Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1916-09-23
CHAPTER XVII.
A Thrilling Rescue.

u~ THINK you have had the escape
Al Of your life, young fellah, my.
lad II was catchin' those In
"a dams that put you clean out OF
their heads. else they would have been
hack 70 the camp for you. as sure as
fate. and gathered you in. OF course.
as You said. they have been watchin'
Ms from the heCinnin out Of that tree,
ard they knew perfectly well that we
we're one short However. they could
think only OF this new haul. So it was
I and not Il bunch OF apes that drop
red In on you In the morning. Well,
we had Fl horrid business afterward.
Nv God. what a nightmare the whole
thing is. You remember the great
bristle Of sharp canes down below.
where we found the skeleton Of the
American? Well, that IS just under
ape town, and that's the jumpin' off
place OF their prisoners. I expect
there's heaps Of skeletons there. If we
looked for en-. They have & sort Of
clear parade ground on the top. and
they make q proper ceremony about it
One by one the poor devils have 70
lump. and the game IS to see whether
they are merely dashed TO pieces or
whether they get skewered on the
canes They took rs out 10 see it.
and the whole tribe lined up on the
edge. Four Of the Indians jumped.
and the canes went through en- like
knittin' needles through q pat OF but
Ter. No wonder we found that poor
Yankees skeleton with the canes
CROWN between his ribs. II was hOr-
rible-but II was doocedly interestiu'
TOO We were all fascinated 10 see
them take the dive, even when we
thought it would he our turn next on
the sprinEboard.
Well. It wasn't. They kept six Of
the Indians up for today-that's how
understand it-but ! fancy we were 10
be the star performers in the show.
Challenger might get off. but Summer
lee and I were in the bill. Their Ian
guage is more than half signs. and il
was not hard To follow them. So l
thought it was time we made q break
for IT.
so broke away early this mornln',
gave my guard Il kick in the tummy
that laid him out and spriuted for the
camp. There got you and the guns
and here We are
But the profossors"' cried in con
sternatioa.
Wen We must just 20 back and
fetch EN-. / couldn't brin2 en- with
me Challenger was uD the tree. and
Summerlec was NOT fit for the effort.
The only chance Was 10 get the guns
and try a rescue. OF course they may
scuppcr them at once in revenge. l |
don't thiuk they would touch Chal-
lenge-. but 7 wouldn't answer for sum
meriee. But they would have had him
in any case. Of that I am certain So
haven't made matters any worse by
boltin. But We IRE honor bound to 20
back and have them out or see II
through with them. So you had better
make up your soul. young fenah. my
lad for il viii he one way or the other
before eve1iu'."
OFF we started. ana when We reached I
the edge of the cliff ! looked over and .
ssw our good ola black Zambo sitting F.
smoking on 81 rock below US. I would 7.
have given 81 great deal p have hailed /.
him and told him how we We're placed. .
but IL was too dangerous lest We
should be heard The woods seemed tn .
be full Of the ape men. Again and
again we heard their curious clicking .
chatter At such times we plunged .
into the nearest clump Of bushes and .
lay stiH until the sound had passed .
away. orr advance therefore was very
SLOW, and two hours at least must /
have passed before I saw by Lord .
Johns cautions movements that we
must he close 70 our destination. He .
notioned r. me to lie stin and he
cra%!@d forward himself, in q minute
be was back again. his face quivering
With eageruess-
Come said he Come quick, /