Part 49 (2/2)
He stepped back and eyed me with the coldest look of appraisal I ever sickened under I blenched at last--visibly suffered under his eye, and he liked it
”--that you tell your secret or be fastened to that post from noon, say, until the crocodiles make an end of you!”
He stepped back a pace farther, perhaps to gloat over my discomfort, perhaps from fear of some concealed weapon
”You have not much time to arrive at your decision!”
He took another pace backward It occurred tofor soather loose stones and throw the them down into deep water, first in ones and twos and then by dozens Most of them say to the far side of the pool, and hid the run, there cahs and the straight up and down carriage, as well as facial characteristics
”You are late!” shouted Schillingschen in German ”Warum? What d'ye rihed
”This is a servant who does no tattling in the ain toward me ”He and I can tie you to that post easily
What do you say?”
There was nothing whatever to say, or to do except wonder how to circuht that could possibly turn into a friend--except a little tuft of faded brown that out of the corner oftoward me in the direction from which we had come A rel dog that Fred had adopted the day after our arrival, breasted the low rise, sawsniffed my knee to schen The professor stooped down to pat hi's confidence, and then seized his I sahat he intended too late
”Stop, or I'll kill you!” I shouted, andand hurled him far out into the pool
A second later ered backward
A second later yet the dumb Zulu pinned my elbows from behind and set his knee into the small of my back with such terrific force that I yelled with pain Then Schillingschen approached an to try to drive my teeth in with unaccustomed fists He loosenedabout for a stick
Strangely enough schen than on the wretched ”Crinkle” swiht forable to scramble up the steep side I shouted to call his attention, and tried to motion to him to swim toward shalloater, but the Zulu would not lethischen found a stick and ca with it just at the moment when a crocodile saw ”Crinkle” A blow landed on my head, cut my forehead, and sent the blood down into ony; and next time I looked at the pond there was a tiny whirlpool on the surface, slightly tinged with red
”You swine!” I shouted at Schillingschen, trying to break loose and attack hiel in both hands and stood on tiptoe to get leverage If that blow had landed it orilla; but sonized Fred's voice, and in another second he and Will charged down on us Schillingschen turned about to strike Fred instead of me, but Will's fist hit hiered backward, and a moment later Fred had felled the Zulu I reeled from weakness and excitement, and nearly fell down
”Throw hied madly ”He threw Crinkle in Throw him! nobody'll ever know! He'd have dared throw me in!
nobody comes here! Throw him in and trust the crocks to leave no trace!”
”Shut up, you fool!” growled Fred
”Did you see hi in?” I retorted