The daily sentinel., 1914-06-03

she had never even imagined bc1c-e a backneS-
winch seemed to cling to her like a heavy mufsler
upon the eyes a oackness thick il mixed with
the rank. tomb-ike smell of the underground
place wherein she stood
Slowly she groped her way back to the steps,
hnding the last one and feeling about for some
means OF throwing back the opening The steps
beneath her feet we're slippery, worn as though
the rect Of thousands and hundreds of thousands
had passed that way for as many Years And al
ways about her, yet never SO close as to co1rS.
IN IA contact with her, were the owners OF the feet
that slipped and glided sure-footedy 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 Sha coula not se=
IN tne intensity Of her nervousness, $50 dung
herself upon the steps. giving WAY &C rpakiuS
sobs at the horrible fate that rytea:.-i 70 have
put an end to her adventr~,s
No odds weirdly situa,..l L.. LreadP,i
ones pTedicameut, encounter with ,,gsa. p.ipys--
hhlcal or invisible though they be calculated
70 rouse ones combatiye spirit Lucille rose
swiftly her brain in whfrl, her vuse nW1;ced
as euriously ciaw-like hands-but human h,.hd.--
sought out her wrists, drawing ner down tkc
steps, silently, with undertaking purpose l,li
never harshy. Reaizing the futiifty of rssista, a
her ut-e- helptssness, Lucille numhly allowed
herseil to be conducted down IT, !org fight !.
NerItable army seemed u swarm before Ind
ABOUT her, Judging from tl.e .co,FsiiN The hands
upon her wrists cold, uInealuy hairy vt
the sounds of the voices of her uaptors were t.tI
harsh gutturals of Dear mutCs incornprehensinIT
yet human.
Her knees ioted almost from under her s.x
She reached out and finally found CONVINCED
roclvauited aisles some so close the s:tia,
brushed against her, she was hustled She hn5
given herself completely up to her guides. shs
knew, with a heavy despair that only accident
could enable her to find her way back to the
steps through all the turns they had made Gulte
abruptly she felt her eyes blinded, the mantls
of blackness was flung aside For a moment ans
could not see, then, becoming accustomed to tbs
transition from darkness TO comparative light
she looked with shudder of terror upon ths
nary, dwarfed, mis-shapen creatures who sur.
rounded her; creatures who chartered in the au,-
turals of mutes; creatures whom the perpetual
darkness had paled to a fsh-like pallor; .re,-
lures whose hydrocephalic heads were rlvyavS
bent far forward though the sense of hearing
mad been given them in treble value because Of
the blindness with which the subterraneau life
had afflicted them, blindness SO complete as TO
make itself evident to her without even seeing
the white, sightless pupils that bulged ~ her
through the hairy name upon their faces
Sick with the Embellishments of the yht
Lucille lifted her eyes, ut a shrill chattering note
in the gutturGls, note that was strangely To-
miiiar, even welcome. Anything would have been
welcome to her against the repulsivr
noises made by the mutes. She stared wonder.
ingly at the enormous cArven statue of "a maIign-
ant raced man. Inan with mighty torso ana
gigantic arms, a man whose head lowered fai
above her and whoGe forehead and neck and
arms were loaded with elGzng rubies The alien
sound that drove the 0iUtes ofouching back car,e
from the gigantic statue, -Aud then Lucille saw
that huge orang outang pSe-:tei complacently
In the palms of the idol us brady eyes blinking
wonderingy at her, his @tinked old mans saea
puokered curiousy
As though their fear had supsidec. tho under
ground creatures once mur. slosed 10 upon Lucilis
Some impulse made her dart toward The or-ana
as though for protecJioa Ihe t7.r! textures ,yer-
about her clawing Mt hcr 5!;l heir .:nrrible IN
certain paws, like giant b,ts IA. inoaiey seemed
suddenly to waken to tho sitratiou i1i,h .
shr1ll note of rage hu cap from n!1 s.aattinx
posture and snatched the :eeliaes OF fiioies from
about the IDOLS neck, hiugih: Il squarcly into IL.
center of the mob. II had th9 et.ot OF drawing
them back for moment. Nhn si,cil squeals .ha
orahg's hairy paw plucked jsvoi after jewel som
the idol hurting them 10 5.eut will fbs
speed of bullets. Again aud again he drove thsn
back from her and Lucille constantly fought he's
way closer to this strange protector.
Her heart sank she the cre8turs Mad
no more missiles. Size caught fash OF ha.iy
arms and body as he leaped toward her his huge.
round arms failing about him, dropping the s'IS-
terranean inhabitants at g cry swing. Luai,le
guided by some impulse stoopeo and ;.lSaSed W
the blazing necklace, extending IL to t,le oraLG.
He seemed not to notice Wildly he threshed
about the creatures dropping LAKE nine-pius
Backward, ever backward 1u-ille felt her wav
edging through the mob her protector cleared
a passage. The rock ribbed vault echoed and
echoed hideously with the shrill squeals II rage
from the orsng the gutturals of terror and pain
from her assailants. Now they we're fighting
among themselves, tumbling about in wild chao.
of arms and legs and bodies.
She closed her eyes against the terrible siglr
Despite herself she almost succumbed to u feel
ing of faintness from the nausea which the
lures hideous sightlessness inspired within hep.
Suddenly Lucille felt her feet slipping from un4.e
her. felt herself going down toward ripping,
musical sound; gently falling through the blsak-
ness as though she so'sk within soft matt: c>f
of feathers.
Cold waters up aud eroks bar fall, cle--
ing about her and edying her scsty TO ard i-.-
Instinctively she reached out her Man, .:s..,nP
about narrow strip of wood 'Taa s..r.
of strength in her trai body she sJiE, making
out finally that the ohtsss s.ep=. Si;viS
she slipped down the current ansi iick.T a
light glowe5 far ahead.
The sight inspired her with freah energy She
drew herself up, carefully balanced the canoe
against her weight then slipped iato the eottoru
and lay there exhausted. She groped about
the. sides of the subterraneRn SxcAn2ed.
the light grew broader. paddle encountered hsr
fingers and she thrust 1t ort into the water. Cane
crunching of wood 1t ripped against tf-o
rocky sides of the shallow ravine and she stared
in dismay at the useless handle that aloua
mained to her.
Gently, lazily the canoe hoated down. to-
ward the ever-expanding wedge OF light. Slowly,
very slowly the fresh air of the Jungle met her
ils to her in