The Lakeland evening telegram., 1914-08-31

Hours later round, hairy face
peered into the cave.
The male-mate, observing 1t in the
dim light, grasped his flintclub
gnashed his teeth, and growled. Into
the open space, however, driven by
desire, the intruder sprang.
His limbs were thick and knotted,
his neck and shoulders heavy and
strong. He had come to fight for the
others mate. Long had he noted
her active body, her white teeth and
fangs showing behind deep purple.
colored lips. He had come to get her
and he was known among his tribe
as the Killer" who always got what
he wanted
And fight for her he did!
Backward and forward the rightful
occupant and the intruder struck and
reeled, The female, notwithstanding
her love for her mate, realized her
subserviency to the stronger-and she
needed the stronger to help her pro.
tect her offspring; therefore, she sat
silent as the battle waged.
Her mate, however, whose strength
was fast failing as he parried the
more heavy blows Of his opponents
club with his own, realized that the
weight Of "the Killer" was telling on
him. Once he glanced appealingly-
almost sadly, 1t seemed, at the mother
of his child.
Perhaps she noted the mute ap-
peal, for suddenly she sprang, landing
on the back of the Killer" who tried
to shake her from him Tightly she
clung, and bit his neck at the back
Love for her mate had conquered,
by her aid he was enabled to strike a
fatal blow at the intruder He then
dragged the body through the en-
trance of the cave and to the edge of
the cliff, down the precipitous
heights of which he threw it.
He returned to the cave and petted
her I
The family circle was still com.
plete, /
Night approached-the time to
s1eep-and, in accordance with his
usual custom, he went to the en-.
trance Of the cave and peered out into
the darkness. Seeing naught that
should disturb their rest, he returned
But what was that rasping sound?
Surely, not his mate, or child An.
other intruder?
He grasped his fint-club, rose, and
looked forth. A pair Of green eyes
pierced him! A forest tbeast!
Only by the subtlest stratagem had
an enemy Of this character ever been
conquered, yet he was now face to
face with 1t. But had not his mate
saved him from the Killer?" He
would save her-and the child.
He motioned her to retreat to an
inner recess of the cave, and pressed
his body against the rock-side Just
within the entrance There he await
ed, and huge dark body with nose
to the ground soon crawled to the
natural archway. /
Suddenly a crack was heard, then
a low growl, ending In brute-moan, /
and the great beast sank down with
a broken skull. He then summoned
his mate and proudly displayed the
carcass Of the beast. /
She crooned softly over her babe. |
thus expressing her contentment at I
having as her mate the mighty con-
queror.
The family circle was still com.
plete!
The mate Of 'the Killer" waited
until dawn for his appearance When
the sun broke through the morning
mist. she realized, not without fear .
(for though he had been brutal to her,
he had at times been most kind, that /
he would never return.
She therefore set forth, her face !
close to the ground, following his :
footprints through the forest and the |
swampland-an on the bark of
trees.
She read the signs, and they led to |
the cave of her rival-she OF the |
thick, black hair and white teeth and !
active body. With maddening rage, /
the mate of the Killer" remembered |
how his eyes had followed the form /
Of her riyal-how she had beat her |
breast when he had pointed to the |
babe.
She peered into the cave
He" was absent, but she" sat in !
the corner grooming over her child. !
The intruder walked stealthily,
round stone held in her hand.
Suddenly she hurled it, but It |
missed its intended victim, who, in
instructive self-defense, threw her In.
fant at the attacker. who, staggered |
by the blow, fell backward
In moment the mother was upon
her, grasping her throat and pounding
her head upon the stone floor, until
the skull cracked and consciousness
had gone.
The victim soon lay still In death.
At nightfall the mother threw the
body over the precipice whence, on
the previous night, the corpse of the
Killer" had been thrown.