Gilpin observer., 1915-10-14
DO you know" Joan said, that you
nallod mo tdoar2,O

DO you know" Joan said, that you
called me 'dear?"
Yes, couldn't help it," replied.
Forgive me if l offended you"
Call me dear-again," She whis.
pered. "If you could only know in full
what joy your coming has been to
me. For two long years. the only
human being have seen-well, can t
you guess what happiness you mean
to me?"
Yes, dear. know. If only could
get my hands free, might succeed in
Enchanting my feet. Could you try,
dear7"
l squirmed up close to the bars
where she could reach my hands,
which were tied in front of me. She
tussled at the rope, but the hard knots
and the interposing bars Of her cage
rendered her task too difficult for ac-
complishment.
Presently, from sheer fatigue, she
slept.
Good night, dear!" l whispered
She was not really asleep. She
rose on one arm and whispered: Good
night-dear John!"
And so we slept
Morning came. and with 1t came our
two mad captors. Again they fed Joan
and again Joan fed me. And then
shall / ever forget the way my heart
sank when the mad old scientist said
to me:
And now, as l promised you, you
shall occupy the cage next to my other
specimen-if you live!"
The slave forthwith united me, hand
and foot Their intention regarding
my fate had already become manifest.
For the old man had ordered the slave
to desist from feeding the mountain
lion in the cage adjoining that of
Joan's. saying:
No, don't feed the lion this morn
ing. Chacha. Well give him a chance
for food more rare"
So l was to be thrust into the cage
with the fierce beast. IF / lived"
meant. evidently, that If l survived the
Forthcoming inevitable fight with that
lion my life would be spared-spared
to endure it henceforth as a prisoner
in that same cage. Had it not been for
Joan I'm sure l would have entered
the cage determined to let the lion
destroy me as quickly as possible, put
ting up no fight at all myself, in order
to have the whole business through
with, rather than continue to live there
| prisoner.
They removed two bars from the
lions cage-thrust me in-then quick
ly replaced the bars. The mortal com
bat between a mountain lion and John
| Gaunt, mining engineer, was on.
Joan watched from her cage through
| the separating bars in mortal terror.
Never, shall forget the anguish
in what she had reason to believe
would be my last moment on earth
the last moment, too, of the personifi
cation of her only earthly hope of pos.
sible release from her prison. ss
The lion crouched in the corner OF
the cage, watching me. l kept per.
fectly still. | had read somewhere
| tIldI Tue Quletci ohc hCCPo Nhch III
such tight fix with wild animal the
better. So gave no more sign of life
than il l were statue.
The lion watched. So did l. The
lion for many minutes never once took
his eyes from mine. And l kept my
own eyes fixed on that animal as a
hypnotist views his subject.
Outside the cage stood the two mad
men, also watching, The madmaIl
cackled He seized bar of wood and
prodded the lion.
That settled the matter. The fight
began. The lion sprang upon me
Down my back one of his paws tore a
cash that certainly must have looked
fatal to the watching Joan. For blood
flowed from the long wound and be
spattered the floor. Thank Cod in
the first onrush of the beast had
had the presence Of mind to seize him
by the throat. hung on like bull
dog-giving to my hands the super
natural strength OF a desperate man
But the lion, in one mighty wrench
freed itself from my grasp and
crouched for a second spring.