LOVE, THE CONQUERER.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXII, Issue 18990, 11 April 1925, Page 5 (Supplement)

LOVE, THE CONQUERER.

BY CARLTON DAWE, Atitbor of " Tho Temptation of Selma,' "Euryale in London," ''Virginia," "A Tangled Marriage," Stranger than Fiction," etc. (Copyriffht.) CHAPTER I. THE STORM. Claro Mallaston cantered aimlessly over the sunlit plain. Tho wind whipped the Zikzz? to her checks, brightened her eyes, stirred her blood. Now and again she would open her mouth und draw into her lungs deep breaths cf tho warm sweet air. Her mount, a big bony chestnut, swung on and on, tireless, as though oblivious of tho light burden on his back. Sometimes she sang aloud with the very joy of life. This was tho signal for tho horse tc prick up his ears and burst into a gallop. He too felt it was splendid to bo alive. Occasionally she would draw rein and look around her at tho vast golden distance which gradually merged itself intc the blue of the horizon. It was at such moments sho realised with a thrill thai She was the only human being in this great wilderness of scrub and grass; that man and his works were hidden somewhere ir the valley of shadows beyond, and that th( world was all her own. Away ahead of her lay a low rango o] hills lapped in the drowsy mystical blui of tho distance, and towards this she rodi as ii by instinct. Though she was by nc means sure of her bearings this did noi cause her much concern, if any. There wero times when she entirely forgot thai these were bearings to be remembered. Shi knew, or thought she did, that some\vher< among thoso lulls lay tho homestead, anc that on the other sido sho would find the river, tho Darling. Sho liked that namt for a river; it ought to be just evorythinj that it wasn't. They told her fearsomt tales of it when iu tlood; then, it appears it was rnoro like a devil, than a darling but man had a way of bribing even devils and one day no doubt ho would contro this great stream and divert its wastoc energy to a useful purpose. Now and again the almost uncanny still ness was broken by a flock of noisy par rots as they flow screaming overhead, gor geous fellows in coats of many brillian hues; then again, far up in tho intense blu< she could dimly discern the almost statiou ary form of a bird, hawk or vulture, shi knew not which. The creature seemed t< her at that distance to rest in the air with out movement, though it was always an< ever straight above her. Yet- she had n< fear of it, though had she known how it fierco wicked eyes wore watching she migh have shuddered even in that warm nir It was all part of the strange new life This was Australia, tho " back blocks/ "the Never-Never Country," "the Bush.' One looked for tho strange, tho incon gruous. She, with her brother Derek, had conv on a visit to some friends, tho Marshams who owned the " run" or station knowi as Darragong. In reality it was a vas estate over which wandered counties flocks and herds. She had met the Mar shams during one of their periodical visit; to England, and something very liki friendship had sprung up between her ant Doris Marsham, who had just finishec her education in a convent near Paris Somothing nearer than friendship threat eued the intimacy of her brother Derel and Doris, and might oven have even tuated in an alliance had not the gerrn: of that dreaded " white ! scourge," con sumption, threatened the young fellow. Mr. Marsham importuned him to give tho warm dry air of the Western Plain: a chance before it was too late, Dori: seconded the importunity, and she hac appealing eyes. Old Sir Derek, who saw himself without an lieir, the title anc estates go to a cousin whom ho detested supported the suggestion, and Clare do cided to accompany her brother on th< voyage. Doris and her mother met then at Sydney and Itore theni away into th Never-Never, into the Back o' Beyond Perhaps this was one of the reasons wlr Cluro occasionally rode alone. As she drew near the low range of hill she failed to recognise any particula landmark, and for the first time gre\ doubtful of her whereabouts, and jus a little nervotjs. Of course it was absurd she could not possibly be lost. Besides had they not told her that the chestnu would always find his way homo if sh gavo him his head. She was merel; viewing tho hills from a new angle; sh was sure the river skirted the other sid of the range. Sho dipped into a gully and presentl; found herself riding along the sandy bei of a dried-up watercourse. Here, at iu tervals, the foliage grew in dense patches and now and again sho would pause to ad mire the gum trees laden with honey suckle, their branches alivo with parrots who screamed at each other as they suckei the honey from the cups. "Isn't it all ver; wonderful old man," she. said, addressin her horse; "we must come here one day am picnic." And looking round it sudden fy dawned on her that the sun was got ting low, and that it might prove es ipedient to find a way through the hill before the night came down. So sho urged the chestnut forward i which sho believed to be the right dim tion, forgetting entirely tho injunction t give him a loose rein and let him go hi way. Perhaps the senso of insecurit had not yet