The evening world., 1920-07-15


ward toward him he dropped upon
his knees and covering his face with
his arms bent forward until his head |
touched the ground. some Of the |
others looked at him and laughed |
nervously. Presently the man glanced |
| upward and see .ng that the bird haC |
gone, rose to his feet and continued |
along the trail.
1t was Stt this brief halt that Smith |
Oldwick was brought to her side oy
the men who had been supporting |
him. He had been rather badly |
mauled by one OF the lions; but was
now able to walk alone, though H.
was extremely weak from shock and
| loss OF blood.
Pretty mess, what?' he remarked
with wry smile, indicating hIS
bloody and d.sheveled state.
ut is terrible" said the girl. II
hope you are not suffering"
mot as much as should have ex-
pected," he replied, but I feel ns
| weak as q fool. What sort OF cr,a
lures are these beggars, anyway?"
Il don't know" she replied, there
Is something terribly uncanny about
their appearance" -.
The man regarded one OF their
captors closely for a moment, and
then, turning 10 the girl, asked, did
you ever visit a madhouse7"
She looked up at him in quick un-
derstanding and with a horrified ex-
preston in her eyes. That's it!" she
cried.
"They all have the ear-marks," he
said. whites Of the eyes showing
all around the irises, hair growing
stiffiy erect from the scalp and low
down upon the forehead-even their
manneriBms and their carriage are
those Of maniacs."
The girl shuddered.
For q while as they walked side by
side their thoughts and conversation
centred upon this latest experience,
until the trail emerging from the fory
est opened to their view a walled city
and an area of cultivated land. Neither
could suppress an exclamation of sur
prise. ....
"Why, that wall is :. regular en-
cheering job" exclaimed Smith Old
wick.
"And look at the domes and nina
reta of the city beyond" cried the
girl. "They must be civilized people
beyond that wall. Possibly we are
fortunate to have fallen into their
hands"
Smith Oldwick shrugged his should
ers Il hope so." he said, though l
am not at all sure about people who
travel about with lions and are afraid
of parrots. There must be something
wrong with them"
The party followed the trail acrosE
, the field to an arched gateway which
opened at the summons OF one OF theiI
| captors who beat upon the heavy
wooden panels with his spear. Beg ono
} the gate opened into q narrow stree
which seemed but a continuation o.
the Jungle trail leading from the for
est. Buildings on either hand ad'
= Joined the wall and fronted the mar
row, winding street which was only
visible for a short distance ahead. TIT
n houses were practically alr two-storie,
Z structures, the upper stories flush witt
n the street while the walls OF the hrs
story were set back some ten rect.
series Of simple columns and arches
supporting the front Of the secon'
8 story and forming an arcade on eitho
side of the narrow thoroughfare.
The pathway in the centre OF tn
street was unpaved, but the fioo7 o
q the arcades were cut stone of variou
d shapes and sizes but all carefully f1tte
X and laid without mortar. These floor
gave evidence Of great antiquity, ther
being a distinct depression dowp-th
: centre as though the stone had bee
u worn away by the passage OF count
, less sandaled feet during>the ages .Sa
>. II had lain there.
There were few people astir az thi
70 early hour, and these were OF tn
IN same type as their captors. AT mrs
IT those whom they saw were only mer
n but as they went deeper into the cit
they came upon a few naked childre
playing In the soft dust of the road
OK way. Many they passed showed tn
B. greatest surprise and curiosity in tn
~ prisoners, and often made inquiries {
the guards, which the two assume
must have been in relation to them
Ii selves, while others appeared not
of notice them at all.
be ''I wish we could understand the
baIly language" exclaimed Smith
go Oldwtck.
" " YES" said the girl, 'I would lih
~ to ask them what they are going
n do with US"
ut Their captors led them along II
ne pavement beside the lagoon for
b. short distance and then through a
he arched doorway into one of the builC
gh ings facing the avenue. Here, direc
nd ly within the entrance, was lara
he room furnished with massive bench'
ng and tables, many of which were elal
on orately hand carved with the hgur'
D. of the Inevitable parrot, the lion
INT the monkey; the parrot always pr
M dominating.
ed Behind one OF the tables sat a ms
ew who differed in no way that the ca
las tiVes could discover from those WI
Iro accompanied them. Before this pc
son the party halted and one Cf q
ng men who had brought them ma
TX what seemed to be an oral repol
IN Whether they were before Judge.
the military Officer or a civil dignita
nat they could not know, but evident
to he was a man of authority, for aft
'ail listening TO whatever recital was
The ing made to him, the while he close
an scrutAnized the two captives, he ma
sh, a single futile attempt to CONVEX
rly with them and then issued some CT
nat orders to him who had made the
port.
Almost Immediately two OF the m
ew w approached Bertha Kircher and 8
W. nailed her TO accompany them. Smli
"a. Oldwick started to follow her,
was interrupted by one OF the guar
osa The girl stopped then and turr
.eoI back, at the same time looking
,tes the man at the table and maxi
it,. 18th har banda Indicating