The Seattle star. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1899-1947, 1921-07-15
(Ccntinued From Yesterday
CHAPTER VIII
IOw co ON WITH THE STORY


(Ccntinued From Yesterday
CHAPTER VIII
A.LuR
A. the hisxing reptile bore down
upon the stranger swimming in the
opcn water nesr the center OF the
nSovass on the frontier OF Pai-ui.dcn
Il seerned tn the man that this m
deed must be the futile termination
NJ IN arduous end dAngcrfillsi Jour
\ rey. II seemed. too. equally futile
40 pit his puny knife against this
lfrsrhtfui creature. Had he been ~
ktAcktd on iani II = possible that he
raight A. last resort have used hts
Ensicle. tho he nad come thus far
thru AL these weary. danger-ridden
sniies without recourse TO II. tho
asain and axaiu bad his life hung
IN the balance in the face OF the saw
a<e cenixens CT forest. jungle AMI
uteppe. For whatever Il may have
been for which he was preserving
hxs precious ammunition he evidens.
II held Il more sacred even than his
Hfe. for as yet no had not used a
Single round and now the decision
vas not required OF him. since II
would have been impossible for him
y q have unslung his Enfield. loaded
ana fired with the necessary CELEBRITY
while swimming
7 Tho his chance for survival
ooomed slender. and hope at It's low
- ebb. he was not minded there
| - to give up without a struggle
! 1nneeAd be drew his blade and
lated the oncominx reptile. The
Hnfure vas Ike no living thing he
u before bad SEEN altho possibly
- t<embied . crocodile In some re
rs more than II did anything
n which he was familiar.
"A A. this frightful survivor OF some
INC. progenitor charged upon him
II distended jaws there came to
man quickly full conscious
= OF the fuulity Of cndeavoring
b stay the mad rush or pierce the
hrmor coated hide with his little
knife. The thing was almost upon
him now and whatever form of de-
onse he chose must Be made quick
There seemed but . single al
nenative To instant death. and this
q took at almost the instant the
treat reptile lowered directly above
tm-
with the CELEBRITY OF q seal he dove
Adforcmost beneath the oncoming
3dy and AT the same instant. turn
Il upon his back. he plunged
Il blade into the soft. cold surface
the shiny belly as the momentum
the hurting reptile carried II
|iftIy over him: and then with pow
hui strokes he swan on beneath
u surface for a dozen yards before
rose. A glance showed him the
Itricken monster piunging madly In
pain and rage upon the surface OF
kthe water behind him. That II was
4Ehing IN its death agonies was
I ev1denccd by the fact that IL made
MO effort to pursue him. and SO. 10
he accompaniment Of the shriil
screaming OF the dying monster, the
Imam won at last 10 the farther edge
3of the open water to take up once
&1nore the almost supcrhuman effort
Iof crossing the last stretch OF cling
ing mud which separated him from
The solid ground Of Paluldon-
81 A good two hours II took him 70
drag his now weary body thru the
friinging. sinking muck. but at last.
mud covered and spent. he dragged
s himself out upon the soft grasses OF
[3she bank. A hundred yards away
"a stream. winding It's way down
from the distant mountains. emptied
into the nnorass. and. after a short
nest, he made his way 10 this and
]seekfng q quiet pool. bathed himself
land washed the mud and slime from
This weapons, accouterments and
#1ofn cloth. Another hour was spent
4 beneath the rays Of the hot sun In
wfping. polishing and oIling his En-
field. tho the means at hand for dry
Dog IL consisted principally OF dry
Aescs. 1t was afternoon before he
ksatisfied himself that his prec-
Il bus weapon was safe from any harm
by dirt, or dampncss. and then he
arose and took up the search for the
xspoor he had followed to the opposite
aide Of the swamp.
~ Would be find again the trail that
had led into the opposite side OF the
*rnorass, to be lost there. even TO his
trzined senses? II he found IT not
&aezln upon this side Of the almost
&impassable barrier he might assume
that his long journey had ended In
*faiIure. And so he sought up and
4down the verge of the stagnant wa
ter for traces of an old spoor that
would have been invisible to your
eyes or mine. even had we followed
directly In the tracks OF Its maker.
81 As Tarzan advanced upon the
Skryfs he initiated as closely as he
could recall them the methods and
Rnannerisms of the Tor-o-don. but up
~ he instant that he stood close
- one of the huge creatures he
rrailzed that his fate still hung In
|abe balance for the thing gave forth
no. agn, either menacing or other
| ttsa. II only stood there, watching
4 - n~rf nj liz cold. rcutillan cyeav