Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1913-11-10
MACKIE.


/ preparing some cooked rice and pre-
served fish for their own supper.
j Thornton lighted an alcohol stove.
made coffee and ate some timed meat
| and dry biscuits Then. lighting his
! pipe. he flung himself on a blanket
/ spread over slab OF stone and smok-
ed dreamily.
! Presently Len Ho brought him n
pillow and can OF cold water. and
/ then. the Chinese having withdrawn
: to the darkened cloisters of the temple.
| Thornton composed himself for slum-
/ Der
/ From his stony couch he could COM
mand a view of the archway through
/ which they had entered the temple
| courtyard, as we'll as the cloiSters, in
the gloom OF which the trusty Len Ho
and his countrymen were resting more
or less timidly, for in the face of the
supernatural the native Chinaman Is
an arrant coward. He win stolidly
meet acute physical suffering. bC- the
mental anguish OF encountering
spirit from another world is more than
! his courage can endure.
Thornton slept heavily while the
the courtyard. Once or twice. the face
of Len Ho or the terror stricken coun-
tenance of the bearer peered fearfully
from the cloisters. where they were
passing a .sleepless night
Suddenly Thornton awoke with
start. Something wet and cold had
dragged itself across his hand.
1t was only a snail travelling slowly
over his body. but the contact thor
oughly awakened Thornton.
He watched the moon floating across
the dark sky spaces, and then bis
glance fell to the black mouth of the
arch.
While he looked something pale came
into the black opening.
What was It? Was it the face of one
of his men or the sneaking form of an
intruder? He stared intently.
The thing grew larger and took form.
Was It a man walking on all fours or
was it a beast walking on two legs?
Thornton asked himself these ques-
lions, for the creature, whatever it
was, walked sometimes on two legs
and sometimes on four.
When it reached the middle OF the
yelp and turned its head toward the
moon.
Then the American saw what the
thing was. The upper part of the body
was that of gray wolf, sharp furry
head and body. From the knees down
it was a man with stout bare legs and
feet that battered on the stone as it
went.
Again it lifted its head and howled.
and muffied scream of terror came
from the cloisters. where Len Ho and
his companion were sheltered.
Thornton kept very quiet. 1t was
evident that the creature had not spied
him.
There was no doubt in his mind that
this was the werewolf. the spirit which
Len Ho bad warned him haunted the
spot; the werewolf, part man and part
wolf
What an adventure to relate to the
Travellers club!
Thornton half lifted himself. and as
he did so the thing turned and launch
ed itself at him. with another yelping
howl.
Thornton's revolver was always
had whipped it out and fired it at the
werewolf without recollecting that
spirits care nothing for material bull
lets.
But the werewolf stopped short in his
screamed Justify with human
note of pain in his voice and fell to
the paving stones.
From the black arch there poured
number of dark clad forms, yelling
with the shrill hysteria OF q Chinese
mob.
By this time Thornton had reached
The cloisters where Len Ho. though
with dread, grasped him by
the hand and was fleeing with him
through the darkness. By some rare
Len Ho guided his master
safely through tortuous passages. up
and down broken steps and finally
through a narrow arch that gave upon
he other side of the hill
Silently they fed down the hill. the
moon drawing n dark cloud
,ver her face and hiding their escape
rom the murderous eyes of the Band
# Chinese pirates who made the ruin
ID temple their headquarters ard
hV9S NhiS4' waning "''A"Nih' tCi II
led all unwary intruders by assuming
he spiritual role of the dreaded were
Volt
Thornton and his guide reached thu
American mission Just at dawn. and
he weary American decided that hts
overture with the werewolf was a
tting close to his journey through
entral China.
As for the Travellers club when 10
card the story ii asked to a man:
How do YOU know that the thing
7asn't werewolf after aIlf"
And Thornton couldn't find an sn
wer To that question.