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


huge orang outang squatted contpia
Gently in the palms of the idol. his
wrinkled, old mans face puckered
curiously.
As though their fear had subsided
the underground creatures once more
closed In upon Lucille. Some impulse
made her dart toward the orang as
though for protection The foul crea.
lures We're about her, clawing at her
with their horrible uncertain paws.
like giant bats. The monkey seemed
suddenly to waken to the situation
With shrfll note of rage he ieaped
from his squatting posture and snatch
ed the necklace of rubies from about
the idols neck, fiinging it squarely
into the center of the mob 1t had the
effect of dra wing them back for mo
ment With shrll squeaks the orang's
hairy paw plucked jewel after Jewel
from the idol. hurting them a. the crea
lures with the speed OF bullets. Again
and again be drove them back from
her and Lucille constantly fought her
way closer to this strange protector.
Her heart sank as she saw the crea
ture had no more missiles She caught
a fash of hairy arms and body rs he
leaped toward her, his huge, round
arms failing about him, dropping the
subterranean inhabitants at every
swing Lucille, guided by some inn
pulse, stopped and picked up the blaz
ing necklace. extending ii to the 0rang
He seemed not to notice. Wildly he
thrashed about the creatures dropping
like ninepins. Backward, ever back
ward, Lucille felt her way, edsing
through the mob - her protector clear
ed passage The rock ribbed vault
echoed and re-echoed hideously with
the shrill squeas of rage from the
Orang, the gutturals OF terror and
pain from her aSSailants Now they
were fighting among themselves, tum-
bling about in a wild chaos of arms
and legs and bodies.
She closed her eyes against the ter
ribe sight Suddenly Lucille felt her
feet slipping from under her; felt her
self going down toward ripping,
musical sound; gently falling through
the blackness as though she sank
within a soft mattress of feathers.
Cold waters rose up and broke her
fall, closing about her and edging her
gently to and fro. Instinctively she
reached out, her hands closing about
narrow strip of wood With every
atom of strength in her frail body she
chung, making out finally that the OBJ
tect was a canoe. Slowly she slipped
down the current until flicker Of mar
row light glowed far ahead.
The sight inspired her with fresh en-.
ergy, She drew herself up, carefully
balanced the canoe against her weight,
then slipped into the bottom and lay
there exhausted Shs gR0pSd sbeut as
the sides If TIE SmaJtssyaBsan cavern
expanded. The light grew broader.
paddle encountered her fingers and.she
thrust it out into the water. Came a
crunching of wood as It ripped against
the rocky sides Of the shallow ravine,
and she stared ia dismay at the use
less handle that alone remained TO her.
Gently. lazily the canoe foated down
toward the ever expanding wedge Of
light Slowly. very slowly, the fresh
air of the jungle met her quivering
nostrils. And even as she opened her
mouth, LAYING her throat with the In
toxicating odor that had been so re-
pulsive to her before. the canoe was
lifted up snatched up and whirled
about in a gigantic swishing circle.
Lucille instinctively thrust the bro
ken shaft of paddle into the water,
finding it useless. She crouched low.
Round and round in ever narrowing
circles she was whirled, the black wa
ter white now as 1t dashed itself into
raging circles from the exact center Of
which rose a jagged toothed r0ck-a
rock that imperturbabl cruelty waited
this dainty morsel being brought him.
Faster, faster, in ever shortening cir.
cles the creamy foam of savage waters
drew the frail canoe toward the ugly,
black rock that rose from out its CEN
ter
Round and round in the circles of
waters the frail craft sped. Then for
brief fraction Of second the circu-
lar progress was halted the canoe be-
ing held steady, quivering as another
force seized it and tried to fight against
the whirlpool Lucille held her breath,
measuring the length of time new
hope arrived in hours instead OF the
seconds 1t really was Then the craft
shot out of the current and continued
upon its wild chase toward the rock.
1t was now matter of but two rev.
olutions at best befove the end Luz
ellie saw this with eyes that Ainched
not, yet that refused to hold any dread.
Something slashed against her cheek.
and her hands iDstnctively reac led up,
clutching, grasping. clinging 20 thick
tangle of creepers.
The canoe whirled out from under
her while she chung there, the savage
water leaping, swapping at her feet
Desperation loaned her strength. For
just second she rested. then bravely
reached out and clanbered along the
thick vine until she saw the earth be-