The second kind of monster

"Bang!"

The gunshot lingered in the sea breeze. The last glow of sunset faded, and darkness seeped over Xia Lun's and Gunner's faces.

"They may have been attacked by the island's 'wild men' too," Xia Lun said gravely, picking up his revolver. "Let's hurry and help them."

As he spoke, he took a storm lantern from the pile of supplies. With a flick of his fingers, he lifted the cover and struck a flint to light the wick. Then he picked up the lantern, its clear yellow flame swaying as it drove back the dim shadows.

Gunner nodded at Xia Lun's words. He hurried over to the hide-working rack, snatched up his long hunting gun, checked the premeasured powder and lead shot, and ran back to Xia Lun.

"Great and mighty Good Spirit, let's go!" Gunner gazed anxiously toward the northern beach. "There aren't many of us, and every one of us is irreplaceable. If anyone dies, surviving on this island will become much harder."

Xia Lun did not answer. While Gunner's attention was elsewhere, he took the medical supplies he had prepared in advance straight out of his personal space.

"Let's go," he said gravely, holding the storm lantern in his left hand and the small medical kit in his right.

The cave was a considerable distance from the northern beach. By the time Xia Lun and Gunner reached it along the gray-black, slippery reefs, the last glow of sunset had vanished beneath the horizon.

Night had fallen, but the waves still washed tirelessly over the beach. Unlike during the day, however, the briny sea breeze now carried an unsettling trace of blood and a strong smell of gunpowder.

By moonlight, Xia Lun could faintly make out two figures nearby. One lay facedown on the ground, crimson blood welling