Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1919-01-02
CHAPTER XII-Continued

the monsters throat, growing hdeou
ly through the muffied gag Of blood an
hair. Mixed with the apes voice tn
lions roars of rage and pain reverb'
rated through the jungle till the Jesse
creatures of the wild, startled fror
their peaceful pursuits, scurried feai
fully away.
Rolling over and over upon the tur
the two battled with demoniac fur,
until the colossal cat, by doubling hi
hind paws far up beneath his belly
sang his talons deep into Taglat'
chest; then. ripping downward will
all his strength, Numa accomplishe'
his design, and the disembowelet
anthropoid, with last spasmodi'
struggle. relaxed in limp and blood,
dissolution beneath his titanic adver
sary.
Scrambling to his feet Numa looked
about quickly in all directions. al
though seeking TO detect the possible
presence of other foes; but only the
stiIl and unconscious form of the gir
lying a few PAGES from him met his
gaze, and with an angry growl he
placed a forepaw upon the body OF
his kill and, raising his mead. gave
voice to his savage victory cry.
For another moment he stood with
fierce eyes rowing to and fro about
the clearing At last they halted for
a second upon the girl. A low growl
rumbled from the lions throat. His
lower jaw rose and fell. and the SLAYER
drooled and dripped upon the dead face
OF Taglat.
Like two yellow.green augers, wide
and unblinking, the terrible eyes re-
mained fixed on Jane Clayton. The
erect and majestic pose of the great
frame shrank suddenly into a sinister
crouch as slowly. and as gently as one
who treads on eggs, the devil'faced cat
crept forward toward the girl.
Beneficent fate maintained her In
happy unconsciousness of the dread
presence sneakjng stealthily upon her.
She did not know when the lion paused
at her side. She did not hear the
smiling of his nostrils as he smelled
about her. She did not feel the heat
of the fetid breath upon her face, nor
the dripping of the saliva from the
frightful Jaws, half opened, above her.
Finally the lion lifted a forepaw and
turned the body of the girl half over,
then he stood again eyeing her as
though still undetermined as to
life was extinct or no. Some noise or
odor from the nearby jungle attracted
his attention for a moment. His eyes
did not again return to Jane Clayton
and presently he left her. walked over
TO the remains of Taglat, and. crouch
ing down upon his KILL with his back
toward the girl proceeded to devour
the ape.
It was upon this scene that Jane
CLAYTON at last opened her eyes. In
ured to danger, she maintained her
self.possession in the face of the star
tling surprise which her newfound
consciousness revealed to her. She
neither cried out nor moved a muscle
until she had taken in every detail OF
the scene which lay within the range
of her vision.
She saw that the lion had killed the
ape. and that he was devouring his
prey less than fifty feet from where
she Law; but what could she do? Her
hands and feet were bound. She
must wait, then, in what patience she
could command until Numa had eaten
his fill and rested: when, without
doubt. he would return to feast upon
her. unless in the meantime the dread
hyenas should discover her, or some
other of the numerous prowling car
nivora of the jungle.
As she lay tormented by these
frightful thoughts she became sud-
denly conscious that the bonds az her
wrists and ankles no longer hurt her
and then of the fact that her hands
were separated, one lying upon either
side of her instead of both being con.
fined at her back.
Wondering she moved a hand. What
miracle had been performed? n was
not bound! Stealthly and nniselessly
she moved her other limbs, only TO
discover that she was free, She could
not know how the thing had happen.
ed; that Taglat. gnawing at them for
sinister purposes of his own, had cut
them through but an instant before
Numa. had frightened him from his
victim.
For a moment Jane Clayton was
ing; but only for a moment What
good was her new-found liberty in the
face of the frightful beast crouching
so close beside her? n she could but
have had this chance under different
conditions. how happily she would
have taken advantage Of it; but now
il was given to her when escape was
practically impossible
The nearest tree was a hundred
feet away. the lion less than ifty To
rise and attempt the safety Of those
tantalizing branches would be but to
invite instant destruction, for Numa
would doubtless be too jealous OF his
future meal TO permit 1t to escape
with ease.
And yet. too. there was another pos.
sibiity-a chance which hinged en-.
tirely upon the unknown temper Of
the great beast.
His belly already partially filed, he
might watch with indifference the de.