Free trader-journal. (Ottawa, Ill.) 1916-1920, 1917-10-25

AS the lad rose to meet him COnlOn
heard !: low grow at his back, then
Ii. felt his wrists seized by the boy and
realized that beneath those taprrins
white fingers played muscles of steel.
lie felt other hands at his throat /
rough, hairy hands thai reached over
his shoulders from behind. He cast /
II terrified glance backward and the
hairs of his head stifened ut the sight !
his eyes revealed, for grasping him
from the rear was a huge nanlike ape. !
The barred fighting fangs OF the IN.
tlropOid were close t0 his throat. The
lad piniOncd his wrists. Neither Ut |
tered a sound.
Where WAS the grandlnotherI Con
Ions eyes swept the room in "A single,
AL inclusive glance. His eyes bulged
n horror at the realization of the
truth which that glance revealed. In
The power OF what creatures of hideoIs
mystery had he placed himself!
Franiieally he fought to beat OFF the
boy 81 he could tvrn upon the fear
some, thing nj his back. Freeing one
hand, he struck II savage blow III the
lads face.
His act seemed to 'unloose thont
sand devils in the hairy creature,
clinging to his throat. Conlon heard 4
low and savage snurl. 1t was the last
! thing that the American ever heard in
this life. Then he was dragged back
ward upon the floor, Il heavy body fell
upon him, powerful teeth fastened
themselves In his jugular, his head
whired in the sudden blackness which
rims eternity.
his PROSTATE form. But Conlon did
NOT knoW--he was quite dead.
The lad mortified, sprang from tho
bed To lean low over the body of thu
man. He know Akut had killed him
in his defense, as he had killed Paul
witch. But here in savage Africa, fal
| from home and friends, what would
they do to him and his faithful ape?
The lad knew that the penalty OF
murder was death He even knew that
an accomplice might suffer the death
/ penalty with the principal. Who was
! there here who would plead for them:
! M would be against them. 1t was
I little more than Il half civilized com
( nunlty, and the chances were that
/ they would drag Akut and him forth
in the morning and hang them both tn
4 the nearest tree lie had read of such
| things being done in America, and
! Africa was worse even and wilder
native land.
Yes, they would both be hanged in
the morning.
Last evening he had been determined
to start for home at the first oppor
tunity to beg the forgiveness of his
parents for this mad adventure. Now
he knew that he might never return
to them. The blood of fellow man
was upon his hands. In his morbid re
hection he had long since ceased to at.
tribute the death Of Conon to the ape
The hysteria of panic hnd fastened the
guilt upon himself.
Now he turned toward Akut.
Come" he said IN the language OF
the great apes. Forgetful of The act
that he wore only thin pajama suit,
he led the way to the open window.
Thrusting his head out. he listened Mt
tentively. A single tree grew few
/ feet from the window.
Nimbly the lad sprang to It's bole,
clinging catlikt for al instant before
he clambered quietly to the ground be-
low. Close behind him came the great
ape. Two hundred yards away n spur
of the Jungle ran close to the strag-
Cling town. Toward this the lad led
the way.
No one saw them, and Il moment
later the Jungle swallowed them, and
John Clayton, future Lord Greystokc
passed from the eyes and the knoWl
edge Of men.
Ii was late the following El0rnina
mat Il native house man knocked upon
the door Of the room that had been as.
signed to Mrs. Billings aud her grand
son. Receiving no response, he insert
ed his pass key In the lock, only to dis.
cover TINT another key was already
l q b ~ N . II