Army and Navy Weekly — page 24: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

1078 Adains’ house found her standing before him, a picture of misery and fright. He demanded to know what was wrong. “Come, ‘come!!’..‘/the girl -eried: ‘Quick. I cannot tell you. Oh! Come and see.”’ She flung a shawl about her shoulders, seized Mark by the arm in a convulsive grip, and together they hurried through the woods. It was a little footpath they followed. Mark had no idea where they were going in the deep black darkness. He aban- doned himself entirely to the girl’s guid- ance, trusting that no slight matter could have taken her there. And he was right. The girl said not a word during the trip. She kept her face hidden in the shawl, and only a sob told Mark the state of her feelings. He was growing more mystified and curious every moment. On, on they went. They must have been hurrying continually for at least five minutes, the girl dragging the cadet faster and faster. And then suddenly she turned and left the path. There was a dense thicket before them; she paused not a moment to hesitate, but plunged into the midst of it. The briars tore her clothing and hands, but she forced her way in. And when they were in the very centre, without a word, she stopped and faced about. She pushed aside her veil and hair and stared wildly at Mark. He gazed at her blood-red, burning cheeks and saw her black eyes glitter. ‘What is the matter ?’’ he cried. She made not a sound, but suddenly to Mark’s infinite horror flung herself upon him and wrapped her arms about his neck. ‘‘Why, Miss Adams,’’? he gasped, COG 53? His words stuck in his throat. His surprise changed to the wildest dismay and consternation. For he felt a pair of sinewy arms flung about his ankles, bind- ing his feet together as in a vise. He had only one free arm, the other being bound to his chest with the bandages of the sur- geon; the free arm was seized by the wrist with a grip that almost crushed it. And to his mouth another pair of hands were pressed, making outcry impossible as it would have been futile anyway. ARMY AND NAVY Mark Mallory was as motionless and helpless as if he had been turned to stone! The swift emotions that surged through his excited brain defy description. He saw the plot in an instant, apprehended it in all its fiendish heartlessness; and he knew that he was ruined. He could not see behind him; he could not identify his assailants; but he was sure they were cadets, Bull and his crowd leagued with this wretched girl to play upon his kind- heartedness. And that girl! Oh, what a figure she was! She made no attempt to hide her- self, however much Bull Harris might. She stood before her helpless victim’s eyes a perfect figure of vengeance and triumph. There isa famous painting by Sichel of the Grecian Sorceress, Medea. ‘The woman is standing clad in white that con- trasts with her jet black hair. In one hand, half hidden, she clutches a shining dagger; her mouth is set in a firm, deter- mined way, and her eyes are dark and gleaming. Imagine that figure in the moment of victory, every feature con- vulsed with joy, with hatred gratified, and that is the girl Meg Adams. She was dancing about Mark in fury, flinging her hands in his face, taunting him, jeering at him, threatening him so as to frighten even the desperate cadets. They, meanwhile, were working quick- ly; they bound his legs together, his arms to his side. They forced a gag into his mouth, and then lastly shut off his view of the wildly shrieking girl by tying a handkerchief about his eyes. And then they tumbled him to the ground and turned away and left him. Mary Adams stayed behind them a mo- ment to vent her fury upon the helpless prisoner. ‘‘Satisfied!’’ she cried. ‘‘How do you like it? I told you I would have revenge. I told yov I hated vou! And now, and now itis mine! You are mine, too! Do you hear me? I can do what I please with you. I can kill you. And I ought, vou dog!”? Mark could not see her, but he felt a stinging pain in his cheek and he felt the warm blood flow. The girl’s sharp heel had cut his flesh. COmicloo Si: