Devils Lake world. (Devils Lake, N.D.) 1914-1915, 1914-12-10
X.
The Forest God.

The Forest God.
-A-HEN Tarzan had finished his
NV repast he rose and, pointing
in a very different direction
from that which Clayton had
been pursuing. started through the
jungle toward the point he had in
dicated.
Clayton, bewildered and confused.
hesitated to follow him, for he thought
he was but being led more deeply into
the mazes of the forest. but the ape
man returned and, grasping him by
the coat, dragged him along until he
was convinced that Clayton understood
what was required Of him and then
left him to follow voluntarily.
The Englishman finally concluded
that he was Il prisoner and saw no al
tentative but to accompany his captor.
and thus they Travelled slowly through
the Jungle while the sable mantle of
the impenetrable night of the forest
fell about them.
Suddenly Clayton heard the faint re-
port of a firearm-a single shot and
her silence.
In the cabin by the beach two thor
oughly terrified women chung to each
other as they crouched upon the low
bench in the gathering darkness.
The negrcss. sobbing Historically.
bemoaned the evil day that had wit
messed her departure from her dear
Maryland. while the white girl. dry
eyed and outwardly calm, was tortured
BY inward forebodings. She feared
not more for herself than for the three
men whom she knew to be wandering
in the abysmal de- this Of the jungle,
from which now issued the incessant
shrieks and roars, barkings and growl-
ings of its terrifying and fearsome in
mates.
Now came the sound of a heavy
body brushing against the side of the
cabin. She could hear the great pad
ded paws upon the ground without.
Then for an instant all was silence.
"Hush!" the girl whispered. Hush,
Esmeraldaw for the woman's sobs and
groans seemed to have attracted the
thing that stalked there just beyond
the thin wall.
A gentle scratching sound was heard
on the door. The brute tried to force
an entrance, but presently this ceased
and again she heard the great padded
paws creep stealthily around the cabin
Again they stopped-beneath the win
dow. on which the terrified eyes Of the
girl now glued themselves.
"Heavens!' she murmured, for. sill
houetted against the moonlit sky be
, yond. she saw framed in the tin!
, square of the latticed window the heat
: Of a huge tiger. The cleaning eye
were fixed upon her in tense ferocity.
"Look. E~smeralda" she whispered
what shall we do? Look! Quick
; The window"
; Esmeralda covered still closer to he
mistress and glanced affrighted towar,
: the little square Of moonlight just q
: the tiger emitted a low, savage snarl.
: The sight that met the poor black
: eyes was too much for the alread,
' overstrung. nerves.
ooh. Gabriel!" she shrieked and sill
to the floor. an inert and senseles
. mass.
For what seemed an eternity tn
!, great brute stood with its fore paw
\ upon the sill. glazing into the littl
room. Presently it tried the strengt
Of the lattice with its great talons.
:. The girl had almost ceased t
breathe when to her relief the hea
, disappeared and she heard the brute
- footsteps leaving the window. Br
now they came to the door again, an
once more the scratching commences
70 but this time with increasing fore
70 until the great beast was tearing .
"a the massive panels in a perfect frenz
Of fury.
~ Could Jane Porter have known tt
immense strength Of that door, builde
IL piece by piece. she would have fe
less fear Of the tiger reaching her /
this avenue.
va For fully twenty minutes the bru'
n alternately shifted and tore at the doc
ID occasionally giving voice to a cry
r.. baf1ed rage. At length. however, |
no gave up the attempt. and Jane Port
heard him returning toward the wi
nj dow. beneath which he paused for ;
,r. instant and then launched his gre
weight against the time worn lattice.
The girl heard the wooden 70,
81 groan beneath the impact, but tn
held. and the huge body dropped ba'
:, to the ground below.
in Again and again the tiger repeat
on these tactics until finally the horri6,
prisoner within saw a portion Of t
lattice give way. and in an instant o
great paw and the head of the amin
ID were thrust within the room.
as "v : a.. - .aas 80,