Fulton County tribune. (Wauseon, Ohio) 1883-1925, 1914-08-28

but to him words of welcome. Her
mate stretched forth the meat to her,
but she thrust it aside gently. She
had already provided for her wants.
He lay down beside her and placed
his hand on her head, and touched the
child with one finger.
He drew from the folds of his hide
covering three juicy berries of great
size, one of which she seized with
avidity, then patted his arm. He
grunted contentedly.
The family circle was complete!
Hours later a round, hairy face
peered into the cave
The male-mate, observing it in the
dim light, grasped his flint-club,
CRASHED his teeth, and growled. Into
the open space, however, driven by
desire. the intruder sprangi
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 hel
s~ubserviency to the stronger-and she
needed the stronger to help her pro
tect her offspring; therefore, she sal
silent as the battle waged.
Her mate, however, whose strength
was fast falling as he parted tbs
more heavy blows of his opponents
club with his own, realized that the
weight Of "the Killer" was telling or
him. Once he glanced appealingly-
almost sadly, it seemed, at the mother
of his child.
Perhaps she noted the mute ap
peal, for suddenly she sprang; landins
on the back of "the Killer" who triet
to shake her from him. Tightly she
chung, apd bit his neck at the back.
Love for her mate had conquered
by her aid he was enabled to strike
fatal blow at the intruder. He thel
dragged the body through the en-
trance of the cave and to the edge 0
the cliff, down the PERCEPTION
heights of which he threw it.
He returned to the cave and pettel
her.
The family circle was still com
plete!
Night approached-the time t
sleep-and, in accordance with hi
usual custom, he went to the er
trance of the cave and peered out int
the darkness. Seeing naught tina
should disturb their rest, he returned
But what was hat rasping sound
Surely, not his mate, or child! Al
other intruder?
He grasped his iint-club, rose, an
looked forth. A pair of green eye
pierced him! A forest-beast!
Only by the subtlest stratagem ha
an enemy of this character ever bee
conquered, yet he was now face
face with it. But had not his mat
saved him from "the Killer" H
would save her-and the child.
He motioned her to retreat to a
inner recess of the cave, and presse
his body against the rock-side jus
within the entrance. There he avail
ed, and a huge dark body with nos
to the ground soon crawled to tn
natural archway.
Suddenly a crack was heard, the
a low growl, ending In a brute-moal
and the great beast sank down wit
a broken skull. He then summone
his mate and proudly displayed I'll
carcass of the beast.
She crooned softly over her bah
thus expressing her contentment
having as her mate the mighty co
queror.
The family circle was still cor
piete,
The mate of "the Killer waite
until dawn for his appearance. Whe
! the sun broke through the morniI
i mist, she realized, not without fe;
(for though he had been brutal to he
he had at times been most kind, th'
: he would never return.
She therefore set forth, her fa'
: close to the ground, following h
footprints through the forest and Il
swamp-land-and OF the bark
trees.
/ She read the signs, and they led
the cave of her riva1-she of IL
thick, black hair and white teeth ar
A., active body.
+ She peered into the cave.
r He" was absent, but she" sat
the corner grooming i've her chill
The intruder walked stealthily,
round stone held in her hand.
Suddenly she hurled it, but
missed its intended victim, who,
instructive self-defense, threw her i
( FAINT at the attacker, who, stagger'
by the blow, fell backward.
3 In a moment the mother was upt
her. grasping her throat and poundir
7 her head upon the stone floor, uni
r the skull cracked and consciousne
had zone.
The victim soon lay still in deaf
The family circle was still col
, plete.