Mountain Home Republican. [volume] (Mountain Home, Idaho) 1915-1946, 1923-01-13

SzAS>SSgay
"The Thing, Which More Nearly Re
sembed Our Earthly Men Than II
Did the Martians Had Seen, Held
Me Pinioned to the Ground With a
Huge Foot"
to call so hideous a creature dog,
AS quickly as possible gained my
feet and backing against the wall /
witnessed such a battle as it is youch-
safed few beings 10 see. My beast
had an advantage in his first hold,
having sunk his mighty fangs far into
The breast Of his adversary; but the
great arms and paws of the ape, hack
ed by muscles far transcendlng those
Of the Marian men ! had seen, had
locked the throat Of my guardian and
slowly were choking out his life, and
bending back his head and neck upon
his body, where | momentarily ex-
pected the former TO fall limp at the
end of a broken neck
Back and forth upon the floor they
relied, neither one emitting sound
Of fear or pain Presently l saw the
great eyes of my beast bullying com
pletely from their sockets and blood
flowing from It's nostris That he
was weakening perceptibly was evil
dent, but Sc also was the ape, whose
struggles were growing momentarily
less
Suddenly came TO myself and, with
that strange instinct which seems ever
to prompt me to my duty, ! seized the
cudgel, which had fallen TO the floor
at the commencement OF the battle,
and swinging it with all the power Of
my earthly arms | crashed II full upon
the head Of the ape, crushing his skull
as though it had been an egg shell.
Scarcely had the blow descended
when I was confronted with a new
danger The apes mate, recovered
from it's first shock Of terror, had re-
turned to the scene Of the encounter
by way of the interior Of the building.
vas standing near the window
and l knew that once in the street
might gain the plaza and safety
before the creature could overtake me;
at least there was a chance for safety
In fight, against almost certain death
should ] remain and fight, however
desperately.
| had turned to make for the win
dow, but my eyes alightlng on the form
Of my erstwhiIe guardian threw all
thoughts Of flight to the four winds.
He lay gasping upon the floor Of the
chamber his great eyes fastened upon
me IN what seemed a pitiful appeal
for protection could not withstand
that look, nor could |, on second
thought, have deserted my rescuer
without giving as good an account In
his behalf as he had in mine.
Without more ado, therefore,
turned to meet the charge Of the in
furiated bull ape He was now too
close upon me for the cudgel to prove
Of any effective assistance, so ] mere
ly threw It as heavily as | could at
his advancing bulk II struck him
just below the knees. eliciting a howl
of pain and rage and so throwing him
Off his balance that he lunged full up
on me with arms wide stretched to
ease his fall.
Again, as on the preceding day. ]
had recourse to earthly tactics, and
swinging my right fist full upon the
point Of his chin ] followed It with /
a smashing left to the pit Of his /
stomach. The effect was marvellous,
for. as lightly slde-stepped, after de- {
livering the second blow, he reeled /
and fell upon the floor doubled up /
with pain and gasping for wind. Leap /
ing over his PROSTATE body | seized /
the cudgel and finished the monster I
before he could regain his feet.
As | delivered the blow low laugh /
rang out behind me, and, turning, ! |
beheld Tars Tarkas, Sofa and three
or four warriors standing in the door
way Of the chamber. As my eyes met
theirs was, for the second time. the
recipient Of their zealously guarded
applause.
Nv absence had been noted by Sofa
on her awakening and she had quickly
informed Tars Tarkas, who had set
out Immediately with a handful Of
warriors to search for me. AS they
had approached the limits Of the city
they had witnessed the actions Of the
bull ape as he bolted into the building,
frothing with rage.
They had followed Immediately he
hind him. thinking Il barely possible
that his actions might prove clew TO
my whereabouts, and had witnessed
my short but decisive battle w'th Linn.
This encounter. togoiher with my SET