The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1917-02-09

pressed the limb that the caves mouth was now tco far above us to be reached.
 We finally agreed that Tars Tarkas should return along the branch, leav- ing his longest leather harness strap with me, and that when the limb had risen to height that would permit me to enter the cave was to do so, and upon Tars Tarkas' return I could then. lower the strap and haul him up to the safety of the ledge.
 This we did wit2out mishaps and soon found ourselves together upon the verge of a dizzy little balcony, with a magnificent view of the valley spread ing out below us.
 Below us upon the rivers bank the great white apes were devouring the last remnants of Tars Tarkas' former companions, while great herds of plant men grazed in ever widening circles about the sward, which they kept as close clipped as the smoothest of lawns.
 Knowing that attack from the tree was now improbable, we determined to explore the cave, which we had ey- cry reason to believe was but continu- ation of the path we had already trav- ersed, leading the gods knew where, but clearly away from this valley of Aferocity.
 As we advanced we found a well proportioned tunnel cut from the solid cliff. It's walls rose some twenty feet above the floor, which was about five feet in width The roof was arched.
 We had no means of making a light, and so groped our way slowly into the ever increasing darkness, Tars Tarkas keeping in touch with one wall while I felt along the other. To prevent our wandering into diverging branches and becoming separated or lost in some intricate and labyrinthic maze we clasped hands.
 How far we traversed the tunnel in this manner I do not know, but pres ently we came to an obstruction which blocked our further progIess.
 It seemed more like partition than sudden ending of the cave for it was constructed not of the material of the cliff, but of something which felt like very hard wood.
 Silently I groped over it's surface with my hands and presently was re- warded by the feel of the button, which as commonly denotes a door on Mars as does a doorknob On earth.
 Gently pressing 1t, I had the satis faction of feeling the door slowly give before me, and in another instant we were looking into dimly lighted apart ment which, so far as we could see, was unoecupied.
 Without more ado swung the door wide open and, followed by the huge Thark, stepped into the chamber
 As we stood for moment in silence gazing about the room slight noise behind caused me to turn quickly.
 To my astonishment, saw the door close with sharp click as though moved by an unseen hand.
 Instantly I sprang toward it to wrench it open again, for something in the uncanny movement of the thing and the almost palpable silence of the chamber seemed to pOrtend an evil hidden in this rock bound chamber.
 My fingers clawed futilely at the un- yielding portal, while my eyes sought in vain for duplicate of the button which had given us ingress.
 And then from unseen lips a cruel and mocking peal of laughter rang through the desolate place.
 For moments after that awful laugh had ceased reverberating through the room Tars Tarkas and I stood in tense and eXpectant silence. But no further