The Seattle star. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1899-1947, 1921-08-08

oner. They would take no chances.
for the stories that had circulated
In Alur had been brought 20 Tuiur
stories OF the great strength and
wonderful prowcss Of rarxan jad gu.
ru that caused the sweat 10 stand
upon the brows OF the warriors, tho
Il was cool In the damp corridor and
they were 10 to one.
And then the high priest gave the
stgnal--the door shot upward and
10 warriors lcared Into the chamber
with poised clubs. Three OF the
heavy weapons flew across the room
toward darker shadow that lay In
the shadow Of the opposite wall.
then the flare OF tho torch IA the
priests hand lighted the interior and
they saw that the thing at which
they had flung their clubs was a
pile OF skins torn from the windowa
and that except for themselves the
chamber was vacant.
One Of them FASTENED TO a win.
dow. All but a single bar was gone
and 20 this was tied one end of n
braided rope fashioned from strips
cut from the leather window hang
lngs.
To the ordinary dangers OF Jane
Ciayton's existence was now added
the menace OF Obcrsatx's knowledge
OF her whereabouts. The lion and
tho panther had given her less cause
for anxiety than did the return Of
tho INSCRIPTIONS German. whom
she had always distrusted ana fear
ed. and whose repuldvcness was
now immeasurabiy augmented by
his unkempt and filthy appearance.
his strange and mirthlcss laughter,
and his unnatural dcmeanor. She
feared him now with a new fear AZ
tho he had suddenly become the per
sonification OF some namelesx hor.
ror. The wholesome. outdoor life
that she had been leading had
strengthened and rebuilt her ner.
vous system. yet II seemed 20 her
as she thought OF him that n this
man should ever touch her she
should scream. and. possibly. even
faint. Again and again during the
day following their unexpected meet.
ing the woman reproached herself
for not having killed him as she
would IA or jsto or any other preda.
tory beast that mcnaced her exist.
enee or her safety. There was no
attempt at self justification for these
sinister reflections they needed no
justification. The standards By
which the acts OF such as you and
may be judged could not apply 10
hers. We have recourse 20 the pro.
lection Of friends and relatives and
the civil soldiery that upholds IN.
majesty OF the law and which may
DC invoked to protect the righteous
weak agains, the unrighteous strong.
put Jane Clayton comprised within
herself not only the righteous weak.
but all the various agencies for the
protection Of the weak. To her.
then. Lieutenant Erich Obergatx
presented no different problem than
did "a. the lion. other than she con.
sidered the former the more danger.
Gus animal, And 40 she determined
that should he ignore her warning
there would be no temporixing upon
The occasion OF their ncxs meeting
the same swift spear that would
meet jas advances would meet his.
That night her snug little most
perchcd high In the great tree
seemed less the sanctuary that n
had before What might resist the
sangulnary intentions Of a proving
panther would prove no great bar.
rier to man. and influenced by this
thought she slept less well than be-
fore. The slightest noise that broke
the monotonous hum OF the noe.
turnai jungle startled her into alert
to lie with straining
ears In an attempt 10 classify the
origin OF the disturbance. and once
she was awakened thus by a sound
that seemed TO come from some.
thing moving In her own tree. She
listened intentiy--scarce breathing.
Yes. there II was again. A scuffing
Of something soft AGAINST the hard
bark Of the tree. The woman reached
out In the darkness and Erasped her
spear. Now she felt a slight sag.
ging OF one OF the limbs that sup
ported her shelter as tho the thing.
whatever II was. was slowly raising
Its weight 10 the branch. IL came
nearer. Now she thought that she
could detect its breathing. IL was
at the door. She could hear u
with the fraii barrier.
What could IL bc7 II made no sound
By which she might Identify II. She
raised herself upon her hands and
knees and creps steaithily the little
distance to the doorway. her spear
clutched tightly In her hand. What
ever the thing was. II was evidently
attempting to gain entrance without
awakening her. II was just beyond
the pitifui little contraptlon OF
slender boughs that she had bound
together with grasses and called
door--oniy a few inches lay between
the thing and her. Rising to her
knees she reached out with her left
hand and felt until she found a place
where a crooked branch had left an
opening couple Of inches wide near
the center OF the barrier. Into this
she inserted the point OF her spear.