The herald-advance. (Milbank, S.D.) 1890-1922, 1918-03-22

te[eO j SOUND.
Where was the grandmother Con-
Ions eyes swept the room In a single.
all inclusive glance. His eyes bulged
In horror at the realisation Of the
truth which that glance revealed. In
the power Of what creatures Of hideous
mystery had he placed hlmself7
Frantically he fought to beat OF the
boy 20 he could turn upon the fear
some thing at his back. Freeing n
hand, he struck q savage blow at the
lads face.
His act seemed to unlooss q thou
sand devils In the hairy creature,
clingins to his throat. Conlon heard o
low and savage snarl. Il vas the last
thing that the American eFer heard In
this life. Then hs was dragged back
ward upon the door, . heavy body fell
upon him, powerful teeth fastened
themselves In his jugular. his head
whirled In the sudden blackness which
rims eternity.
A moment later the ape rose from
his prostrats form. But Conlon did
not know-he was quite dead.
The lad, Mortified, sprang from the
bed to lean low over the body Of the
man. He know Akut had killed him
In his defense, AZ he had killed Paul.
witch. But here In savage Africa, far
from home and friends, what would
they do to him and his faithful ape7
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 them1
All would be against them. It was
little more than q half civilized COM
munity, and the chances were that
they would drag Akut and him forth
In the morning and hang them both to
the nearest tree. He had read Of such
things being done In America, and
Africa was worse even and wilder
than the great west Of his mothers
native land.
Yea, they would both b 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 new return
to them. The blood Of a fellow man
was upon his hands. In his morbid re-
Election he had long since ceased 70 at.
tribute the death OF Conlon to the ape.
The hysterf2 81 panic had fastened the
guilt upon himself.
Now he turned toward Akut
Gomez" 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 at
tentively. A single tree grew . few
feet from the window.
Ntmbly the lad sprang to it, bole.
clinging catlike for an instant before
he clambered quietly to the ground be-
low. Close behind him came the great
ape. Two hundred yards away q spur
Of tho Jungle ran close to the strag.
Cling town. Toward this the lad led
the way.
No one saw them, and q moment
later the Jungle swallowed them, and
John Clayton, future Lord Greystoke,
passed from the eyes and the knowl
edge Of men.
Il ri late the following morning
that . native house man knocked upon
the door Of the room that had been as
signed to Mrs. Billings and her grand
%. Receiving no response. he insert
ed his pass key In the lock, only to dis
cover That another key was already
there. but from the inside.
He reported the fact to Herr Skopf,
the proprietor, who ut once made his
way % the second door, where he. too.
pounded vigorously upon the door.
Receiving no reply, he bent to the key
hole u m attempt to look through
into tho room beyond. In % doing,
being portly, he lost his balance, which
necesdtatsd putting . palm to the floor
60 maintain hls equilibrium.
~ he nd - ne felt something soft
and thick md wet beneath his fingers.
He raised his open palm before his
eyes In the dim light Of the corridor
and peered at Il. Then he shuddered,
for ovon In the semidarkness he nav q
DARK red stain upon his hand.