Page:Weird Tales v34n03 (1939-09).djvu/75

Rh

life itself to hungry mariners, salted to a very pickle, as we were that night.

At this time, not knowing what lay before us, we took soundings, dropped anchor and waited for dawn, all very quietly after that first burst of joy, that we might see what was to be seen before our presence near this strange land was suspected by its dwellers.

As we lay there, slowly rocking on the long swells, listening to the low murmur of the surf upon that darkness-hidden strand, the sky slowly reddening above us, the smell of wood burning came over the water on the seaward-trending breeze; and this, increasing, told us more plainly than any words could, that the land was peopled.

We stacked javelins and arrows in their places, saw to our bow-strings, cranked back the arrow engines, brought down the short wicked arms of the two tormentæ and loaded each with a jagged rock from the ballast; all this in quiet so far as possible and we thought unheard, until the light suddenly strengthening, we saw that strand and upon it the figure of a man peering out to sea, brought there perchance by the strange sounds of creaking cordage or of ratchet and pawl clinking as we cranked one or another of the engines.

That he saw us we could not doubt, for at this moment the red rim of the sun burst up out of the sea and flooded us and him with light. A breathless moment we stared at him and he at us over the intervening rollers, until I hailed him, throwing my sword arm high with empty hand and out-flung palm to show we came as friends.

Then, startled, he fled inland among the thick growth of trees and bushes, shouting as he went, and presently returned with a company of men bearing spears and clubs, each set with barbs very jagged and cruel to see. Before them marched an old white-haired man clad in a white robe beautifully ornamented