The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1920-04-09

| ID SlTeiCH HiIuSeiL III Tie Suuuc VI lis
shelter during the heat of the day. and
sleep in peaceful security until the de-
| clinirg sun carried with it the ener-
waiting temperature of midday.
Watching from above, Chulk saw the
| black warrior stretched thus in the I'M
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 leaf or a grass
| blade
Pausing 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-
ton 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
then had it vanished?
In the trampled turf beside him was
the faint impress of huge, manlike
feet. AIugambi raised his brows as the
truth dawned upon him. Hastily leav-
ing the bona lie searched in all direc-
lions about the enclosure for some
further sign of the tell-tale spoor; but
the faint signs left by wary ane who
elects to travel through the trees elud-
ed the woodcraft of Mugambi. TarZap
might have followed them; but no or
binary 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 lnazes of the jungle.
AS Taglat struggled with the bonds
which secured the ankles and wrists
of his captive, the great lion that eyed
the two from behind a 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 backward
glance, Taglat abandoned the uncon-
scious woman and fled in the opposite
direction from the horrid sound which
had broken in so unexpected and ter
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 Ito 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 carnivore in a death struggle
so fearless and abandoned that for a
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 disemboweied anthro-
4 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. n 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
! second time upon the girl. Like t4o
yellow-green augers, wide and unh!ink-
ing, the terrible eyes remained fixed
upon Jane Clayton. The erect and ma
jestic pose of the great frame shrank
| suddenly into sinister crouch as,
slowly and gently as one who treads
on eggs, the devil-faced cat crept for
ward toward the girl.
Beneficent Fate maintained her in
happy Inconsistencies of the dread
presence sneaking stealthily upon her.
| She did not know when the Ion paused
at her side. She did not hear the sniff
! fling of his nostrils as he smelled about
her. She did not feel the heat of the