developed to positive feai but there was a certain feeling of aw* of loneliness in that mysterious gull; which was beginning to make itself fel Imagination pictured quaint happening! queer conceits. After all, this was ik England, where every turning opened upo a farm or a village, but the vast unii habited spaces of a new country containin infinite possibilities. Then she became conscious of tho fa< that an eerie darkness was coming out < the north and west. It gathered wit tremendous pace, grow threatening, evi looking, and for tho first time she exper enced a sensation of real fear. How ii was she from the homestead; where w; it? Was she lost—lost in tho Bush She had heard many weird tales of sue happenings • how people wandered roun and round in a circle, or drovo straigl from their objective instead of upon i And of tho fate that befell them. . . . Sho dug her heels into tho chestnut an flashed down the gully; at the sail moment a flash of lightning shot out i the west. This was followed by tho lo growl of distant thunder. As yet tl: storm was a long way off, but is wj rushing toward her with incredil) rapidity, spreading its black wings aero: one half of the world. Presently would be overhead shutting out. the ligh She must clear this gully before tlier find shelter of some sort. The horse, having caught something < tho terror of his rider, dashed onwai furiously. It was no use attempting 1 guide him: all sho could do was to s tight and dodge the overhanging branche With ears flattened he stretched out an **rried her along impetuously as a torren ;.*j.wivt the wonder of what was going i riappen to her, and terror of the oncon ing storm, sho dashed on liko ono in nightmare. When would he put his foi in a holo and come down; when won some projecting bough catch her and hit her from the saddle ?. Then tho thunder reverberated, pe after peal, tho lightning burst forth broad sheets which lit tho surroundir scene with a weird splendour. And aft< that the heavy drops began to fall. But they wero out of tho gully now, ar on her left, standing ii a slight eminenc she saw a lmt., and toward this si rode. As she drew up with h clatter couple of dogs came barking toward he Never was sound more welcome. Som one lived hero, someone who would gi l her shelter and put her on tho track fi the homestead. Perhaps it was inhal: ted by one of Mr. Marsham's own me; a shepherd or a boundary rider. Wh luck ! She had seen many such huts or "shai ties" sinco she had come to tho Plain *nd had heard not a little, not alwa;

edifying, of the men who guarded tho distant outposts of tho stations. But just then sho was not thinking of tho men or their problematical histories; it meant shelter, tho habitation of a human being Tho presouco of tho dogs, one a collie and the other a kangaroo dog (a big, heavy ' sort of greyhound), who had now ceased barking, suggested that their master was somewhero in tho immediate vicinity. As she dismounted tho rain began to fall faster. She looked round for somewhere to tother the horse. There was a sapling growing about a dozen yards away, and to this sho hurriedly mado him fast. Tho dogs, curious now, sniffed at her heels. Sho patted the kangaroo and cal- ' led him a "good fellow." It's as well to i bo polite Co strange dogs, or men. He lurched against her in clumsy but friendly fashion, and led the way to tho hut, tho door of which ho pushed open with his heavy shoulder. She stood on tho threshold and looked in. It was a one-roomed shanty with a bunk in one corner, and on this sho perceived in tho dim light tho outline of a man. At first she thought he was asleep, and natural modesty suggested a retreat, but this being out of tho question in the circumstances sho rapped with her cane on tho door. She rapped two or three times without response. Then tho figure stirred a little uneasily and muttered something she did not understand. "Please may I tako shelter from the storm ?" sho said. Tho man glared at her. As her eyes grew more accustomed to the light sho saw that he wai a forbidding looking fellow with a mop of tousled black hair and a full untrimmed black beard. His shirt was wido open at the throat displaying a broad chest; ho wore riding breeches and still had his boots on. He continued to glaro at her without speaking. Meanwhile the storm burst in all its fury. Instinctively she closed the door and dropped tho wooden catch. Tho only light in the placo now carno from a broken window on her left, part of which was stuffed with paper. The atmosphere was heavy, almost nauseating, with a smell which was new to her. But as her eyes grow accustomed to the light she saw half-a dozen empty whisky bottlos lying on the floor. Thero was also one broken one from which the liquor had been spilled. Another, half empty, stood on a rude stool beside the bunk within reach of tho man's hand. In a flash she realised that meaning of it all. The beast was drunk, stupidly, blindly drunk. To hirn on the bunk, were he capable of the least perception, sho must have looked like a slim boy as she stood there in her riding costume, and for such he no doubt .mistook her. He stretched out his hand for the bottle at his elbow and conveyod it unsteadily to his