The Idaho Springs siftings-news., 1920-12-24

| sleep In peaceful security until the de-
| clining sun carried with it the ener.
| waiting temperature of midday.
| Watching from above, Chulk saw the
black warrior stretched thus in the un-
| consciousness of sleep one sultry af-
ternoon. He approached the sleeper
! upon padded feet which gave forth no
sound, and with an uncanny wood
| craft that rustled not a leaf or gra IS
blade.
Pausng beside the man, the ape bent
over and examined his belongings. The
| only detachable things were the knob
stick and the pouch, which had fallen
from the blacks shoulder as he rolled
in sleep.
Selling these two articles, Chulk re-
treated with haste, and every indica-
tion of nervous terror, to the safety of
the tree from which he had dropped
and, still haunted by that indefinable
terror which the close proximity OF
| man awakened in his breast, fled pre-
cipitately through the jungle.
| 1t was some time after Mugambi
awoke that he missed the pouch. In
| stantly he was all excitement. What
could have become of it? 1t had been
! there when he lay down to sleep. How
4 then had it vanished?
In the trampled turf beside him was
the faint impress of huge, manlike
feet. Mugambi raised his brows as the
truth dawned upon him. Hastily leav-
ing the bona he searched in all direc-
tions about the enclosure for some
| further sign of the tell-tale spoor; but
the faint signs left by a wary ape who
| elects to travel through the trees elud-
ed the woodcraft of Mugamb. Tarzan
might have followed them; but no or
dinary mortal could perceive them. or
| perceiving, translate.
The black. now strengthened and re-
freshed by his rest, felt ready to set
out again for Waziri, and finding him
self another knob-stick, turned his
back upon the river and plunged into
the mazes of the jungle.
AS TagIat struggled with the bonds
which secured the ankles and wrists
of his captive, the great lion that eyed
the two from behind nearby clump of
bushes wormed closer to his intended
| prey.
The apes back was toward the lion.
His first intimation of impending dam
ger was the thunderous and triumphant
roar which the charging lion could no
longer suppress.
Scarce pausing for a backward
| glance, Taglat abandoned the uncon-
scious woman and fled in the opposite
direction from the horrid sound which
| trNd Dv,d feays-
rifying a manner upon his startled
ears; but the warning had come too
late to save him. and the lion, in his
second bound alighted full upon the
broad shoulders of the anthropoid.
AS the great bull went down there
was awakened in him to the full all
the cunning, all the ferocity. all the
physical prowess which obey the
mightiest of the fundamental laws of
nature, the law of self-preservation,
and turning upon his back he closed
with the earnivore in death struggle
so fearless and abandoned that for
moment the great Numa himself may
have trembled for the outcome.
Rolling over and over upon the turf
the two battled with demoniac fury
until the colossal cat, by doubling his
hind paws far up beneath his belly,
sank his talons deep into Taglat's
chest, then, ripping downward with all
his strength, Numa accomplished his
design and the disemboweled anthro-
poid, with a last spasmodic struggle.
relaxed in limp and bloody dissolution
beneath his titanic adversary.
Scrambling to his feet, Numa looked
about quickly in all directions. as
though seeking to detect the possible
presence of other foes; but only the
| still and unconscious form of the girl,
lying a few PAGES from him. met his
gaze, and with an angry growl he
placed forepaw upon the body of his
kill and raising his head 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 time upon the girl. Like two
yellow-green augers, wide and unblink
ing, the terrible eyes remained fixed
upon Jane Clayton. The erect and ma
iestic pose of the great frame shrank
| suddenly into a sinister crouch as,
slowly and gently as one who treads
on eggs. the devil-faced cat crept for
ward toward the girl.
Benefieent Fate maintained her in
happy unconsciousness of the dread
presence sneaking stealthily upon her.
She did not know when the lion paused
at her side. She did not hear the sniff
fins 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 fright
full jaws half opened SO close above
| her.