The Odanah star. [volume] (Odanah, Ashland Co., Wis.) 1912-1916, 1915-08-06

| "The Hut, Professor!
| far as the hedge, which they skirted
for few yards until they found an
opening. Then Quest gave vent to a
| little exclamation. Immediately in
| front of them was a small hut, built
| apparently of sticks and bamboos,
| with a stronger framework behind.
| The sloping roof was grass-grown and
| entwined with rushes. The only apol-
| ogy for a window was queer little
hole set quite close to the roof.
| There was rude-loOking door, but
Quest, on trying it, found 1t locked.
They walked around the place, but
found no other opening. All the time
from inside they could hear queer
scufling sounds. Lenora's cheeks
grew paler.
Must we stay?" she murmured. Il
don't think want to see what's in
side. Mr.. Quest! Mr.. Quest!"
She chung to his arm. They were
opposite the little aperture which
served as window, and at that mo-
ment it suddenly framed the face of
a creature, human in features, diaboli-
cal in expression.
"Say, that's some facet" he re-
marked. "Pd hate to spoil it."
| Even as he spoke it disappeared.
We've got to get inside there,
Lenora," he announced, stepping for
ward.
| She followed him silently. A few
turns of the wrist and the door yield
ed. Keeping Lenora a little behind
him, Quest gazed around eagerly. Elk
actly in front of him, clad only in a
| loin cloth, with hunched-up shoulders,
a necklace around it's neck, with blaz-
ing eyes and ugly, cleaning teeth,
| crouched some unacceptable crea-
ture, human, yet inhuman, monkey,
and yet man. There were couple
of monkeys swinging by their tails
from a bar, and a leopard chained to
staple in the ground, walking
round and round in the far corner,
swapping and snarling every time
he glanced towards the newcom-
ers. The creature in front of him
stretched out hairy hand towards
a club, and gripped it. Quest drew a
long breath. His eyes were set hard.
Drop that club" he ordered.
The creature suddenly sprang up
The club was waved around his head
Drop it," Quest repeated firmly
'sYou will sit down in your corner. You
will Sleep"
The club slipped from the hairy fin,
gers. The tense frame, which had
been already crouched for the spring,
was suddenly relaxed. The knees
| trembled.
"Back to that corner" Quest or
dered, pointing.
Slowly and dejectedly, the ape-man
crept to where he had been ordered
and sat there with dull, non-compre-
hending stare. 1t was new force,
this, a note of which he had felt-the
superman raising the voice of author
ity. Quest touched his forehead and
| found it damp. The strain of those
few seconds had been intolerable.
81 don't think these other animals
will hurt" he said. Lets have a
look around the place"
The search took only a few mo.
ments. The monkeys ran and jumped
around them, gibbering as though with
pleasure. The leopard watched them
always with snarl and an evil light
in his eye.
They found nothing unusual until
they came to the distant corner, where
a huge piano box lay on its side with
the opening turned to the wall.
"This is where the brute sleeps,
suppose" Quest remarked. well
turn it around, anyway
They dragged it a few feet away
from the wall, so that the opening
faced them. Then Lenora gave little
cry and Quest stood suddenly still.
"The skeleton!" Lenora shrieked
cts the skeleton!"
It was a skeleton so old that the
bones had turned a dull gray. Quest
| glanced towards the hands.
Little fingers both missing" he
muttered.
Remember the message?" she ex
claimed. Where the skeleton is, the
necklace may be also"
Quest nodded shortly.
We'll search"
They turned over everything in the
place fruitlessly. There was no sign
| of the necklace.
"You get outside, enora," Quest di
rected. 'tI1l just 5ring this beast
round again and then well tackle the
professor"
Quest turned towards the creature
which crouched still huddled up in its
corner.
Look at me-" he ordered.
The creature obeyed. Once more it!
frame seemed to grow. mere virila ant
natural