lips. Sho watched him, horribiy fascinated; saw the liquor run over his beard and trickle on to his chest. Then he glared sullenly at her from under heavy black brows. Sho caught a quick glimpse of resentful bloodshot eyes. The man was a loathsome horror. " Who the hell are you ?" he asked, in a thick, husky voice. "I lost my way; the storm came on; I had to seek shelter." She spoko in broken sentences, terrified gaspings. The rain beat furiously on the frail structure. Already it was dripping through tha roof and forcing its way through tho broken window. A pool of water began to form on tho earthen floor, and to avoid this she retreated into tho far corner of the hut. But her eyes never left that sprawling horror on the rudo bed. She watched him as though he were some wild animal who would presently spring on hor with tooth and claw. But the man appeared to be quite indifferent to her presence. He lay back, his hands under his head, apparently listening to tho downpour. At every sudden crack of thunder his long limbs jerked spasmodically; she caught fearful glimpses of him as the flashes of sheet lightning illumined tho dark interior. "My word!" he muttered, as a terrific crash 'made the shanty rock. From time to time he stretched over, seized the bottle, and put it to his lips. " Have a drop," he said, " it'll keep the wet out." " No thanks." " All the more for me," ho laughed. She thought that laugh was like nothing human: a bestial, gluttonous, horrible laugh. Her feeiing of nausea increased. Meanwhile the storm was passing as rapidly as it had come. Already the thunder was rumbling in the distance; the flashes of lightning grew feebler, more intermittent. The rain also was ceasing. Presently she would be able to venture forth. But where; what direction was she to take ? And tho night was almost come! Sho needed the help, tho guidance, of this drunken sot. Was ho capable of rendering such aid; could she tryst him ? It was a predicament full of potential horror. Yet sho knew that drunken men were not necessarily beasts. But was he capable of understanding the situation, of grasping tho full significance of her position ? If he were one of Mr. Marsham's employees there were possibilities of reasonable hope, but if he were one of those lawless outcasts of whom she had heard. . . a bushranger! She forgot for the moment that the bushranger, or armed "outlaw, was a thing of tho past; she thought only of the horror of her present position, cooped up in a solitary hut, far from help of any kind . . with this loathsome creature. "It's passing away," he said: "they come and go like that. All hell let loose for five minutes. Thought the shanty was going. You'll find some tea and sugar in that cupboard; make us a cup." " I must go now," she answered. "Go," ho echoed stupidly, " go whero?" "To tho station." " What station ?" " Darragong—Mr. MarshanVs." He chuckled amusedly. "Not to-night, You're 30 miles from the homestead. You'll have to doss it hero with me." Sonny! Then he took her for a boy! Sho felt her legs give way beneath her. Did this explain the indifference of his attitude ? "I can't!" she gasped. " Why can't you ?" "I won't!" "Oh, won't you! We'll sec about that. You'll stay, my lad, and you'll make mo that cup of tea, or I'll skin you alive." He swung his long legs over the bunk and sat sullenlv glaring at, her. If he l»ad been a revolting spectacle outstretched on his bed he was at least comparatively harmless; but now, radiating a vicious and aggressive air, he grew proportionately offensive. lor the first time she felt renllv afraid. " Come out of that corner, ho commanded, harshly, " and get to work. Think I'm going to board and lodge you for nothing, you lazy young dog. \ou II find flour, too, if the rain hasn t spoilt it. Ho used a coarse, common oath; his language was freely interspersed with them. They tripped from his tongue with quite meaningless fluency. Much of tho darkness of the storm had now passed, and the last faint dying light of tho day was making a valiant effort in tho west. It camo through the broken window arid showed him sitting there, a picture of slovenly and disgusting degradation. She hated and feared the night, vet was incredibly fascinated by it Tho uncouth, awful creature. She saw that his face was pale and drawn that dark shadows circled tho fierce bloodshot oyes. His big hands opened and shut convulsively. Sometimes lie pressed them hard against his forehead; again he would brush back tho thick hair which kept falling over his eyes Every action was full of horror indescribable. "Well," ho growled, "aro you going to get a move on! My throat's on fire, and all the liquor's gone." He cursed this misfortune in picturesquo terms. Lorno out of that corner, you skulking little hound, or . . ." But she was already fumbling at the latch. Better the storm, the night, death in tho bush than this unspeakable horror. But with an oath lie was on her beforo she could open the door. His great fingers caught her arm in an iron grip and sho was swung across, tjio floor against tho bunk. "Give mo tho slip, would y o u>" bo cried; "make a bolt for it you iniserablo little dingo! I'll show you!" He staggered toward her with clenched fists, and as he towered over her she looked up at him. The light which had shown him to her' now showed her to i

