The Washington times., 1912-08-11

tsne "Hsper iorceo its way into his
Her eyes were shining with the &C.
stasy OF self-sacrifice. II was only the
glance Of an instant, then he was again
facing the Jungle.
"Godl You think ia do that!"
She made no reply. There was a
pause. Blake--crouched on one knee,
tense and ABBREVIATED until the sinis-
ter wave was advancing into the point
OF the incurved jungle.
Then he he spoke, in low. even tone:
Feel II my glass 10 there"
Her hand reached asound and pressed
against the fob-pocket which he had
Right. Now slip my club up under
my elbow-big end. Lick on the noseil
stop dog or q bull. Its. chance"
She thrust the club under his right
At that moment the lion bounded from
cover with a roar like q clap Of thun-
der. Blake sprang erect. The beast
checked himself In the act Of leaping
stretched, every hook claw drawn
back ready to tear and mangle. In two
or three bounds he could have leaped
upon Blake and crushed him with
to repeat his deafening roar It seemed
to Blake that he stood higher than
horse-that his mouth gaped wide as
the end of hogshead. And yet the
sas sSSs d sss Never
fore had any animal that he had hunted
reared up to meet his attack In this
strange manner.
"Lie fat" commanded Blake. Lie
nat, and don't move! I'm going to call
his bluff. Walt till the poison gets in
Its work. In keep him busy, as long
as can. Stay inside the barricade and
watch all you can from the cliff. Might
by!n =, - .-,,... -,
knees. TOM"
He did not pause or look around. He
was beginning to circle slowly to the
left across the open ground in a spiral
that would bring him to the edge Of
the jungle within thirty yards Of the
with fear, but with sheer brute fury;
his lips were drawn back from the
clinched teeth; his nostrils distended
and quivering; his forehead wrinkled
look was more feroclo1s than that Of
the snarling beast he faced. All the
primeval in him was reused. All had
become a man OF the cave age. He
body afame with the fierce lust to
kill.
The lion stilled his roars and crouched
as II to spring, snarling and grinning
with rage and uncertainty. His eyes,
unaccustomed to the glare of the mid
day sun, blinked incessantly. though he
followed the mans every movement, his
snerls deepening into growls at the
slightest change Of attitude.
In his blind animal rage Blake had
forgotten that the purpose of his lateral
advance was to place as great dis
tance as possible between him and the
girl before the clash. Yet instinct kept
the chance that ne might catch his foe
off his guard.
Suddenly the lion half rose and
stretched forward. shifting. There was
Blake let the club slip from beneath his
arm and drew his bow until the arrow
head lay upon his thumb. His out
stretched arm was rigid as bar OF
steel. So tense and alert were all his
nerves, he knew that he could drive
homs both arrows and still have time
to swing his club before the beast was
upon him.
and swept on to the nostrils Of the lion:
laden with the odor Of man. The beast
uttered short. startled roar, and
whirlins about; leaped away into the the
flashed past full yard behind.
The second arrow was on the string
before the frst had struck the gound.
but the lion had vanished In the
grass. with a yell Blake dashed on
jungle. As he ran he drew the mag,
nifying glass from his fob and hipped
IT open, ready for use. II the lion hao
turned behind the sheltering grass
stems he was too cowardly to charge
out again, and within a minute the
Jungle was a wall of roaring flames
The grass. long since dead and bone
dry with the days of tropical sun
shine since the cyclone. fared up be-
fore the wind like gunpowder: Even
against the wind the fire ate its way
along the ground with fearful rapid
ity, trailing behind II an upwhirling
vortex of smoke and flame. No liv-
ing creature could have burst through
that belt Of fire.
wave Of fierce heat sent Blake
staggering back. scorched and blister
ed There was no exultanee In his
of the lion was swallowed up in the
awe OF his own work. He stared at
the belt Of leaping. roaring names
from beneath his appraised arm. To
the north sparks and lighted wtsps
OF grass driven by the gale had al
ready fired the jungle half way to
the farther ridge.
Step by step Blake drew back. His
heel struck against something sort.
He looked down and saw Miss Leslie
lying on the sand. white. and still. She
had tainted. overcome by fear or by
the uncomfortable heat. The heat must
have stupified him as well. He star
I'd at her, dull-eyed. wondering II
she was dead. Then his brain clear
ed. He sprang over to where the
mask lay beside the remnants OF the
lunch.
A Continuation of This story VIII