Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1915-11-19
CHAPTER x.
The Forest God.


Clayton had been pursuing, started
through the jungle toward the point
he had indicated.
CLAYTON, bewildered and confused,
hesitated to follow him, for he
thought he was but being led more
deeply into the mazes Of the forest
but the ape man returned and, grasp
ing him by the coat, dragged him
along until he was convinced that Clay
ton understood what was required OF
him and then left him to follow
voluntarily.
The Englishman finally concluded
that he was a prisoner and saw no al
ternative but to accompany his cap
tor, and thus they travelled slowly
through the jungle while the sable
mantle of the impenetrable night OF
the forest fell about them.
Suddenly Clayton heard the faint
report Of a firearm a single shot and
then silence.
In the cabin by the beach two thor
oughly terrified women clung to each
other as they crouched upon the low
bench in the gathering darkness.
The negress, sobbing Historically,
bemoaned her departure from her
dear Maryland, while the white girl,
dry eyed and outwardly calm, was
tortured by inward foreboding. She
feared not more for herself than for
cha fn
wandering in the abysmal depths OF
the Jungle, from which now issued
the incessant shrieks and roars, bark
ings and growlings Of its terrifying
and fearsome inmates.
Now came the sound Of heavy
body brushing against the side of the
cabin. She could hear the great pad
ded paws upon the ground without.
Then for an instant all was silent.
"Hush!' the girl whispered. Hush,
Esmeralda!" for the woman's sobs and
groans seemed to have attracted the
thing that stalked there just beyond
the thin wall.
A gentle scratching sound was heard
on the door. The brute tried to force
an entrance, but presently this ceased,
and again she heard the great padded
paws creap stealthily around the cab
in. Again they stopped-beneath the
window, on which the terrified eyes
of the girl now glued themselves
"Heavens!" she murmured, for, sill
houetted against the moonlit sky be-
yond, she saw framed in the tiny
square Of the latticed window the head
of a huge tiger. The cleaning eyes
were fixed upon her in tense ferocity.
Look, Esmeralda" she whispered.
What shall we do? Look! Quick!
The window"
Esmeralda covered still closer to
her mistress and glanced affrighted
toward the little square Of moonlight
just as the tiger emitted low, savage
snarl.
The sight that met the poor black S
eyes was too much for the already
overstrung nerves.
"Oh, Gaberiel!" she shrieked and
slid to the floor, an inert and senseless
mass.
For what seemed an eternity the
great brute stood with it's fore paws
upon the sill, glaring into the little
room. Presently it tried the strength
Of the lattice with it's great talons.
The girl had almost ceased to
breathe when to her relief the head
disappeared and she heard the brute's
footsteps leaving the window. But
now they came to the door again, and
once more the scratching commenced,
but this time with increasing force
until the great beast was tearing at
the massive panels in a perfect frenzy
Of fury.
Could Jane Porter have known the
immense strength Of that door, builded
less fear Of the tiger reaching her by
this avenue.
For fully twenty minutes the brute
alternately shifted and tore at the
door, occasionally giving voice to a
cry Of baffled rage. At length, how
ever, he gave up the attempt, and
Jane Porter heard him returning to-
ward the window, beneath which he
paused for an instant and then
launched his great weight against the
time worn lattice.
The girl heard the wooden rods
groan beneath the impact, but they
held, and the huge body dropped back
to the ground below.
Again and again the tiger repeated
these tactics until finally the Mortified
prisoner within saw q portion Of the
lattice give way, and in an instnat one
great paw and the head of the animal
were thrust within the room.
Slowly the powerful neck and
shoulders were spreading the bars
apart, and the 1.-THE body came farther
and farther into the room.
AS in a trance the girl rose, her
hand upon her breast. wide eyes star
ing horror stricken into the snarline
face of the beast scarce ten feet from
her At her feet lay the PROSTATE form
of the negress.
The girl, standing pale and rigid
against the farther wall, sought with
increasing terror for some loophole OF
escape. Suddenly her hand, tight
pressed against her bosom. felt the
hard outlines Of the revolver that
Clayton had left with her earlier in
the day.
Quickly she snatched it from its
hiding place and leveled it full at the
tigers face, pulled the trigger.
There was a flash of flame. the
roar of the discharge and an answer
ing roar of pain and anger from the
beast.
Jane Porter saw the great form dis
appear from the window, and then
she, too, tainted.
But the tiger was not killed. The
bullet had but inflicted painful
wound in one of it's great shoulders