, 1916-11-09

CFteu. Every moment CountBs
my hand feeling for a rifle, L gave a
cry of JOY as in the cold gray light l
saw Lord John RoXton kneeling be-
side me.
II was he, n vet 1t was not he. 1
had left him calm in his bearing. cor
rect in his person, prim in his dress.
Now he was pale and wild eyed, gasp
ing as he breathed like one who has
u far IN fast. His gaunt face was
scratched and bloody, his clothes were
hanging in rags, and his hat was gone.
l stared in amazement, put he gave
me no chance for questions. He was
grabbing at our stores all the time he
spoke.
Quick, young fellah! Quicki" he
cried. Every moment counts. Get
the rifles, both OF them. | have the
other two. Now all the cartridges you
can gather. Fill up your pockets. Now.
some food. Half II dozen tins will do.
That's all right. Don't wait to talk
or think. Get II move on or we are
done!'
Still half awake and unable TO i'm
agine what it ali might mean, ! found
myself 'hurrylng madly after him
through the wood, a rifle under each
arm and n pile of various stores in my
hands. He lodged in and out through
the thickest Of the scrub until he came
to a dense clump of brushwood. Into
this he rushed. regardless of thorns,
and threw himself into the heart of 1t,
pulling me down by his side.
"There," he painted. 81 think we
are safe here. They'll make for the
camp as surf AS fate. 1t will be their
first idea, But this should puzzle
en-"
What is it air. l asked when ! had
got my breath. Where are the pro-
~fessors, and who is it that is after us?"
"The ape men, he cried. my God,
what brutes! Don't raise your voice,
for they have long ~ears-sharp eyes,
too, but no power OF scent, so far as |
could judge, so | don't think they can
snin us out. Where have you been,
young fellah? You were well out
OF It."
In a few sentences I whispered what
! had duoe.
Then he told what had happened in
my absence.
1T was in the early mornin'. Our
learned friends were just stirrin'.
Hadn't even begun t argue yet. Sud
denly it raIned apes. They came down
as thick as apples out OF a tree. They
had been assemblln' In the dark. / sup
pose, until that great tree over our
heads was heavy with them. | shot
n OF them through the belly, but be-
fore We knew where we were they had
US spread eaglCd On our backs. | call
them apes, but they carried sticks aud
stones in their hands and jabbered talk
to each other and ended up by tyfn'
u hands with creepers, SO they are
ahead of any beast hat | have seen in
my wanderin's. Ape ~men-that's what
they re-missln' links. and | wish
they had stayed missin'. They carried
on their wounded comrade-he was
Dleedin like Il pig-and then they sat
around us, and II ever | saw frozen
murder ii was in their faces. They
were big fellows. as big as a man and
II deal stronger Curious CLASSY gray
they have. under red cuffs, and
they just sat and gloated and gloated.
Challenger Is no chicken, but even he
was cowed. He managed to struggle
to his feet, and yelled out at them to
have done with 1t and get It over. 1
think he had gone a bit off his head at
the ~suddsnness Of it, for he ragged and
cursed at them like a lunatic. If they
had been a row Of his favorlte press
men he could not have slanged them
worse"
Il thought it was the end of us. but
instead of that 1t started them on II
new line. They all iabbered and rhnt.