Evening star., 1898-08-27

morning when he. finally fell asleep, and
he woke to find the sun shining, and Brown
Otter and Crane standing by the fire: the
Indians arms were folded and his count
enance was sullent and gloomy. Quin saw
at once that somethins,was wrong.
The games up SO FAR as the redskin is
concerned Crane explained. Hes got
a scarey fit, and vows he won't do his
part
Persuade him out of It," Quin suggest
ed.
Might as NV we,l sg ts persuade de- noun
But I've got an dealt struck me sudden.
You know put three bullets into the mas
todon?'' II
YES you told me-
We'll, l believe the creature died after
ward of its wounds and that's why we've
seen or heard nothing of it. 1t it was alive
1T would have made some sign. What do
you think?''
II half believe you are right" Quin an
swered, with a sinking heart.
Then you'll risk going over with me?'
I'm game, If you are!'
That the mastodon was dead did indeed
seem plausible. Brown Otter shared this
| belief with his companions; he frightened
UP. and consented to accompany them
After a hurried breakfast they embarked,
taking firearms with them, and to their their
| that it was all they could do to reach the
| opposite shore within fifty yards OF the
lower end of the gorge. They climbed out
\ on a low, fiat shelf of rock that partly over
| hung the water, and made the craft secure
| with rope
I'VE must tow the canoe up to the far
end said Craze. before we dare start
back. Come on, now; this way Tor the
gold"
1t was thrilling moment. With rifles
ready for an emergency, with anxious and
doubling hearts, the three started across
the belt of grass and bushes. They were
nearly to the verge of the forest when they
pulled up short. Before them, in the SOFT
ground, were footprints like those or an
elephant, only twice as big. And certainly
they were no more than twenty-four hours
DID,
"By Jove, a mastodon!' gasped Quin.
Its not dead. We had better go back"
1.-THE brute can't be in the vicinity" re-
piled Crane. Tine gold is not far OIL, and
it won't take long to fill our pockets. What
do you say?'
Quin yielded reluctantly. Brown Otter
was on the point of taking to his heels,
but he changed his mind when the Ameri-
can threatened to shoot him. They pushed
on for an eighth of mile, skirting the edge
of the meadow. Then Crane led the way
into the thick forest for fifty yards or SO,
flowed toward the river. He dropped his
rifle, thrust his arms into the sandy bed
and withdrew double handful of soil that
contained unmistakable nuggets of gold.
Look he whispered, hoarsely.
The sight of the precious metal reused
the cupidity Of both Quin and Brown Otter.
Forgetful of all else for the moment they
eagerly Joined Crane in the search. kneel-
ing by the stream they clawed up Jumps of
clayey sand, from which, with trembling
fingers, they separated the shining bits OF
gold and put them into their pockets. They
were thus engaged, toiling with fever1sh
haste, when without the least warning an
awful and thunderous roar echoed through
the forest; it was followed by crashing
noise that seemed to shake the ground.
The author of the disturbance instantly
appeared, less than twenty yards distant.
Bursting out of the thick forest, where 1t
had either been lurking craftily or enjoy
Ing sleep, came gigantic creature that
looked fully as large as house. real,
live mastodon it undoubtedly was! 1t was
twice the size of the biggest elephant Quin
had ever seen; it's body was covered with
| reddish hair and 1t displayed four frightful
tusks of cleaning ivory. From cavern
Gus mouth, filled with nipple-like teeth, is
sued another screeehing below of rage.
For one fateful second the three gold
seekers, terrified almost out of their senses,
stood gazing at the advancing monster,
specchless and helpless. Then, the spell
broken, they turned and scrambled for life
over the rough ground, running like men
dazed. They did not attempt to use their
rifles, knowing the utter futidty of powder
and ball in such a case.
ITO the open!' Quin shouted, hoarsely.
mo; that means certain DEATH! cried
Crane This wayt' 90
He led straight back through the forest,
parallel with the river, and his companions
clung to his heels. An awful fear was
upon them. They heard the mastodon COM
ing behind with thunderous tread, roaring
at every stride, and the sound seemed to
curdle and freeze the blood in their veins.
They pushed on with sinking hearts, with
sickening horror of the death that was
imminent.
Suddenly, close In front, rose a sort OF
natural wall of boulders, almost touching
one another. A single passage between
them, two or three feet wide, was visible
into
and Brown Otter emerged with him on the
farther side. The mastodon, trumpeting
with baffled fury, was heard demolishing
stout trees as if they had been tiny sap
lings.
Are we safe?" Quin gasped, as they
tore on.
Not yet" the American replied. That's
how l got away from the brute, but he was
soon after me again lie runs nke ,.; race
horse. To the boat; it's our only chance!
But we can't cross the stream!'
1--WE don't want to. I'm done with this
Internal place forever!
Quin was of the same mind. He realized
now that the capture of the mastodon
would be an impossibility. The fugttives
turned to one side, and sped toward Inc
river in diagonal course. But when they
reached the open meadow they saw their
terrible pursuer break from the timber
thirty yards to the rear the cunning mon
ster had circled around the rocks. Ihefe
seemed no hope, for the canoe was sooo
hundred yards distant
''On for your lives! yelled Crane. drop
your guns!"
AS he spoke he threw his rifle away.
Brown Otter did the same, but Quin Kept
hold of his weapon. 1t was a brief but
desperate race Straining every nerve, the
painting men bounded over grass and peb-
bles They dared not look behind them,
though the ponderous treads, the blood
curdling bellows, told that the mastodon
gaining.
"Faster!'' Quin cried
An almost superhuman squirt, a few more
strides and they were on the ledge that
overhung the rivers channel. Crane was
the first to dash across the intervening
space and tumble into the boat. The next
instant he was hurled fiat to the bottom by
the weight of Quin and Brown Otter. With
a frantic Jerk the Indian broke the detain-
ing rope, and the craft was sucked away
by the swift current just as the infuriated
mastodon galloped clumsily to the spot.
.'Hurrah!" shouted Quln.
The very instant an unexpected catastro-
phe happened The ledge, worn hollow be-
meath by the action of ths water for hum
dreds of years, split and gave way under
the tremendous weight of the mastodon.
With deafening crash the animal and the
mass of rock dropped into the depths, and
q g ouickly a rnonstrOuS wave overlook the