Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1902-01-25
. . The . .
Lost Continent
By CUTCLIFFE HYNE.
prh nv nv Cuteliffs Uvns
CHAPTER VI.-CONTINUED.
Pub by Harper Bros Copyright iso by Cutclifs Hyns

The purpose of these two cave-tigers
was plain; while they were in the cir
Gus, and loose, no living being could
cross from one gate o the other. They
were new and sturdy addition to the
defenses of the capital. A collar of
bronze was round the throat of each,
and on the collar was massive chain
which led to the wall, where it could be
played out or hauled in by means of
windlass in one of the hidden galleries.
SO that at ordinary moments the two
huge beasts could be tethered, one
close to either end of the circus, as the
litter of bones and other messes
showed, leaving free passageway be-
tween the two sets of doors.
The windlass clanl<ed, and the teth-
ering chains drew the great beasts
clear of the doorway; and a valve of
the farther door swung ajar, and
a prisoner was thrust struggling into
the circus. A sickness seized me
when I saw that this was a woman,
but still, in view of the object I had
in hand, l made no interruption.
1t was not that / had never seen
women sent to death before. A gen.
eral. who has uone his fighting, must
in his day have killed women equally
with men; yes, and seen them earn
their death-blow by lusty battling.
Yet there seemed something so wan
ton in this cruel helpless sacrifice of
a woman prisoner, that I had strug-
gle with myself to avoid interference.
Still it is ever the case that the in
dividual must be sacrificed to a poll
cy, and SO, as 1 say, 1 watched on,
outwardly cold and impassive.
| watched too & confess it freely
with quickening heart. Here was
no sullen, submissive victim. She
may have been cowardly (as some
women are), she may have been brave
Gas many women have shown them
selves); but, at any rate, it was clear
that she was going to make strug-
gle for her life, and to do vicious
damage, it might be, before she yield
ed it up. The watchers behind the
arrow-slits recognized this. Their
wagers, and the hum of their appre-
citation, swept loudly round the ring
of the circus.
fore they thrust them out to this
death, of all the clothes they might
carry, for clothes have a value; and
SO the woman stood there bare
imbed in the moonlight.
She clapped her back to the great
stone door by which she had entered,
and faced fate with glowing eye.
Godsi there have been times in early
years when 1 could have plucked out
sword and jumped down, and fought
for her there for the sheer delight
of such battle. But now policy re-
strained me. The individual might
want a helping hand, but it was be-
coming more and more clear that
Atlantis wanted a minister also; and
before these great needs, the lesser
ones perforce must perish. Still, be
1T noted that, if 1 did not jump down,
no other man there that night had
sufficient manhood remaining to VEN
ture the opportunity.
My heart glowed as I watched her.
She picked bone from the hitter on
the pavement and beat off its head
by blows against the wall Then with
her teeth she fashioned the point to
still further sharpness. l could see
her teeth glisten white in the moon
rays as she bit with them.
The huge cave-tigers, which stood
as high as her head as they walked,
came nearer to her in thei- prowlings,
yet obviously neglected her. This
was part of their accustomed scheme
of torment, and the woman knew it
well. There was something intoler-
able in their noiseless, ceaseless pad
dings over the pavement. l could see
the prisoners breasts heave as she
watched them. A terror such as that
would have made many victim sick
and helpless.
But this enc was bclder than had
thought. She did not wait for a
spring; she made the drst attack
heIseH. When the she-tiger made it's
s'io towards her, and was in the
ao' u turning, she flung herself into
q s'n reap, striking viciously az
''s ese WIN her sh',rrened bone. A
roar from the onlookers acknowl-
edged the stroke. The cave-tioer,s
eye remained undarkened. hut tho
puny weapon had dealt it . sp.,.t
nesh wound, and with a great baI-
low OF surprise and pain it camnarea
away to gain space for a rush ana =
spring.
Eet the woman did not await its
charge. With q shrill scream she