The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1909-03-25

from cover.
The damned sneak" growled
Blake. You there. jenny"
She could not speak, but he heard
her gasp.
Brace up. little woman, Where's
your grit? You're out of this deal.
anyway. He'll choke to death swal-
lowing me- But say; couldn't you
manage to shin up palm, 20 feet or
so, and hang on for couple of min
utes?"
'I-Can't move-I am
Make a try, tn give he a run
for my money. I'll take the next ele-
vator after you. Thatll bring the
buffer out on the hot-foOt. | slip
surprise between his ribs and we
view the scenery while he's passing
in his checks. Come; make squirt.
He's around the turn and getting
nearer every step"
Il can't-Tom-there is no need
that both of us You climb up"
He turned about as the meaning Of
her whisper dawned upon him. Her
eyes We're shining with th.a ecstasy of
self-sacrifice. II was only the glance
of an instant: then he was again
facing the jungle
God! You think Id do that"
She made no reply There was a
pause. Blake-crouched on one knee.
tense and alert-waited until the
sinister wave was advancing into the
point OF the incuryed jungle. Then he
spoke, in a low, even tone: Feel if
my glass is there"
Her hand reached around and
pressed against the fob pocket which
he had sewn in the belt of his skin
trousers.
Right. Now slip my club up under
my elbow-big end. Lick on the
nose'H stop a dog or a bull It's a
chance"
She thrust the club under his right
elbow and he gripped il against his
side.
At that moment the lion bounded
from cover. with roar like clap of
thunder, Blake sprang erect. The
beast checked himself in the act Of
leaping and crouched with his great
paws oulsrretched, every hooked claw
thrust out ready to tear and mangle
In two or three bounds he could have
leaped upon Blake and crushed him
with single stroke of his paw AS he
rose to repeat his deafening roar it
seemed to Blake that he stood higher
than g horSe-that his mouth capped
wide as the end of a hogshead And
yet the beast stood hesitating. re-
strained by brute dread of the I'M
known. Never before had any animal
that he had hunted reared up to meet
his attack in this strange manner
Lie fat commanded Blake: lie
fat and don't move, I'm going 10
call his bluff. Keep still till the poison
gets in its work. I'll keep him busy
long as ! can. When it's over. hit
out for home along the beach. Keep
inside the barricade, and watch all
you can from the cliffs. Might light a
fire up there nights. There's sure to
be steamer before long"
Tom" she cried, struggling 10 her
knees-"Tom.
But he did not pause or look
around. He was beginning to circle
slowly to the left across the open
ground, in spiral curve that would
bring him to the edge of the jungle
within 80 yards of the lion. There was
red now showing in his eyes. His
hair was bristling, no longer with fear.
but with sheer brute fury; his lips
We're drawn back from the clenched
teeth: his nostrils distended and quiv-
ering; his forehead wrinkled like that
OF an angry mastiff. His look was
more ferocious than that of the
snarlins beast he faced All the
primeval in him was reused. He was
become a man of the Cave Age He
went to meet death, his mind and
body af1ame with fierce lust to kill.
The lion stilled his roars and
crouched as if to spring, snarling and
grinning with rage and uncertainty.
His eyes, unaccustomed to the glare
of the midday sun, blnked incessant-
ly, though he followed the mans every
movement, his snarls deepening into
growls at the slightest change OF at
titude.
In his blind animal rage Blake had
forgotten that the purpose OF his
lateral advance was 10 place as great
a distance as possible between him
and the girl before the clash. Yet in
stinct kept him moving along his
spiral course, on the chance that he
might catch his foe off his guard.
Suddenly the lion half rose and
stretched forward, shifting There was
an uneasy whining note in his growls.
Blake let the club slip from beneath
his arm and drew his bow until the
arrowhead lay upon his thumb. His
outstretched arm was rigid as a bar
of steel. So tense and alert were all
his nerves that he knew he could
drive home both arrows and still have
time to swing his club before the
beast was upon him.
A pun Of wind struck against his
back and swept on the nostrils OF the
lion, laden with the odor of man The
beast uttered a short startled roar.
and, whirling about, leaped away into
the jungle so quickly that Blake's ar
row flashed past a full yard behind.