Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-06-23

the air before beginning to drop As he van
ished from sight the whole assembly, except
the guards, rushed forward to the edge of
the precipice, and there was a long pause of
absolute silence, broken by mad yell of de-
light. They sprang about, tossing their long,
hairy arms in the air and bowling with ex-
ultation. Then they fell back from the edge
formed themselves again into line, and
waited for the next victim.
This time it was Summerlee. Two of his
guards caught him by the wrists and pulled
him brutaly to the front. His thin figure
and long limbs struggled and fluttered like a
chicken being dragged from a coop. Chal-
lenger had turned to the King and waved
his hands frantically before him. He was
begging, pleading, implering, for his COM
rade's life. The Apeman pushed him rough
" aside and shook his head 1t was the last
conscious movement he was to make upon
earth Lord Roxton's rifle cracked and the
King sank down, tangled, red, sprawling
thing on the ground.
"Shoot into the thick of theml Shoot,
Sonny, shoot cried my companion.
THERE are strange red depths in the soul
= of the most commonplace man. | am
tender hearted by nature, and have found
my eyes moist many time over the scream
of wounded hare. Yet the blood lust was
on me now found myself on my feet emp
tying one magazine, then the other, clicking
open the breech to reload, swapping it to
again, while cheering and yelling with pure
ferocity and joy of slaughter as | did so.
With our four guns, the two of us made hor-
rible havoc. Both the guards who held
Summerlee were down, and he was stagger-
ing about like drunken man in his amaze
ment, unable to realize that he was free
man. The dense mob of Apemen ran about
in bewilderrnent, marveling whence this
storm of death was coming or what it might
mean. They waved, gesticulated, screamed,
and tripped up over those who had fallen
Then, with a sudden impulse, they all rushed
in bowling crowd to the trees for shelter,
leaving the ground behind them spotted
with their stricken comrades. The prison
ers were left for the moment standing alone
in the middle of the clearing.
Cha1lengers quick brain had grasped the
situation He seized the bewildered Sum-
merlee by the arm, and they both ran to-
ward us. Two of their guards bounded after
them, and fell to two bullets from Lord Rox-
ton. We ran forward into the open to meet
our friends, and pressed loaded rifle into
the hands of each But Summerlee was at
the end of his strength. He could hardly
totter Already the Apemen were recover
ing from their panic There were coming
through the brushwood and threatening to
cut us off. Challenger and | ran Summerlee
along, one at each of his elbows, while Lord
Roxton covered our retreat, firing again and
again as savage heads snarled at us out of
the bushes For mile or more the chatter
ing brutes were at our very heels. Then the
pursuit slackened; for they learned our
power and would no longer face that unerr-
ing rifle When we had at last reached the
camp, we looked back and found ourselves
alone.
GO it seemed to us-and yet we were mis-
- taken We had hardly closed the thorn
bush door of our zareba, clasped one an
others hands, and thrown ourselves painting
to the ground beside our spring. when we
heard patter of feet, and then a gentle,
plaintive crying from outside our entrance.
Lord Roxton rushed forward rifle in hand,
and threw it open. There, PROSTATE upon
their faces, lay the little red figures of the
four surviving Indians, trembling with fear
of us and yet inploring our protection. With
an expressive sweep of his hands one of them
PORTED to the woods around them and indi
Gated that they were full of danger. Then,
darling forward, he threw his arms round
Lord Roxton's legs and rested his face upon
them.
@By George!" cried our peer, pulling at
his mustache in great perplexity. Il say
what the devil are we to do with these peo-