him. Her hat had fallen on one side as ho jerked her forward, and a long strand of chestnut hair now hung over her right ear. Ho saw, and a look of stupefaction crept slowly into his eyes. Th<> clenched fists descended slowly to his side; he peered closer, closer, in utter incredulity. "A girl," ho gasped, "by God!" Palely defiant she stared at him. ITe drew still nearer, staring at her with bloodshot oyes, not yet sure of himself or what he saw. Then ho took tho strand of hair in his fingers and pulled at it; he caught her chin and held out her face to the fading light. Sho brought her little fist down on his great hard fingers. Ho laughed like one suddenly gone mad. I "A woman, a woman," he repeated I drunkenly, "and I haven't seen one for closo on two years. Do you know what that means to a man?" Tho light in his fierce eyes plainly told her tho meaning. She found no words with which to answer him, but stared up mutely with frightened looks and lips trembling. "A woman," ho continued with a drunken leer, "and pretty as a picture." Then he called on God to witness the miracle, and to explain it. It was all beyond his comprehension. Vaguo thoughts of who sho was, how she had come tbero, crawled through his sodden brain adding both mystery and wonder. Ho laid his great hands on her shoulders as though to test tho reality of his vision. She shook him off indignantly and ho laughed. That laugh chilled her blood. Tho bearded face was pressed closer to Jjer; his vile whisky-laden breath. . T . Sho slipped by him and made a dash for tho aoor, but before sho could open it his arms wero round hor. She struggled furiously, screamed at him, called him brute, boast. But sho was like a child in his grasp. He bent back her head and kissed lier full on tho mouth, kissed her furiously . . . like a savage beast maddened with hunger. ] And then, how it quite happened sho nevor know, but in tho struggle her hand camo in contact with the whisky bottle which ho had laid on tho bunk after draining its contents. She seized it and struck madly, blindly. Ho staggered back with a cry curiously mingled of pain and surprise. Sho saw the blood stream down his faco as he fell backward across tho bunk. Then she mado a frenzied dash for tho door. CHAPTER 11. GOOD FOH EVIL. Outsido the world was calm and still. The storm had passed and tho air was sweet with tho smell of wet dust. Thcso things, however, were unnoticed by her.

Her thoughts were still in that gruesome hut with tho horror from which she had for tho moment so providentially escaped. As she blindly rushed toward tho horse which still stood where she had tethered it, it whinnied plaintively. Sho pressed hor hot face against its wet shoulder and sobbed convulsively. The animal continued its low whinny as if in sym- | pathy. And then sho seemed to recollect —she | must get away boforc that drunken horror should recover from tho blow. This timo ho would exact full reparation; there would be no second chance of eluding him. These fierce bloodshot eyes, the terrible grip of his iron fingers! Her lips still smarted from his lothsome kisses. He was not a man, ho was a beast gone mad. With trembling fingers sho began to unhitch the reins. She had fastened them strongly, moro strongly than she had thought, for which sho was now thankful, otherwise tho animal must have broken loose in the storm. As if scenting his freedom, and the joy of it, he rubbed his muzzle against her neck. "You must take mo homo," she whispered exeitedlv, "overything depends on you now." He flicked his ears and whinnied again as though ho understood. One foot was in the stirrup, one hand grasping his wet mane, when she paused. The horse turned his head and looked at her as though wondering at tho hesitation. Then she brought her foot back to tho ground and glanced apprehensively in tho direction of the hut. But her fear was not now of its occupant, but for him. What if sho had killed him, or if he wero slowly bleeding to death? Sho told herself ho deserved no better fate, that she had struck in self-defence, that tho act was justified. Ho would have. . . . she saw it in his eyes. And yet if he wero to die ? Even now lie 'might bo dead. Fear and pity swayed her purpose; her thoughts were in a tumult. Perhaps ho did not know what lie was doing . . and sho was leaving him to die, to die slowly, without aid or hope of salvation. Humanity, pity, conquered the burning senso of wrong and banished fear. Without further thought, acting on imperious impulse, she mechanically refastened the horse and deliberately returned to tho hut. He was lying just as she had left him, and was apparently still unconscious, his long legs dangling over tho bunk. All tho left side of his face was smeared with blood; it had trickled in a stream along his beard and on to bis bare chest. At first she thought ho was dead, with his closed eyes and his pale lips, and a sensation of horror turned hor sick and faint. But as she summoned up sufficient courage to draw nearer she saw his great chest heave. A feeling of intense relief, of indescribable joy, shot through her.

