The Brookings register. [volume] (Brookings, Brookings County, S.D.) 1903-1971, 1914-12-10

Aii'e rs 10 VINO was the hnal authori-
~ III all questions of Importance and
In all emergencies requiring cool and
intelligent leadership.
Could this we'll organized and com.
paratlyely secure party Of castaways
have seen the ragged, fear haunted
trio a few miles south Of them they
would scarcely have recognized In
them the formerly immaculate mem
bers Of the little company that had
laughed and played upon the Lady
Alice.
Clayton and NJ. Thuran were al
most naked. so torn had their clothes
been by the thorn bushes and tangled
vegetation Of the matted jungle through
which they had been compelled to force
their way in search Of their ever more
difficult food supply.
Jane Porter had, Of course. not been
subjected to these strenuous expedi-
lions, but her apparel was. neverthe-
less, in d sad state of disrepair.
Clayton, for lack of any better occu-
patton, had carefully saved the skin Of
every animal they had killed. BY
stretching them upon the stems of
trees aud diligently scraping them, he
had managed to save them in a fair
condition. and now that his clothes
Were threatening to cover his naked
~
ness no longer, he conn, o,ood to fash.
ion a rude garment of them, using a
sharp thorn for "A needle and bits OF
tough grass and animal tendons in lieu
of thread.
The result when completed was a
sleeveless garment which fell nearly to
his knees. Later Thuran also found II
necessary to construct a similar print
tive garment, so that. with their bare
legs and heavily bearded faces, they
looked not unlike reincarnations OF two
prehistoric %progenitors Of the human
race. Thuran acted like n
Nearly two months Of this existence
had passed when the first great calam'
ity befeIl them. Thuran. down with
an attack Of jungle fever, lay In the
shelter among the branches OF their
tree of refuge. Clayton had been into
the jungle a few hundred yards In
search Of food. AS he returned Jane
Porter walked to meet him. Behind
the man. cunning Ind crafty. crept an
old and NANCY lion. For three days
his ancient thews and sinews had
proved insufficient for the task Of pro-
viding his cavernous belly with meat,
At last he had found natures weakest
and most defenseless creature.
Jane saw the lion. but SO frozen with
horror was she that she could utter no
sound. The fixed and terrified gaze OF
her fear widened eyes spoke as plain,
ly to Clayton as words. A quick
glance behind him revealed the hope
lessness Of their situation. The lion
was scarce thirty PAGES from them
and they were equally as far from the
shelter. The man was armed with a
stout stick-as eficacious against a
hungry lion. he realized. as q toy pop
gun charged with a tethered cork.
KUN. Jane. tTltu Sldy tOu. SulIh
Run for the shelter" But her para
lyzed muscles refused to respond. anC
she stood mute and rigid. staring will
CHASTITY c~ountenance at the living deatl
creeping toward them. Clayton could
endure the strain no longer. Turning
his back upon the beast. he buried his
head in his arms and waited.
The girl looked ut him in horror
must die. why not die like a man,
bravely, beating at that terrible face
with his puny stick. no matter how flu
tile it might be? Would TarZan OF
the Apes have done thus? Would he
not. at least. have gone down to his
death fighting heroically to the last?
Now the lion was crouching for the
spring that would end their young
lives beneath cruel. rending. yellow
fangs. Jane Porter sank to her knees
in prayer. closing her eyes to shut out
the last hideous instant.
Seconds dragged into minutes, long
'ff'i'ltS infb MI eternity. anu yet tue
beast did not spring. Clayton was a.
most unconscious from the prolonged
agony of fright. His knees trembled-
a moment more and he would collapse.
Jane Porter could endure it no long
er. She opened her eyes. Could she
be dreaming?
William she whispered, "look"
Clayton mastered himself sufficient
ly to raise his head and turn toward
the lion. An ejaculation Of surprise
burst from his lips. At their very feet
the beast lay crumpled in death. A
heavy war spear protruded from the
tawny hide. 1t had entered the great
back above the right shoulder, and,
passing entirely through the body, had
pierced the savage heart.
Jane Porter had risen to her feet; as
Clayton turned back to her she stag
gered In weakness. He put out his
arms to save her from falling. and then
drew her close to him--pressing her
head against his shoulder, he stopped
to kiss her in thanksgiving.
Gently the girl pushed him away.
please do not do that, William" she
said. 81 have lived a Thousand years
L. nv I0.A