The Glasgow courier., 1915-09-10

morning tnaC Cuere was Splen0l0
herd a few miles north Of the ranch
Victoria urged him to accompany the
other men upon the hunt.
"Ill attend to the balance Of the
backing" she said. There's not the
slightest reason in the world why you
shouldn't 60"
And so he went. and Victoria busted
herself in the gathering together Of
the odds and ends Of their personal
belongings
All morning the household was alive
with its numerous duties. but after
luncheon, while the heat Of the day
was greatest. the bungalow might have
been entirely deserted for any sign of
life that there was about it. Lady
Greystoke was taking her siesta. IA
were practically all Of the servants.
Victoria Custer had paused in her
work to gaze out Of her window toward
the distant hills far to the south. At
her side. nosing his muzzle into her
palm. stood one of Lord Greystoke's
great wolf hounds, Terkoz. He had
taken a great fancy to Victoria Custer
from the first and whenever permitted
to do so remained close beside her.
The girls heart filled with a great
longing as she looked wistfully out to-
ward the hills that she had so feared
before. She feared them still, yet some.
thing there called to her.
She tried to fight against the mad
desire with every ounce Of her reason.
but she was fighting against an unrea.
soning instinct that was far stronger
than any argument she could bring to
bear against It.
Presently the hounds cold muzzle
brought forth an idea in her mind, and
with it she cast aside the last sem.
blance Of attempted restraint upon her
mad desire. Selling her rifle and am.
munition belt, she moved noiselessly
into the veranda.
There she found a number Of leashes
hanging from a peg. One Of these she
snapped to the hounds collar. Unseen
she crossed the garden to the little
patch Of bushes where the dried blood
was. Here she gathered up some of
the brown stained earth and held It
close to Terkoz's nose; then she put
her finger to the ground where the
trail of blood led toward the south.
Here. Terkoz" she whispered.
The beast gave low growl as the
scent Of the new blood filed his nos
trils and. with nose close to the ground,
started of. tugging upon the leash. In
the direction of the mountains upon
the opposite side of the plain.
Beside him walked the girl. Across
her shoulder was slung modern big
game rife. and in her left hand swung
the stone tipped spear Of the savage
mate she sought.
What motive prompted her act she
did not even pause to consider. The
results she gave not the slightest
thought. 1t seemed the most natural
thing In the world that she should be
seeking this lonely. wounded man. Her
place was at his side. He needed her
that was enough for her to know.
She was no longer the pampered. pet
ted child of an effete civilization. That
any metamorphosis had taken place
within her she did not dream, nor is 1t
certain that any change had occurred,
FOR who may say that 1t is such far
step from one incarnation to another.
however many countless years Of man
measured time may have intervened?
Darkness had fallen upon the plain
and the jungle and the mountain, and
still Terkoz forged ahead. nose to the
and beside him moved the slen.
der figure Of the graceful girl.
Now the roar of distant lion came
to her ears. answered. quite
close. by the moaning of another-a
sound that Is infinitely more weird and
terrifying than the deeper throated
challenge. The cough Of the leopard
and the uncanny laughter Of hyenas
added their evidence that the night
prowling carnivora were abroad.
The hair along the wolf hounds spine
stidened In little ridge Of bristling
rage. The girl unslung her rife. shift
Ing the leash to the hand that carried
the heavy spear Of the troglodyte. but
she was unafraid.
Suddenly. just before her, a little
band Of antelope sprung from the grass
In startled terror. there was a hideous
roar and a great body hurtled through
the air to aiight upon the rump Of the
lii1dmost Of the herd,
A single scream Of pain and terror
from the stricken animal. q succession
Of low growls and the sound Of huge
jaws crunching through 6esh and bone.
and then silence.
The girl made slight detour to
avoid the beast and It's kill. passing
few yards above them. In the moon.
light the lion saw her and the hound.
Standing across his fallen prey. his
flaming eyes glaring at the intruders.
he rumbled his deep warning to them.
but Victoria. dragging the growing
Terkoz after her. passed on. and the
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