Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1916-06-23

victims, and scores of sucking mouths fast
ened themselves to the flesh of their prey
turned away in disgust.
Inelr part Is soon over" said ThuVia
The great white apes get the flesh when
the plant men have drained the arteries
LOOK, they are coming now !"
AS ! turned my eyes in the direction
the girl indicated I saw a dozen of the
great white monsters running across the
valley toward the river bank. Then the
sun went down and darkness that could
almost be felt engulfed US.
Thuvia lost no time in leading us toward
the corridor which winds back and forth
up through the cliffs toward the surface
thousands of feet above the level on which
we had been.
Twice great banths, wandering loose
through the galleries. blocked our progress
but in each instance Thuvia spoke n low
word of command and the snarling beasts
skunk sullenly away
IF you can dissolve oil our obstacles
as easily as you master these fierce brutes
can see no difficulties In our way" / said
to the girl smiling How do you do itH'
She laughed and then shuddered.
II do not quite know" she said when
first I came here | angered Sator Throg
because | repulsed him. lie ordered me
thrown into one OF the great pits In the
inner gardens II was filled with banths
an my own country l had been accus.
toned to command Something In my
voice, do not know what, cowed the beasts
as they sprang TO attack me.
Instead of tearing me TO pieces, as Sator
Throg had desired they fawned at my
feet SO greatly were Sator Throg and
his friends amused by the sight that they
kept me to train and handle the terrible
creatures. | know them all by name.
There are many of them wandering
through these lower regions. They are the
mere
their chains The banths solve the pro-
blem of sanitation, at least lin this respect
I'm the gardens and temples above they
are kept in pits. The therns rear them
1t is because OF the banths that they sci,
dom venture below ground except as tneli
duties call them" -.
An idea occurred to me, suggested ny
what Thuvla had just said.
"Why not take number of banths ano
set them loose before us above groundF
l asked
Thuvia laughed.
ut would distract attention from us
l am sure" she said
She commenced calling In low sing
song voice that was half purr. She con-
tinued this as we wound our tedious way
through the maze of subterranean pas
sages and chambers.
Presently soft-padded feet sounded close
behind us and as l turned l saw pair
of great green eyes shining In the dark
shadows at our rear. From divergine
tunnel sinuous, tawny form crept stealth
lily toward us.
Low growls and angry snarls assailed
our ears on every side as we fastened on
and one by one the ferocious creatures
answered the call of their mistress
She spoke a word to each as 1t Joined
us. Like well-schooled terriers, they paced
the corridors with us, but / could not helr
but note the lathering jowls, nor the hun
cry expressions with which the terrible
beasts eyed Tars Tarkas and myself.
Soon we were entirely surrounded by
some 50 of the brutes. Two walked. close
on either side of Thuvia, as guards might
walk. The sleek sides of others now and
then touched my own naked limbs
1t was strange experience; the almost
noiseess passage of naked human feet and
padded paws; the golden walls splashed
with precious stones the dim light cast by
the tiny radium bulbs set at considerable
distances along the roof; the huge, named
beasts of prey crowding with low growls
about us +; the mighty green warrior tow