The Delta independent., 1916-07-21

a,,e man we've in ss;.-; contrast TO tho
uroau prov and magnificent cranlum
of the European, could one see any
marked difference. At every other
point the king was an absurd parody
of the professor.
All this. which takes me 50 long to-
describe, impressed itself upon me in
n few seconds. Then we had very diff
ferent things to think Of. for an active
drama was in progress. Two OF the
ape men had seized one of the Indians
out of the group and dragged him for
ward to the edge Of the cliff. The king
raised his hand as a signal. They
caught the man by his leg and arm and
swung him three times backward and
forward with tremendous violence.
Then with a frightful heave they shot
the poor wretch over the precipice.
With such force did they throw him
that he curved high In the air before
beginning to drop. As he vanished
from sight the whole assembly, except
the guards. rushed forward to the edge
of the precipice. and there was . long
pause of absolute silence. broken by
mad yell of delight They spranE
about. tossing their long. hairy arms In
the air and bowling with exultation.
Then they fell back from the edge.
formed themselves again into line and
waited for the next victim
This time It was Summerlee. Two Of
his guards caught him by the wrists
and pulled him brutally to the front
His thin figure and long limbs strug-
ged and Huttered like n chicken being
dragged from coop. Challenger had
turned to the king and waved his hands
frantically before him. He was beg
ging. pleading, imploring for bis CON-
rades life. The ape man pushed him
roughly aside and shook his head. IL
was the last conscious movement he
was to make upon earth. Lord Johns
rife cracked, and the king sank down.
a tangled red sprawling thing. upou
the ground.
'.Shoot into the thick OF them. Shoot
sonny. shootr' cried my companion.
There are strange red depths In the
soul OF the most commonplace man.
am tender hearted by nature and have
found my eyes moist many time over
the scream OF wounded hare. Yet
the blood lust was on me now. 1
found myself ON my feet emptying one
magazine. then the other. clicking open
the breech TO reload. swapping Il TO
again. while cheering and yelling with
pure ferocity and Joy OF slaughter as l
did so.
with our four good guns the two OF
us made horrible havoc. Both the
guards who held Summcrlee were
down. and he was staggering about
like drunken man In his amnzemcDt.
unable 10 realize that he was n free
man. The dense mob OF ape men ran
about In bcwildcrmcnt. marveling
whence this storm OF death was COM
Ing or what II might mean. They
waved. gesiiculated. screamed and trip
ped up over those who had fallen.
Then. with n sudden impulse. they all
rushed In bowling crowd to the trees
for shelter. leaving the ground behind
them spotted with their stricken COM
rades.
All the prisoners were left for the
moment standing alone I'm the middle
of the clearing.
Chailengcr's quick brain had graspcd
the situation. lie seized the bewil-
dered Summcriee 10y the arm. and they
guards bounded after them and fell to
two bullets from Lord John. We ran
forward into the open TO meet our
friends and pressed loaded rife into
the hands OF each. But Summcrec
was at the end OF his strength. He
could hardly tottcr. Already the ape
men were recovering from their panic.
They were coming through the brush
wood and threatening to cut us OF.
Challenger and ran Summerlec along.
one at each of his elbows. while Lord
John covered our retreat. firing again
and again ns savage heads snarled Mt
us out OF the bushes. For n mile or
more the chattcring brutes were at our
very heels. Then the pursuit slack
ened. for they learned our power and
would no longer face that unerring
rife.
When we had at last reached the
camp we looked back and found our
selves alone.
In less than half an hour we had
reached our brushwood retreat and
concealed ourselves. All day we heard
the excited calling OF the ape men In
the direction OF our old camp. but none
OF them came our way. and the tired
fugitivcs. red and white. had n long.
deep sleep.
We had imagined that our pursucrs.
the ape men. knew nothing OF our
brushwood hiding plDce. but we were
soon to lind out our mistake. There
was no sound In the woods-not n leaf
moved upon the trees and all was
peace around us-but we should have
been warned by our first experience