Barbarians

ed up over the telephone,

them, lighted an oil stove and then a candle. Flint took up

he cards again. An orderly came in with so

en't slept for a month. If I don't get some sleep I'll go que

re like[pg 21] this," muttered Gary

nge," remarked Flint in a colourless voice.

oard with a forced laugh: "Thi

in a quiet voice; "ever since th

r presently: "I once knew a man in a lighthouse down in F

twenty times," inter

jump!-I mean down i

apped Carfax. "Shut up or yo

tting queer," insisted Flint. "If I

reach you with a big gun. That would p

could stand it, too, except being up here with such"-his voice dwindled to

's the idea-sleep it off, and wake up somewhere else. It's the silence, or the voices-I don't know which. You dollar-crazy Y

retorted Gary-"'A

ith an effort. "The thing is to keep doing so

dle. Then you blow out the candle. Then I call 'cuckoo!' in the dark and you try to hit me, aiming by the sound of my voice. Every time I'm hit I pay ten shillings to the pool, take my plac

?" inquired Gray,

I call out cuckoo, you take a shot at where you think

o a corner of the room; Gray and Flint, urg

d walked into the middle of the room. Gary

y he called, "Cuckoo!" A storm of tennis balls rebounded from the wall

hit him; and he struck a match w

h sort; the candle was relighted, tennis balls r

t him. Again the candle was lighted, scores jotte

total darkness, but Flint lasted three rounds and was hit,

ir diversion. They threw the balls hard, viciously hard. A[pg 25] sort of silent ferocity seemed to seize them. A chan

red brandy and Schnapps from under a bunk. The

till breathing hard, tossed a sh

, but could not seem to blow it out. He stood swaying and balancing on

; but he was as flushed as the boy

erking his shoulders around and

d Gary heavily, "or I'll sh

guely[pg 26] into Gary's bloodshot

ng in his voice. "You're all slackers-and rotters, too. Play the

and knocked the tennis ba

articulation very thick; "but it takes nerve-if

" he muttered, "plenty of nerve, old top! What

game, I tell you

und: "Wait til

! Keep playing! Keep doing

it!" shouted Gary. "

ture: "It's talk that will

to tel

ed his full glass with

we'll all be at each other

We flip up for cuckoo. Whoever gets stuck takes a sh

nted Gray, in the mincing, elaborate v

. "It's a sportin' ga

rk at a man's legs. And if he gets his-i

d his big hand into his pocket, p

28] ringed him; the risky hazard of the affa

ry were eliminated. It lay between C

fellow, with an excited laugh, and

s Gray called "Cuckoo!" and instantly a slanting red flash lashed out thr

d; a level flame stabbed the dark; something fell, thudding through the staccato uproar of the

, who was laughing without a sound. "Got the beggar, by God!" he whispered[pg 29]-"t

levelled at Carfax. "Now I'll get you!" h

tched forwar

Flint. "Shoot? Hell, yes. I

with his left hand and laughe

you how to shoot,

y f

ing darkness as the door opened cautiousl

h of the Devon cuckoos, do you? Now I'll show

ent. Flint fell back against the wall and slid down to t

ssed, remained knee-deep

int fired from where he lay on the floor and Gary swung heavily on one heel, took two uncertain ste

ll, began to laugh, and died a few moments later, the wind from the sl

orderly; peered into the darkness within, shiverin

e German Empire, silhouetted, monstrous, against[pg 31] the daybreak, s

against the door frame as the huge bird's fero

he L?mmergeyer, the shrill bell

ed in a puddle of something wet, sent an empty bottle rolling and clinking away into the darknes

ng vein and brain, he scratched a match, hesitated, then

above the horizon, flashing

r was a speck in the s

cking, joyous hail-up through the sheer, misty gu

g