and in that moment she forgot everything that had passed; his brutal bohaviour, tho wrong ho would have dono her, bad done her. Mer ono thought now was to help, to save her enemy; unconsciously sho would return good for evil. For a moment sho looked about her, scarcely knowing how to begin hor mission of mercy. Then sho lifted up his logs and laid them on tho bunk. Tho next niomont sho was tearing at the long silken scarf which sho woro as a cravat. Sho had noticed a bucket of water in one corner, and beside it a tin pannikin. This sho dipped into tho bucket, tore one end off hor cravat, and immediately began to wash tho wound, which was an ugly gash across tho left temple. He shuddered at tho first application of tho water, and moaned a little, but carofully, tenderly, she continued her work. The cut was deep, and the blood still oozed from it. With soft, delicate fingers she pressed the flesh together, and then doftly bound tho scarf about his head. Next sho washed his beard, his chest, and buttoned up his shirt. Then sl» stood back and looked at him. Tho interior of tho hut was now in somi-glooin, but sho found matches and a packet of candles on tho rude shelf, and sticking ono of these in tho neck of an empty whiskly bottle, sho lit it. Then for a long timo she stood over him and anxiously watched for signs of returning consciousness. Sho no longer had tho least fear of him; he was now her charge, hor patient, tho ono hope being to perceivo tho return to life, whatever it) might mean to her. As ho lay there, utterly at her mercy, impotent as a child, it scemod incredible that but a fow minutes ago he should have inspired such terror. Sho even found herself studying him, tracing tho contour of his face, or what sho could seo of it for his beard. He had rather a fine noso, suggestively aquiline, and tho thin mouth which usually accompanies it. The eyes wero deep sunken and shaded with heavy brows, but there was nothing really gross or sensual about the face,'which sent hor wandering deep in conjecture. Was it tho madness of drink which had driven him to such desperate folly ? Who was he, what was he ? A nondescript, of course, a "station hand," flotsam of tho great ocean of tho Bush, of life itself. Tho world was strewn with such. Presently he began to mutter. She bent forward to catch tho words, but could make nothing of them. It was more, like tho laboured groaning of a mind ill at ease than tho result of physical pain. But sho put the pannikin to his lips and forced a few drops of water between them. This reminded her of another duty forgotten among so many exciting incidents. Bending over hor patient, and seeing that he was still unconscious, or sleeping, sho could not say which, she seized the bucket of water and carried it out to the horse, who greeted her with another plaintive

whinny. Ho stuck his muzzle deep into the fluid and drank greedily. "Forgive me, old boy," sho said as sho patted his sinewy neck. And then tho temptation camo to her. Having dono all that humanity demanded for her erstwhile enemy, this was tho time to slip away. But where; into tho night, with nothing but tho horse's instinct to bear her to safety ? Tho man had mocked her with tho distance from the homestead. Thirty miles away, ho had said. Thirty miles through tho Bush at night, the direction unknown! But even had sho known it sho would not have gone; she could not go until she knew tho man was out of danger. If ho woko through the night and tore tho bandage from his head he might still bleed to death. She tried to tell herself that this was no longer her concern. The unexplainablc call to save had passed, and reason was onto more beginning to assert itself. Yet it was not strong enough to impel her to mount and away into tho night. Sho knew sho was going to sec this thing through, conic what might of it. The pampered Clare Mallaston was suddenly transformed into the practical woman. The occasion required energy, initiative, a grasp of immediate contingencies. Sho had, on her first arrival, casually noticed a pair of horse hobbles hanging by the door of the hut, and sho know their use. Therefore she brought them, and though she had never hobbled a horse in her life, she succeeded quito admirably in her task. Then, setting to work in expert fashion, for she had been moro or less accustomed to horses all her life, she relieved him of saddle and bridle and turned him loose. "You must forage for yourself, old man," sho said as she patted his shoulder. (To bo continued daily.)