<TD></TD></TABLE>
asuddenyofthesoundschanged
sogreatlythatitarrestedattentionioutintothe
yardandlistenedthencuttinglikeaknifeacrossthe
nfusionoreau
173of209
irushedatonyrooothelittle
dooreofthepackingcases
behindgoslidingdoashtogetherha
clatterofglassontheflooroftheshedbutididnotheed
theseiflungthedooropenandlookedout
upthebeachbytheboathouseabonfirewasbuing,
rainingupsparksintotheindistinctnessofthedawn
aroundthisstruggledassofblackfiguresiheard
ntgorycallnaibegantorunatonce
tohisfire,revolverinhandisahepinktongue
ofntgoryspistollickoutonce,closetotheground
heystrengthandfired
intotheairiheardsoonecry,thesterthe
knottedblackstrugglebrokeintoscatteringunits,thefire
leaptandsankdopeoplefledin
suddenpanie,upthebeachinexcitenti
firedattheirretreatingbacksastheydisappearedang
thebushesthenituedtotheblackheapsuponthe
ground
ntgorylayonhisback,hthehairygrey
beastnspraewasdead,
butstillgrippingntgorysthroathitscurving
clalingonhisfaceandquitestill,his
neashedtheislandofdooreau
174of209
brandybottleinhishandtherfigureslaynearthe
fire,theonetionless,theothergroaningfitfully,
everynohenraisingitsheadslohendropping
itagain
ianandpulledhiff
ntgorysbody;hisclahetoat
reluctantlyasidraggedhierywasdark
inthefaceandscarcelybreathingisplashedseaeron
hisfaceandpilloyrolledupat
ingurebythefireit
ehabeardedgreyfacelay,ifound,
htheforepartofitsbodyuponthestillglowing
tierthechedthinghat
inrcyiblesbrainsoutatoncetheotherbrute
enshedinehetoowas
deadtherestofthebeastpeoplehadvanishedfrohe
beach
ieryagainandkneltbesidehi
edicinethefirebesidehad
sunkdosoftierglo
thecentralendsandxedhagreyashofbrushwood
reinedieryhad
gothishatthedahe
skyhadgroooningtheislandofdooreau
175of209
paleandopaqueinthelunousblueofthedaythesky
totheeastdhred
suddenlyiheardathudandahissingbehind,and,
lookinground,sprangtofeethacryofhorror
againstthedaultuousssesofblack
skeoftheenclosure,andthrough
theirstordarknessshotflickeringthreadsofbloodred
flathenthethatchedroofcaughtisahecurving
esacrosstheslopingstraof
firejettedfroheyroo
ikneeeredthe
crashihadheardto
ntgorysassistanp
thehopelessnessofsavinganyofthententsofthe
eneinthefacendcabackto
planofflight,andtuingslyilookedtosee
hetslayuponthebeachtheyweregone
te;chipsandsplinters
teredbroadcast,andtheashesofthebonfirewere
blackeningandskingunderthedaery
hadbuttheboatstorevengehielfuponand
preventourretutonkind
asuddennvulsionofrageshookiost
vedtobatterhisfoolishheadin,ashelaytherehelplesstheislandofdooreau
176of209
atfeetthensuddenlyhishandved,sofeebly,so
pitifully,thathvanishedhegroaned,andopened
hiseyesforanuteikneltdoandraised
hisheadheopenedhiseyesagain,staringsilentlyatthe
daetnethelidsfell
sorry,hesaidpresently,ed
tryingtothinkthelast,herred,thelastofthis
sillyuniverseess
ilistenedhisheadfellhelplesslytoonesideithought
sodrinkghtrevivehibutthereherdrink
norvesselined
suddenlyheavierheartldibentdoohis
face,puthandthroughtherentinhisblousehewas
dead;andevenashediedalineofbof
thesun,roseeastheprojectionofthebay,
splashingitsradianceacrosstheskyandtuingthedark
seaintoaultofdazzlinglightitfelllikea
gloryuponhisdeathshrunkenface
ilethisheadfallgentlyupontheroughpillowihad
deforhiandstoodupbeforeheglittering
desolationofthesea,theaudeuponhihad
alreadysufferedsoch;behindtheisland,hushed
underthedasbeastpeoplesilentandunseenthe
enunition,buttheislandofdooreau
177of209
noisily,e,afitfulcrackling,and
nookedroveupthe
beacha,rollinglohedistanttreetops
toehe
charredvestigesoftheboatsandthesefourdeadbodies
thenoutofthebushescathreebeastpeople,h
hunisshapenhands
aive,unfriendlyeyesand
advancedtoeoreau
178of209
xxalonehthebeastfolk
ifayfateinthesingle
handednoerallysinglehanded,forihadabroken
arinpocketpty
chaersangthechipsscatteredaboutthebeachlay
thethathadbeenusedtochopuptheboatsthe
tideetherehingforit
buturageilookedsquarelyintothefacesofthe
advanyeyes,andtheir
quiveringnostrilsinvestigatedthebodiesthatlaybeyond
onthebeachitookhalfadozensteps,pickedupthe
bloodstainedhatlaybeneaththebodyofthewolf
n,ande
salutesaidibowdown
theyhesitatedoneben
