The Washington times., 1912-04-23

striving to draw her away This
4 spectacle, 1t seemed to him, was
no fit sight for her to gaze on.
But she shrugged her shoulder as II
10 say: I'm not a child; I'm your
equal now, and l must see!" So the
engineer desisted, And he. too, set his
eye to the twisting aperture.
~ sight of the narrow segment OF
forest visible through it and OF the
several members of the horde, q strong
rerulsion came upon him.
Up welled a deep-seatcd love for the
memory of the race of men and women
as they once had becn-the people of
the other days. Stern almost seemed to
behold them again. those tall, athletic,
stralght-limbed men; those 1.-the, deep
breasted women, fair skinned and with
rluXurlant hair; all alike now plunged
Tor nearly a thousand years in the
abyss of death and OF eternal oblivion;
+ Never before had the engineer realized
how dear how Infinitely close to him
his own race had been. Never had he
$50 admired its diverse types OF force
and beauty as now, now when all were
but a dream.
Ugh" thought he. disgusted beyond
measure at the sight before him And
all these things are just as much alike
as SO many ants in a hill! ] question
81 they We got the reason and the So
cialized intelligence of ants
lie heard the girl breathe quick as
she, too, watched what was going OH
outside. \ certain change had taken
place there. The mist had somewhat
thinned away, blown by the treshening
breeze through Madison Forest and by
the higher-rising sun. Both watchers
could now see further into the woods,
and both perceived that the horde was
for the most part disposinS itself to
sleep.
Only few vague. uncertain figures
hn .fra
ly unsteady gait weakened and
slmian
In the nearest group, which Stern had
already had a chance to study, all save
one of the creatures had laid down
The man and woman could quite plainly
hear the rauCous and bGstial snoring
or some half-dozen OF the Gorged
things.
Come away, you've seen enough,
more than enough" he whispered in
the girls ear.
She shook her head.
mo, no. she answered under her
breath How horrible-and yet, how
wonderful
Then a misfortune happened; trivial
yet how direly pregnant!
For Stern, trying TO readjust his po,
sition, laid his right hand on the wal
above his head
A little fragment of loose marble. long
since ready TO fall, dislodged itselt aho
bounced with a sharp click against the
steel I-beam over which they both were
The sound. perhaps was no greater
than YOU would make in swapping al
ordinary lead pencil in your fingers, vet
on the instant thlee of the things raised
their buibous and exaggerated heads II
an attitude of intense. suspicious Ilslch
ing. Plain TO see that their scn:ts. a
least, excelled those Of the hunal
being, even as a dogs might.
The individual which alone OF. men
al! had been stunding, wheeled sudden
uy around and made a step or tM) 10
ward the building. Both watchers |aN
him with terrific d.stinCtneSs, there
among the sumacs and birChes, with TN
beauty of which he made Shockllt
contrast.
plain now was the sim,an aspect, plai
the sidelong and uncertain %lit, ben
back and crooked legs, tho long, pcn'tl
lous arms and duly, feruciOus face.
And as the thing listened, Its hii
bristling, 1t thrust its Vlll1inouS, az "
like head well forward. Open fell In
mouth, revealing the dog-teCth and tn
blue shiyering- looking gums.
4 wrinkle creased the Ow, lIll crew
Watching with Mortified fasnnatIun
Stern and Beatrice beheld-and heard
the creature sniff the DIR, as thonEI
taking up some scent of DANCE" or o
the hunt.
Then uu camc the right arm: the
saw the Claw-hand with a spear pOis
itself a moment, From the open rnout
burst with astoundn~ 'HrC" 90
d'nlcss 81 ail.nG .owl. inSTticulatt
sum, k1lItnle 10y oni Hl
Va Instant agitation tCnk place a
through the forest The watchers cuul
see Vnl! u small, Gan-like space OF IL