The daily sentinel., 1914-06-03
CHAPTER XVII.
From the Tree Top.


rclLLE stirred opened her eyes in bewilder-
ment unable to piece together any connec-
lion between the black hole in which she
md herself and the narrow trail through the
ngle along which she had urged her horse.
d wall Of darkness enveloped her, darkness
intense as to make her believe at first she
A lost her sight She closed her eyes pur-
seIy opening them abruptly. fighting for light
hast with the terror of being lost in this
range wild country without power of sight. She
red not reach out for fear of having her con-
|cture confirmed.
She lay still and silent. fighting against her
In, slowly working up courage even as she re-
Instructed events preceding her wakening to
nd herself in this predicament. Gradually IL
came back to her the squeal OF the horse as
be ground grew soft beneath his hoofs and, with
Is rider. he plunged down into this black hole
witty, with the recollection etching itself in
very detail upon her mind in one picture OF
hOsphorescent light. her hands sought her bo-
ON and, with little groan of utter misery, she
ave way to uncomfortable sobs.
The reaction did her good, worked wonders
ith her In that spell Of selfpity, father, home,
Seetheart, everything was forgotten before the
orror OF her own predicament. F1nshede with
she gathered every faculty, mental and ply
cal and scrambled to her feet Above her, as
he lifted her eyes, she made out a streak of
tght threaded between aisles of dense leafiness
the sun piercing home into the jungle. She
moved forward, her hands before her, cropping.
Something soft and motioness and so still ii
aused her to shudder met the toe of her boot.
fhe arew back in swift ALARM knowing it to be
he body OF the horse she had ridden a great
| {eelng Of gratefulness at her own escape from
| similar fate warming her through and through.
Mastering the innate repulsion within her
fhe stepped upon the cor pse, her hands reaching
| ~ ana llndlng the smooth edge of the hole that
| au Ueen dug across the roadway to entrap her.
leF fingers found the roots of a tree, roots so
fout they bore her weight. For a moment she
waited, gathering her failing strength for the
EupFeme effort Then she sprang up, gathering
net Knees under her, relaxing slightly before
pu'uhs forward every ounce of her strength and
|arawing herself slowly, deadly SLOW toward the
warm surface OF the road
for lust a moment she lay there, half upon
'ne read, her toes dangling over the pit, feeling
ae nothingness there. Then she scrambled to
Ale|' painting and disheveled, and looked about
Auout her on every side, the jungle breathed
oatnsome, fetid, horrible Like some giant mon
wv 1t seemed TO spread its myriad tentacles in
YER direction, barring egress, fastening upon
~ % u's VINO chanced to stray within it, sucking
al & oHt very yitals. Riotous vegetation about,
80 sss HshlHle their heads to the air and dwarf
~ S "e1heF ones who, instead of succumbing,
Nv. e".ltl out the closer to the conquerer and shot
ou' @ SIeepers that fastened about the trunks and,
., y,aen'hs the lower branches sent down showers
lines a. ines that made passage impenetrable Won
r,.lI-t Vu ulShluS peeled with their Wlckedly
- oNs uuman-taced petals from out the
LpIsHVHes OF these trees, shaking their truncated
Ch,. III ulabollcal glee at the girls predicament.
bir5. -%5,'eIing monkeys and brilliantly plumaged
~ "a with horried, squeaking voices made mock
~, w, sCampering about aloft always out of a
nea,, uahger zone from this strange being be-
1," 'Heih, yet never ceasing to mock and jeer.
l,r, nut no odds how bleak the prospect. how for
VI 'le nope one always feels courage renewed
snS one mas Just glimpsed a greater danger
ora-..LIteu ".eIteu II Lucille had known within the
Ioar5 nour horror OF blindness and her heart
tbin.I "ish with joy at being able to see these
had - - n IL tlis same jungle with her in quite as
IIn, Pleulcanent was Hugo Loubeuue and with
luso Loubeque We're the papers she had fought
triiif,u M 70 recover. She laughed aloud her voice
evan d note so foreign to this black abode that
had ny e animal life was silenced in amaze She
ninp StueIed the air, fire, the wireless light
AVA, ~ waves, savages, the Jungle to take
idant Use stolen documents from a man whose
ali tbes., at AZ llrst she had not even known Ane
inten, ~, SIinss mad seemed to kneel before her
fear noI upoh dolng her bidding. And should sh,
shnpId v, sIould she hesitate for one instant
den u she doubt but that an outraged Provi
ereatest hour of need7 IA '"i' 80
cola u e thought braced here as would a douse q
hind er, ,o 10 right, toeft before her and be
she -, haught but jungle Which wav shoult
She fai, ~, " come across the international spy
plnct; ~, 'He ne amulet about her neck with nervous
ansvsr - tlnsers, as though seeking to read th
trail in satety lay behind, back along tn,
luctantL, nc image OF the chief who had SO re
vjL VII LSiessage from his neighbor put sha did No
,,o surety She wanted the no mere "a oi;,;,o
that - iuIe her thread of trail dehoucbe o.
ieau somewhere but Hugo Iouheou