The commonwealth. (Scotland Neck, N.C.) 1896-1929, 1914-12-10

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Loubeque Kept a Careful Watch.
close upon the camp she saw some.
thing about the actions of the native
that made her keep very still. She
caught her breath with a little gasp
as she saw the man creep noiselessly
toward his master and puroin from
about his neck the precious bag which
carried the papers she had come SO far
to rescue.
AS he crept away from his victim
Lucille slowly rested her feet. her
whole soul quivering with delight, for
there would be no difficulty with this
native compared to the coping of
wits and resources with the powerful
brain and body of Loubeaue
Lucil!e's trailing of the native was
halted abruptly by wild cry of
alarm. followed by a loud screech Ct
pain, the thud Of bodies falling heav
lily, horrid, ripping sound. Dinly
she glimpsed the shadowy outlines OF
magnificent lion. head lifted as
though he listened for some one, his
paw reaching out and resting upon a
shapeless. grooming mass she knew for
the thleving servant. Without thought
OF consequence, with nothing save the
primal urge of saving life, she ieapet
across the narrow space that separat
ed her from the spy's campfire. kick
ing the embers right and left, graspius
the hardest famed knot Of them al
and, darting toward the lion, wavee
the torch fearlesSly.
The animal uttered low grow,
stood his ground for a moment Eetor,
this menace that darted ut him. the,
! tucked his tail between his legs ans
slank back into the jungle from whic.
he bad appeared SO unexpectedly. la
ellie bent over the wounded man, III
terlng low cry OF sympathy as >h
turned away in terror from the horn
bly, wounded torso Gradually i
dawned upon her that the man wa
dead, quite dead. She could not rpa!
i2e 1t instantly; tEen the voice OF Lon
beque's revolver spoke. and she nrter
! ed her warning cry.
The shot brought everything back t,
her. She was here, not to sympathiZ
even with one wounded to death, b,i
to save her sweetheart's honor. Sh
found the sack and looked back t
where she could see Loubeque ad
vancing
For just a second she paused Their
some impulse governing her. she thrus
the burning Knot of wood between til
fnterstices of q nearby latticework o
! vines and SUNK stealthily to the RICH,
knowing the spy would follow tn
light instead of herself Even as sh
watched his movements, glorying il
the success OF her strategy. her ham
pressed against something cold am
! damp. She looked swiftly down !,
the stone ruins beside her. along whic
she had been walking, ruins covere
with thick tropical vegetation Sh
passed her fingers over the stone si
had first encountered. rubbing ava
the mud and creepers that covered i
so completely
Suddenly. without the slightest warn
! ing. she saw the ground moving, NOV
ing restlesslv as it woui,l move ha
some monster mole been hurrowln
beneath its surface. 1t was moving
moving directly under Loubeque Sh
started back. wide eyed at the spec
tac]e OF great stone door suddeni
springing wide and hurting the ma
who had stood upon it to one side con
pletely out of her sight She advant
| ed hmldlE, staring about for sign q
the spy, but he was not to be seer
She peered down the black hole tina
had opened. wonderincly, half incHr
ed to believe herself in Il trance. for
flight OF stone steps reached up to he
reached up from the backness,
biackness which her eyes cnuId nc
pierce. try though they would
bit terrified. yet With curiosity i,
resistible. Lucille timid!y PIT a foe
upon the first step, then halted Sh
waited moment. then followed ne
right foot with the left AS thong
rome giant hand urged her down, be
reluctant feet moved slowly, step b
/ step; down the long flight And AWAY
would she stare in nai1eless terror les
the door be suddenly closed and be
means Of exit barred. And even as sh
looked her premonition Of evil wa
verified.
Slowly. very slowly, the stray ligh
that opened down to her through til
passage narrowed. disappeared T
her ears came the sound of feet, swift
sure. About her was such blacknes
as she had never even imagined b.
fore.
Slowly she CROPPED her way back t
the steps. finding the last one and fee
ing about for some means of THROWN
back the opening. The steps beneat
her feet were slippery, worn as thong
the feet of thousands and hundreds q
thousands had passed that way for G
many years. And always about bel
yet never so close as to come in cor
tact with her. were the owners of th
feet that slipped and glided sure FOOT
ediy upon the steps. Above her tina
.