Part 22 (1/2)

”Let go,” said I; and the body of Montgomery vanished with a splash.

Something seemed to tighten across my chest.

”Good!” said I, with a break in my voice; and they came back, hurrying and fearful, to the margin of the water, leaving long wakes of black in the silver. At the water's edge they stopped, turning and glaring into the sea as though they presently expected Montgomery to arise therefrom and exact vengeance.

”Now these,” said I, pointing to the other bodies.

They took care not to approach the place where they had thrown Montgomery into the water, but instead, carried the four dead Beast People slantingly along the beach for perhaps a hundred yards before they waded out and cast them away.

As I watched them disposing of the mangled remains of M'ling, I heard a light footfall behind me, and turning quickly saw the big Hyena-swine perhaps a dozen yards away. His head was bent down, his bright eyes were fixed upon me, his stumpy hands clenched and held close by his side. He stopped in this crouching att.i.tude when I turned, his eyes a little averted.

For a moment we stood eye to eye. I dropped the whip and s.n.a.t.c.hed at the pistol in my pocket; for I meant to kill this brute, the most formidable of any left now upon the island, at the first excuse.

It may seem treacherous, but so I was resolved. I was far more afraid of him than of any other two of the Beast Folk.

His continued life was I knew a threat against mine.

I was perhaps a dozen seconds collecting myself. Then cried I, ”Salute!

Bow down!”

His teeth flashed upon me in a snarl. ”Who are _you_ that I should--”

Perhaps a little too spasmodically I drew my revolver, aimed quickly and fired. I heard him yelp, saw him run sideways and turn, knew I had missed, and clicked back the c.o.c.k with my thumb for the next shot.

But he was already running headlong, jumping from side to side, and I dared not risk another miss. Every now and then he looked back at me over his shoulder. He went slanting along the beach, and vanished beneath the driving ma.s.ses of dense smoke that were still pouring out from the burning enclosure. For some time I stood staring after him. I turned to my three obedient Beast Folk again and signalled them to drop the body they still carried.

Then I went back to the place by the fire where the bodies had fallen and kicked the sand until all the brown blood-stains were absorbed and hidden.

I dismissed my three serfs with a wave of the hand, and went up the beach into the thickets. I carried my pistol in my hand, my whip thrust with the hatchets in the sling of my arm.

I was anxious to be alone, to think out the position in which I was now placed. A dreadful thing that I was only beginning to realise was, that over all this island there was now no safe place where I could be alone and secure to rest or sleep.

I had recovered strength amazingly since my landing, but I was still inclined to be nervous and to break down under any great stress.

I felt that I ought to cross the island and establish myself with the Beast People, and make myself secure in their confidence.

But my heart failed me. I went back to the beach, and turning eastward past the burning enclosure, made for a point where a shallow spit of coral sand ran out towards the reef. Here I could sit down and think, my back to the sea and my face against any surprise.

And there I sat, chin on knees, the sun beating down upon my head and unspeakable dread in my mind, plotting how I could live on against the hour of my rescue (if ever rescue came). I tried to review the whole situation as calmly as I could, but it was difficult to clear the thing of emotion.

I began turning over in my mind the reason of Montgomery's despair.

”They will change,” he said; ”they are sure to change.” And Moreau, what was it that Moreau had said? ”The stubborn beast-flesh grows day by day back again.” Then I came round to the Hyena-swine. I felt sure that if I did not kill that brute, he would kill me.

The Sayer of the Law was dead: worse luck. They knew now that we of the Whips could be killed even as they themselves were killed.

Were they peering at me already out of the green ma.s.ses of ferns and palms over yonder, watching until I came within their spring?

Were they plotting against me? What was the Hyena-swine telling them?

My imagination was running away with me into a mora.s.s of unsubstantial fears.

My thoughts were disturbed by a crying of sea-birds hurrying towards some black object that had been stranded by the waves on the beach near the enclosure. I knew what that object was, but I had not the heart to go back and drive them off.

I began walking along the beach in the opposite direction, designing to come round the eastward corner of the island and so approach the ravine of the huts, without traversing the possible ambuscades of the thickets.

Perhaps half a mile along the beach I became aware of one of my three Beast Folk advancing out of the landward bushes towards me. I was now so nervous with my own imaginings that I immediately drew my revolver.

Even the propitiatory gestures of the creature failed to disarm me.

He hesitated as he approached.