The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1914-05-10

WIN the 6uftH bothC CFeut"es
FOR three days Lucille kept very near that
camp fire light, furtve as any of the animals
that prowled about, guarding herself against
them by the same fire that protected her enemy
Times, only the watchfulness of Loubeque his
cat-like slumber, prevented her carrying out her
audacious plot to steal the little bag in which
he still carried the papers.
1t was the night of the fourth day that she
decided to take desperate chance, the same
night that creeping close upon the camp she saw
something about the actions of the native that
made her keep very still, her eyes following his
every movement with the alertness Of one of the
animals that prowled without that zone of light
from the fire. She caught her breath with little
gasp as she saw the man creep noiselessly toward
his master and purloin from about his neck the
precious bag which carried the papers she had
come SO far to rescue.
As he crept away from his victim. Lucille
slowly rested her feet, her whole soul quivering
with delight. For there would be difficulty
with this native compared to the coping of wits
and resources with the powerful brain and body
of Loubeque. Evidently the savage, seeing the
jealous guard his master kept of the bag, had de-
cided to steal it and run.
Lucilles trailing Of the native was halted
abruptly by wild cry Of alarm followed by
loud screech of pain, the thud of bodies falling
heavily. horrid, ripping sound. Dimly. she
glimpsed the shadowy outlines of q magnificent
lion, head lifted as though he listened for some
one, his paw reaching out and resting upon a
shapeless, groaning mass she knew for the thiev-
ing servant. For a second she stood, staring at
the spectacle, paralyzed by the horror, the swift
retribution which had overtaken the native. Then,
without thought of consequence, with nothing
save the primal urge of saving life, she leaped
across the narrow space that separated her from
the spys campfire, kicking the embers right and
left, grasping the hardest famed knot of them
all and darling toward the lion, waving the torch
fearlessly.
The animal uttered a low growl, stood his
ground for a moment before this menace that
darted at him. then tucked his tail between his
legs and skunk back into the jungle from which
n nneNnActpdlv henf
over the wounded man, uttering q low cry of
sympathy as she turned away in terror from the
horribly wounded torso. Gradually it dawned up
on her that the man was dead quite dead She
could not realize it instantly. then the voice of
Loubeque's revolver spoke and she uttered her
warning cry.
was here, not to sympathize even with
wounded TO DEATH but to save her sweethearts
honor. She fumbled at the mans scant attire,
drawing the sack triumphantly forth and look
ing back to where she could See Loubeque ad-
vancing.
For just second she paused. Then some
impulse governing her she thrust the burning
knot of wood between the interstices of a nearby
lattice work of vines and skunk steathily to the
right, knowing the spy would follow the light in
stead Of herself Even she watched his move
ments, 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 had been walking,
ruins covered with the thick tropical vegeta-
ton Inat Sne might nave moved TWO Ieet 10 inc
left and passed them by in complete ignorance of
their existence. She passed her fingers over the
stone she had first encountered, rubbing away the
mud and creepsrs that covered it SO completely.
There was one spot that appeared to have
crumbled more than the rest of the wood and
she scraped industriously 1t II, even her stten
ton was fastened upon the cropping figure Of
Loubeque. Suddenly, without the slightest warn
ing she saw the ground moving, moving restlessly
it would move had some monster mole been
burrowing beneath its surface. It moving,
moving directly under Loubeque. She started
back, wide-eyed at the spectacle Of great stone
door suddenly springing wide and hurting the
man who had stood upon IL to one side, COM
pletely out of her sight. She advanced timidly.
staring about for sign of the spy but he was not
to be seen. She peered down the black hole
that had opened, wonderfngly, half inclined to
believe herself in q trance. For fight Of stone
steps reached up to her. reached up from the
blackness, blackness which her eyes could not
pierce, try though they would.
A bit terrified, yet with curiosity Irresistible,
Lucille timidly put foot upon the first step,
then halted. She waited . moment then fol-
lowed her right 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 THAI