Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1918-01-23

hand, he struck q savage blow at the /
lads face. !
His act seemed to unloose thou.
sand devils In the hairy creature,
clinging to his throat. Conlon heard a
low and savage snarl. It was the last
thing that the American ever heard In
this life. Then he was dragged back +.
ward upon the floor. heavy body fell
upon him. powerful teeth fastened
themselves in bis jugular, his head
whirled in the sudden blackness which
rims eternity.
A moment later the ape rose from
his PROSTATE form. But Conlon did
not know-he was quite dead.
The lad, horYifed. sprang from the
bed to lean low over the body of the
man. He know Akut had killed him
| in his defense, as he had killed Paul
witch. But here in savage Africa, far
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. theml
All would be against them. 1t 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 mother 8
J native land.
Yes, they would both be hanged in
the morning.
i 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
t to them. The blood of fellow man
! was upon his hands. In his morbid re-
. Election he had long since ceased to at
n tribute the death of Conlon to the ape
e The hysteria of panic had fastened the
S guilt upon himself.
Now he turned toward Akut.
: Gomez! he said in the language Of
t the great apes. Forgetful Of the ac1
|, that he wore only thin pajama suit
S he led the way to the open window
S Thrusting his head out, he listened at
e tentively. A single tree grew a few
feet from the window.
y Nimbly the lad sprang to its bole
d clinging catlike for an instant before
IS he clambered quietly to, the ground be
e low. Close behind him came the grea
ape. Two hundred yards away spu
D. of the Jungle ran close to the strag
E. Cling town. Toward this the lad lie,
I'd the way.
ID No one saw them, and momen
h later the jungle swallowed them, an,
y John Clayton. future Lord Greystoke
ut passed from the eyes and the knowl
as edge of men.
as It was late the following mornin
~ that native house man knocked upo
the door Of the room that had been al
~ signed to Mrs. Billings and her grant
=. =. son. Receiving no response, he inser
~ ed his pass key in the lock, only to di'
- cover that another key was alread
=. there, but from the inside.
~ He reported the fact to Herr Skop
80 :. the proprietor, who at once made h
~ way to the second floor. where he, to
-. pounded vigorously upon the doc
~, ~ Receiving no reply, he bent to the Ike
-. hole In an attempt to look throue
% into the room beyond. In so dom
=, -. being portly, he lost his balance, whi<
-. necessitated putting palm to the io'
~ to maintain his equilibrium.
As he did SO he felt something SO