... </P></TD>
asuddenyofthesoundschanged
sogreatlythatitarrestedattentionioutintothe
yardandlistenedthencuttinglikeaknifeacrossthe
nfusionoreau
173of209
irushedatonyrooothelittle
dooreofthepackingcases
behindgoslidingdoashtogetherha
clatterofglassontheflooroftheshedbutididnotheed
theseiflungthedooropenandlookedout
upthebeachbytheboathouseabonfirewasbuing,
rainingupsparksintotheindistinctnessofthedawn
aroundthisstruggledassofblackfiguresiheard
ntgorycallnaibegantorunatonce
tohisfire,revolverinhandisahepinktongue
ofntgoryspistollickoutonce,closetotheground
heystrengthandfired
intotheairiheardsoonecry,thesterthe
knottedblackstrugglebrokeintoscatteringunits,thefire
leaptandsankdopeoplefledin
suddenpanie,upthebeachinexcitenti
firedattheirretreatingbacksastheydisappearedang
thebushesthenituedtotheblackheapsuponthe
ground
ntgorylayonhisback,hthehairygrey
beastnspraewasdead,
butstillgrippingntgorysthroathitscurving
clalingonhisfaceandquitestill,his
neashedtheislandofdooreau
174of209
brandybottleinhishandtherfigureslaynearthe
fire,theonetionless,theothergroaningfitfully,
everynohenraisingitsheadslohendropping
itagain
ianandpulledhiff
ntgorysbody;hisclahetoat
reluctantlyasidraggedhierywasdark
inthefaceandscarcelybreathingisplashedseaeron
hisfaceandpilloyrolledupat
ingurebythefireit
ehabeardedgreyfacelay,ifound,
htheforepartofitsbodyuponthestillglowing
tierthechedthinghat
inrcyiblesbrainsoutatoncetheotherbrute
enshedinehetoowas
deadtherestofthebeastpeoplehadvanishedfrohe
beach
ieryagainandkneltbesidehi
edicinethefirebesidehad
sunkdosoftierglo
thecentralendsandxedhagreyashofbrushwood
reinedieryhad
gothishatthedahe
skyhadgroooningtheislandofdooreau
175of209
paleandopaqueinthelunousblueofthedaythesky
totheeastdhred
suddenlyiheardathudandahissingbehind,and,
lookinground,sprangtofeethacryofhorror
againstthedaultuousssesofblack
skeoftheenclosure,andthrough
theirstordarknessshotflickeringthreadsofbloodred
flathenthethatchedroofcaughtisahecurving
esacrosstheslopingstraof
firejettedfroheyroo
ikneeeredthe
crashihadheardto
ntgorysassistanp
thehopelessnessofsavinganyofthententsofthe
eneinthefacendcabackto
planofflight,andtuingslyilookedtosee
hetslayuponthebeachtheyweregone
te;chipsandsplinters
teredbroadcast,andtheashesofthebonfirewere
blackeningandskingunderthedaery
hadbuttheboatstorevengehielfuponand
preventourretutonkind
asuddennvulsionofrageshookiost
vedtobatterhisfoolishheadin,ashelaytherehelplesstheislandofdooreau
176of209
atfeetthensuddenlyhishandved,sofeebly,so
pitifully,thathvanishedhegroaned,andopened
hiseyesforanuteikneltdoandraised
hisheadheopenedhiseyesagain,staringsilentlyatthe
daetnethelidsfell
sorry,hesaidpresently,ed
tryingtothinkthelast,herred,thelastofthis
sillyuniverseess
ilistenedhisheadfellhelplesslytoonesideithought
sodrinkghtrevivehibutthereherdrink
norvesselined
suddenlyheavierheartldibentdoohis
face,puthandthroughtherentinhisblousehewas
dead;andevenashediedalineofbof
thesun,roseeastheprojectionofthebay,
splashingitsradianceacrosstheskyandtuingthedark
seaintoaultofdazzlinglightitfelllikea
gloryuponhisdeathshrunkenface
ilethisheadfallgentlyupontheroughpillowihad
deforhiandstoodupbeforeheglittering
desolationofthesea,theaudeuponhihad
alreadysufferedsoch;behindtheisland,hushed
underthedasbeastpeoplesilentandunseenthe
enunition,buttheislandofdooreau
177of209
noisily,e,afitfulcrackling,and
nookedroveupthe
beacha,rollinglohedistanttreetops
toehe
charredvestigesoftheboatsandthesefourdeadbodies
thenoutofthebushescathreebeastpeople,h
hunisshapenhands
aive,unfriendlyeyesand
advancedtoeoreau
178of209
xxalonehthebeastfolk
ifayfateinthesingle
handednoerallysinglehanded,forihadabroken
arinpocketpty
chaersangthechipsscatteredaboutthebeachlay
thethathadbeenusedtochopuptheboatsthe
tideetherehingforit
buturageilookedsquarelyintothefacesofthe
advanyeyes,andtheir
quiveringnostrilsinvestigatedthebodiesthatlaybeyond
onthebeachitookhalfadozensteps,pickedupthe
bloodstainedhatlaybeneaththebodyofthewolf
n,ande
salutesaidibowdown
theyhesitatedoneben
... </P></TD>