The Washington times., 1912-04-25


mare. dazed. incredible, grotesque
they advanced out into the
cim-shaded forest aisles.
Don't lookr' Stern exclaimed, shud-
dering at sight Of the unspeakable
Of gnawed bones, grisly bits of flesh.
dried gouts Of blood upon the woodland
carpet. Don't think-just come along!
Five minutes, and we're safe, there
and back again. S-h-h-h! Don't hurry!
Count now-count your steps-one, two,
three, four. five, six-so-steady,
steady
Now they were ten yards from the
tower. now twenty. Bravely they
walked. now straight ahead among the
trees, now circling. some individual,
firmly. He grtpped the revolver in
grasp Of iron. The magazine-rife lay
in both the girls hands, ready for in
stant use. Suddenly Stern fired again,
Some of 'em are moving. over there"
he said in crisp. ugly tone. Il guess a
little lead close to their ears will fix
'em for a whilel' ,
"Gods!' he repeated. Don't forget
It. for moment. don't lose that
thought. for it may pull us 1sotna through.
scended from the blacks. must have
some story, some tradition Of the white
man. or his mastery, his power! Wen
use it nov. by heaven as it never yet
Then he began to count again; and SO,
tense, watching, with eager-burning
eyes and taut muscles. the man and
woman made their way Of frightful
peril.
A snuffing howl rose.
ing another kick to the one he had just
ventured to look up attheir approach.
Lie down, ape!" And with the clan
gorous metal pail he smote the ugly
british skull.
Beatrice gasped with fear; but the
, blum made good. The creature grow
eled, and again the pail strode forward.
masterfuliy; Mastertuliy they had to 70.
grim. steel-hard sense Of mastery.
Before the girls eyes a sort of haze
seemed forming. Her heart beat thick
and heavy. stern's counting sounded
recognized his voice. To her came wild
disjointed. confused impressions-now a
bony and distorted back; now a simiar
covered IN its filthy squalor hideously
Then all at once. there right before
her, she saw the little woodland path
that slightly descended, led past a big
oak she well knew, down to the margin
Steady, GIRL steady" came the en-,
gineer's warning, tense as piano-w wire
Almost there now. What's thatT
For brief instant he hesitated. The
girl felt his arm grow even more taut
she herd his breath catch. Then she
TOO, looked-and saw
II was enough, that sight, to have
smitten with sick horror the bravest
man who ever lived For there, beside
the smoldering embers Of the grea
feast-fire, Uttered with bones and inde
scribable refuse, a creature was squat
ting on its hams-one of the horde, in
deed, yet vastly different tremendously
more venomous, more dangerous o.
aspect
Stern knew at once that here, no
PROSTATE nor yet crouching, was the
chief of the blue horde.
He knew II by the superior size and
strength Of the thing, by the almos
man-like cunning of the low, gorilla
redeemed eye, the crude wreath OF maple
leave upon the head, the necklace o.
hnger-bones strung around the neck.
But most of all, he knew II by {
thing that shocked him more than thu
sight of stark, outright cantbaltsl
would have done. A simple thing, ye
how ominousi A thing that argued
reason In this reversion from the hu
man; a thing that sent the shudderinI
chills along the engineers spine.
Fur the chief the oheah-mnn of thi
vile drove, rising now from beside tn
fiTe with, Rlbberlng chatter and lool
a twisted brown leaf
Stern know at a glance the leaf va
the rndely curved product OF some de