Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1915-08-13
CHAPTER XIV.
HOW TARTAN CAME AGAIN TO

OPAR.
TTTHEN Clayton returned to the shelter
w and found Jane Porter was missing,
he became frantic with fear and grief.
He found Monsieur Thuran quite rational,
| the fever having left him with surprising
suddness which was one of It's peculari-
ties The Russian, weak and exhausted.
still lay upon his bed of grass within the
shelter
When Clayton asked him about the girl
! he seemed surprised to know that she
was not there.
II have heard nothing unusual" he
said. But then have been unconscious
much of the time"
Had 1t not been for the mans very
evident weakness Clayton should have
| suspected him of having sinister knowl-
edge OF the girls whereabouts; but he
could see that Thuran lacked sufficient
vitality even to descend, unaided, from
the shelter. He could not, in his present
physical condition, have harmed the girl
nor could he have climbed the rude ladder
back to the shelter.
Until dark the Englishman searched the
nearby Jungle for a trace of the missing
one or sign OF the trail of her abductor.
But though the spoor left by the fifty
frightful men. unversed in woodcraft as
they were. would have been as plain
to the densest denizen OF the jungle as a
city street to the Englishman, vet he
crossed and recrossed It twenty times
without observing the slightest indication
that many men had passed that way but
a few short hours since,
As he searched, Clayton continued to
call the girls name aloud. but the only
result of this was to attract Numa, the
lion. Fortunately the man saw the
shadowy frame worming It's way toward
him in time to climb into the braches Of
tree before the beast was close enough
To reach him. This put an end 10 his
search for the balance OF the afternoon,
as the on paced back and forth beneath
him until dark.
Even after the beast had left, Clayton
dared not descend into the awful black
ness beneath him, and so he spent ter
ritying and hideous night in the tree. The
next morning he returned TO the beach,
relinquishing the last hope OF succoTlng
jaime Porter.
During the week that followed, Mon
sieur Thuran rapidly regained his
strength, lying In the shelter while Clay
ton hunted food for both. The men never
spoke except as necessity demanded
clayton now occupied the section OF the
shelter which had been reserved for Jane
Porter. and only saw the Russian when
he took food and water 20 him, or per-
formed the other kindly ofiees which
common humanity required.
when Thuran was again able to descend
In search OF food, Clayton was stricken
with fever, For days he lay tossing In de-
lirium and suffering, but not once did
the Russian come near him. Food the
Englishman could not have eaten, but
his craving for water amounted prac-
tleally to torture, Between the reeurrent
attacks OF delirium, weak though he was.
he managed TO reach the brook once a
day and MI tiny can that had been
among the few appointments OF the life
boat. :
Thuran watched him on these occasions
with an expression OF malignant pleasure
he seemed really to enjoy the suffering
OF the man who. despite the just con-
tempt In which he held him. had minis
tered TO him TO the best OF his ability
while he lay suffering the same agonies.
At last Clayton became so weak that he
was no longer able 10 descend from tbs
shelter For a day he suffered for water
without appealing to the Russian, but
finally, unable 70 endure II longer he
asked Thlran to fetch him a drink
The Russian came TO the entrance 10
Clayton's room, dish OF water ia his
hand. nasty grin contorted his feat
ures.
Here is water he said. "But hrst let
me remind you that you maligned me
before the girl-that you kept her 40
yourself and would not snare her with
me-"
CLAYTON interrupted him. "stopr he
cried fStopi What manner of cur ars
you that you traduce the character Of 4
good woman whom We believe dead
3odl vas fool ever 70 let you live
you are not nt 70 live even Ia this vile
land"
Here 3 your water said the Russian.