The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1925-04-02


this place, and that he developed
into the creatures We have seen,
some OF which he looked
hard at me-"were of an appear
ance and shape which, If it had been
accompanied by corresponding intel
ligence, would, / do not hesitate to
say, have reflected credit upon any
living race. AS to the Indians !
can not doubt that they are more
recent immigrant from below. Under
the stress Of famine or of conquest
they have made their way up here.
Faced by ferocious creatures which
they had never before seen, they
took refuge in the caves which our
young friend has described, but
they have no doubt had a bitter
fight to hold their own against
wild beasts, and especially against
the ape-men who would regard them
as intruders, and wage merciless
war upon them with cunning
which the larger beats would lack.
Hence the fact that their numbers
appear to be limited.
For my own part I performed my
usual role Of bringing things down
to a strictly pfosaic and practical
level by the remark that one Of the
Indians was missing.
"I1e has goine to fetch some
water" said Lord Roxton. 1--WE
fitted him up with an empty beef
tin and he is off.
ITO the old camp"
mo to the brook. It's among the
trees there. 1t can't be more than
a couple Of hundred yards. But the
beggar is certainly taking his
time"
TN go and look after him." said
I. I picked up my rife and strolled
in the direction of the brook, leav-
ing my friends TO lay out the scanty
breakfast
could hear the murmur Of our
brook somewhere ahead of me, but
there was a tangle Of trees and
brushwood between me and it. I
was making my way through this
at a point which was Just out of
sight Of my companions, when, I'M
der one Of the trees, 1 noticed some
thing red huddled among the
bushes. AS ] approached 1t, L was
shocked to see that it was the dead
body Of the missing Indian. He
lay upon his side, his limbs drawn
up, and his head screwed round
at a most unnatural angle, so that
he seemed to be looking straight
over his own shoulder. I gave a
cry to warn my friends that some
thing was amiss, and running for
wards I stopped over the body. Sure
ly my guardian angel was very near
me then, for some instinct of fear
or it may have been some faint
rustic OF leaves, made me glance
upwards. Out of the thick green
foliage which hung low over my
head, two long muscular arms
covered with reddish hair were
slowly descending. Another instant
and the great stealthy hands would
have been round my throat. I
sprang backwards, but quick as I
was, those hands were quicker still
Through my sudden spring they
missed a fatal grip, but one Of them
caught the back of my neck and the
other one my face. I threw my
hands up to protect my throat, and
| the next moment the huge paw had
slid down my face and closed over
them. I was lifted lightly from the
| ground, and 1 felt an intolerable
pressure forcing my head back and
back until the strain upon the
cervical spine was more than
| could bear. My senses swan, but
still tore at the hand and forced it
| out from my chin. Looking up /
! saw a frightful face with cold in.
exorable light blue eyes looking
down into mine. There was some
thing hypnotic in those terrible eyes.
l could struggle no longer. AS the
creature felt me grow limp in his
| grasp, two white CANNES cleaned
FOR moment at each side Of the
vile mouth, and the grip frightened
still more upon my chin, forcina it
always upwards and back. A thin.
oval-tinted mist formed before my
eyes and little silvery bells tinkled
In my ears. Duly and far off
heard the crack of the shock as I
was dropped to the earth, where I
lay without sense or motion.
awoke to find myself on my
back upon the grass in our lair
within the thicket. Some one had
brought the water from the brook,
and Lord John was sprinkling my
head with it, while Challenger and
Summerlee were propping me up
with concern in their faces. For
a moment I had glimpse Of the
human spirits behind their scientific
masks. 1t was really shock, rather
than injury which had Frustrated
me. and in half an hour. inspite of
aching head and stiff neck, I was
sitting up and ready for anything.
But you've had the escape Of
your life, young fellah, my lad"
said Lord Roxton. 1T missed the
beast in my furry, but he dropped
you all right, and was off. like a
! streak"
1t was clear now that the ape.
men had in some way marked us
down. and that we were watched on
every side. We had not so much
to fear from them during the day.
but they would be very likely to,
rush us by night; so the sooner we
got away from their neighborhood
the better. On three sides Of us
was absolute forest, and there we
might find ourselves in an ambush.
But on the fourth side-that which
sloped down in the direction of the
lake, there was only low scrub, with
sea fax.Ad txana and ooon ria..a1