The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1925-01-15

low bench In the gathering darkness
The negress sobbed historically
bemoaning the evil day that had
witness her departure from her
dear Maryland. while the white girl.
| dry-eyed and outwar1Iy calm, was
torn by inward fears and forebod.
ings. She feared not more for her.
self than for the three men whom
she knew to be wandering in the
abysmal depths of the savage jungle,
from which she now heard issuing
the almost incessant shrieks and
roars, barkings and growlings of its
terrifying denizens as they sought
their prey.
And now there came the sound of
a heavy body brushing against the
side Of the cabin. She could hear
the great padded paws upon the
ground without Then, for an in
slant, all was silence; even the bed
lam of the forest died to a faint
murmur; then she distinctly heard
the beast without shifting at the
door, not two feet from where she
crouched. Instinctively. the girl
shuddered and shrank closer to
the black woman.
't'HushF' she whispered. ''Hush,
Esmeralda," for the swoman's sobs
and groans seemed to have at
tracted the thing that staIked there
just beyond the thin wall
A gentle scratching sound was
heard on the door. The brute tried
to force an entrance; but presently
this ceased. and again she heard the
great pads creeping stealthily around
the cabin. Again they stopped-be-
meath the window on which the terri
fed eyes Of the girl now glued them
selves.
"Godr' she murmured. for now, sil-
houetted against the moonlit sky BE-
yond, she saw framed in the tiny
square of the Iatticed window the
head of a huge noness. The gleam-
ing eyes were fixed upon her In
intert ferocity.
Look, Esneraldar she whispered.
For Gods sake, what shall we do?
Look! Quick The Window"
Esmeralda, covering still closer to
her mistress, took one affrighted
glance toward the little square of
moonlight. just as the ioness emitted
a low, savage snarl.
The sight that met the poor blacks
eyes was too much for the already
overstrung nerves.
ooh, Gabereller' she cried. and
slid to the floor an inert and sense
less mass.
For what seemed an eternity the
great brute stood with its fore paws
upon the sill, g1ariHg into the little
room. Presently it tried the strength
of the lattice with its great talons.
The girl had almost ceased to
breathe, when,- tor her relief, the
head disappeared and she heard the
brute's footsteps leaving the window.
But now they came to the door again
and once more the scratching com.
menced; this time with increasing
force until the great beast was tear.
ing at the massive panels in per
feet frenzy of eagerness to seize its
defenseless victims.
Could Jane Porter have known the
incense strength Of that door, builded
piece by piece, she would have felt
less fear OF the ioness reaching her
by this avenue.
Little did John Clayton imagine
when he fashioned that crude but
mighty portal that one day, twenty
years ago, it would shield a fair
American girl, then unborn, from
the teeth and talons of man-eater.
For fully twenty minutes the
brute alternately shifted and tore at
the door, occasionally giving voice
to wild. savage cry Of baff1ed rage.
At length, however, she gave up the
attempt, and Jane Porter heard her
returning toward the window, be.
meath which she paused for an in.
slant, and then launched her great
weight against the timeworn lat.
tee.
The girl heard the wooden rods
groan beneath the impact; but they
held, and the huge body dropped
back to the ground below.
Again and again the honess re.
peated these tactics, until finally the
Mortified prisoner within saw a por
ton Of the lattice give away. and in
an instant one great paw and the
head Of the animal Were thrust
within the room.
Slowly the powerful neck and
shoulders spread the bars apart, and
the little body protruded farther
and farther into the room.
AS in a trance. the girl rose, her
hand upon her breast, wide eyes
saring horrorstricken into the
snarling face Of the beast scarce ten
feet from her. At her feet lay the
PROSTATE form Of the negress. II she
could but arouse her, their combined
efforts might possibly avail to heal
back the fierce and blood-thirsty In
truer.
Jane Porter stopped to grasp the
black woman by the shoulder
Roughly she shook her.
''Esmeraldal Esmeraldar' she
cried Help me, or we are lost"
6SuiSHd4uA Slowly opened mel
eyes. The first object they en-
countered was the dripping fangs OF
the hungry noness.
With a Mortified scream the poor
woman rose to her hands and knees
I and In this position scurried across
the room, shrieling: 20 Gaberellel
10 Gaberelle? at the top of her lungs
Esmerelda weighed some 2SC
pounds. which enhanced nothing
the gazelle-like grace OF her carriage
/ DrTTrD TIA