River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1914-09-10
the torch fearIessly

rhe animal uttered a low growi.
stood his ground for moment before
this menace that darted at him, then
tucked his tail between his legs and
skunk back into the jungle from which
ne bad appeared SO unexpectedly Lu
ellie bent over the wounded man, ut
tering a low cry OF sympathy as she
turned away In terror from the horn
bly, wounded torso Gradually 1t
dawned upon her that the man was
dead. quite dead She could not real
lie 1t instantly; then the voice of Lou
Deque's revolver spoke, and she utter
ed her warning cry.
rbe shot brought everything back to
her She was here not to sympathiZe
even with one wounded to death. but
10 save her sweetheart's honor. She
found the sack and locked back to
where she could see Loubeque ad-
yancing
For just a second she paused Then.
some impulse governing her she thrust
the burning knot of wood between the
interstices Of nearby latticework of
vines and skunk stealthily to the right,
Knowing the spy would follow the
light instead of herself Even as she
watched his movements, glorying In
the success of her strategy, her hand
pressed against something cold and
damp She looked swiftly down at
the stone ruins beside her, along which
she mad been walking ruins covered
with thick tropical vegetation She
passed her fingers over the stone she
had first encountered. rubbing away
the mud and creepers that covered 1t
so completely.
Suddenly. without the slightest warn
Ing. she saw the ground moving, NOV
ing restlessly as it would move had
some monster mole been burrOwing
beneath its surface. 1t was moving.
moving directly under Loubeque, She
started back. wide eyed at the spec
tacie OF great stone door suddenly
springing wide and hurling the man
who had stood upon 1t to one side COM
pietely out Of her sight. She advanc-
ed timidly. staring about for sign OF
She peered down the black hole that
had opened. wonderingly. half inclin-
ed to believe herself in a trance, for a
flight OF stone steps reached up to her,
reached up from the blackness. a
blackness which her eyes could not
pierce. try though they would.
A bit terrified. yet with curiosity IT.
resistible, Lucille timidly put a foot
upon the first step. then halted, She
waited a moment then followed her
light foot with the left AS though
some giant hand urged her down, her
reluctant feet moved slowly, step by
step, down the long flight And always
would she stare In nameless terror lest
the door be suddenly closed and her
means of exit barred. And even as she
looked her premonition of evil was
verified.
Slowly. very slowly, the stray light
lbat opened down to her through the
passage narrowed. disappeared. To
her ears came the sound of feet. swift.
sure. About her was such blackneSS
as she had never even imagined be-
fore.
Slowly she CROPPED her way back to
the steps, finding the last one and feel
ing about for some means of throwing
back the opening. The steps beneath
her feet were slippery, worn as though
the feet of thousands and hundreds of
thousands had passed that way for as
many years And always about her,
yet never so close as to come in con
tact with her. were the owners of the
feet that slipped and gided sure foot
eddy upon the steps. Above her that
solid wall; beneath her steps that led
down into the bowels of the earth;
about her human beings whom she
could not see.
Curiously clawlike hands, but human
hands, sought out her wrists, drawing
her down the steps, silently, with I'M
deviating purpose. but never harshly.
Realizing the futility of resistance, her
utter helplessness, Lucille numbly al
lowed herself to be conducted down
the long fight A veritable army seem
ed to swarm before and about her.
Judging from the footballs. The hands
upon her wrists were cold, unhealthy,
hairy, yet the sounds of the voices OF
her captors were harsh gutturals, In
COMPREHENSIVE, yet human.
This Is the end of all for me?' she
said in her terror.