Mansfield mirror. (Mansfield, Wright County, Mo.) 1908-1957, 1917-01-11
EIGHTH l~NsTALLMERT
THE SUN WoRsHIPERs
CHAPTER xxxIv.
Tho yunaIe Trail.

The jungle Trait.
Embodied and stumbling. Neal was
led for miles over an almost untrod
path.
Al he went he listened, and twice
he could have sworn he heard . wom-
ans voice, . voice that he knew we'll
the voice of Annette nington. Once
he heard her cream.
Suddenly there was . halt. There
was much whispering and the low
toned chattering Of many people. And
then Neal heard another scream
Meal! Neal!"
There was the trampling Of . heavy
body through the underbrush and then
the rafting of . heavy chain and what
seemed to be the unlocking of q door.
There was another shrek. then 81
lence.
Finally without warning Neal was
seized in a gigantic pair of arms.
tossed lightly over q huge shoulder
and was carried rapidly along. An
other door was opened and Neal felt
himself fiung-a bit too violently
into the corner of q stone-walled apart
ment. A door clxnged to behind him
and was locked and bolted. A voice
assailed his ears.
"Senor," said this voice, III you
would be relieved of bonds and blinds,
approach me-"
Neal-not without apprehension
started up and staggered in the d.
rection of the voice. A hand swung
him about. Upon his head and wrists
he felt the pressure Of cold steel-the
back Of q sheath knife. His bonds
fell at his feet. He swung about,
stretched his arms and looked. Grin
ming sardonically at him through the
bars was the face Of Hernandez and
behind Hernandez with blinking eyes
stood the eyer-present brute,
We keep you merely for safety,
senor." said Hernandez
He swung on his heel, thrust the
brute out OF sight and disappeared.
Neal noted now that he was con-
fined in a stone cell-dingy. dirty. mis-
cradle. He jumped at once to the
correct conclusion. This was a fort
/. He examined his cell critically. The
mortar was disintegrating. The fort
was very old. He took out his knife
they had still left him that-and
stabbed viciously at the space in be-
tween the stones.
There was a rattle at the door Of
Meals cell. "A native insurrecto
opened the door and set upon the floor
a jug of water and a loaf Of disreput-
able looking bread. Almost at the
same time there was q rattle at the
door Of Annette's dungeon cell She
ceased her tapping suddenly and
turned. The brute was entering-also
with refreshments. such al they were.
Instead Of disposing Of these at
once. he strobe forward. his huge body
towering above her. and held them cut
to her with a strange CLEAN in his
eyes. She took the food and drink and
laid them down upon the bench. star
ing at the brute the while. The huge
anomaly took this as an invitation.
He shambled closer toward her. never.
snce removing his glance from her up
turned wondering face. Then with
out warning he thrust forth q hand
and stroked her hair.
Annette was startled. Yet there was
20 much docility in the expression OF
this half man, nalf animal, that she
fnstinctively submitted to his touch.
And there was something else-some-
thing struggling for expression in
those strange. wide open eyes.
There raj a quick step behind the
brute and Hernandez entered. An
nette shrank back into a corner OF
the cell.
The brute gazed at him. but still
stood his ground. Hernandez in a
rsss struck him sharply on the shout.
De- an thrust him toward the door.