effect

 

despair

 

groups

 

stepped


reload

 

joined

 

burden

 

bearers

 

dropped

 
noticed
 

astounded

 

tragedy

 

peering

 

aiming


blotch

 

moment

 
vision
 

result

 

crevice

 

trunks

 

concentrated

 

bearing

 

grunted

 

approbation


instantly
 
minute
 

madman

 

strand

 

watched

 
understand
 

couldn

 
waiting
 
mumbling
 

looked