Las Vegas optic., 1914-09-05
By
Daniel
Hnr
Morris

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 II In the
dim light. grasped his fint-club,
gnashed his teeth, and growled. Into
the open space. however. driven by
desire, the intruder sprang.
His limbs we're 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
The family circle was still COM
pletel
Night approached-the time to
sleep-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 flint-club, rose, and
looked forth. A pair of green eyes
pierced him! A forest-beast!
Only by the subtlest stratagem had
an enemy of this character ever been
4 conquered. yet he was now face to
g face with it. 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 a huge dark body with nose
90 the ground soon crawled to the
natural archway.
Suddenly a crack was heard, then
low growl ending in brute-moan
and the great beast sank down with
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
having as her mate the mighty con
queror.
The family circle was still CON
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, tina.
he would never return.
She therefore set forth, her face
close to the ground, following his
footprints through the forest and the
swamp-land-and on the bark oi
trees
She read the signs, and they led tU
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 rival-how she had beat hel
breast when he had pointed to the
= babe.
She peered into the cave.
"He" was absent. but she" sat il
the corner grooming over her child
The intruder walked stealthily. q
round stone held in her hand.
Suddenly she hurled it, but il
, 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 nightfalI the mother threw the