The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1931-02-06
AUTHOR OF
TARTAN OF THE APES"

THE Sarian knew that once they
Il reached the forest he would
doubtless be scraped from the back
Of the thag almost Immediately by
some low hanging limb, and If he
were not killed or injured by the
blow he would be tranpled to death
by the thags behind. But as escape
seemed hopeless, he only could
await the final outcome of this ad-
venture.
When the leaders Of the herd ap-
preached the forest, hope was re-
kindled in Tanar's breast, for he
saw that the growth was 50 thick
and the trees so close together that
it was impossible for the beasts to
enter the woods at a rapid gait.
Immediately the leaders reached
the edge Of the forest their pace was
slowed down and those behind them,
pushing forward, we're stopped by
those in front. The herd slowed
down and contented itself with
pushing steadily onward toward the
woods with the result that when the
beast that Tanar was astride ar
rived at the edge Of the dark shad-
ows his gait had been reduced to a
walk, and as he passed beneath the
first tree Tanar swung lightly into
its branches.
He had lost his spear, but his bow
and arrows that he had strapped
to his back remained with him, and
as the herd passed beneath him and
he saw the last Of them disappear
in the dark, aisles of the forest, he
breathed deep sigh of relief and
turned once more toward the far
end Of the island.
The thags had carried him inland
a considerable distance, so now he
cut back diagonally toward the coast
to gain as much ground as possible.
Tanar had not yet emerged from
the forest when he heard the ex-
cited growing of some wild beast
directly ahead of him. He thought
that he recognized the voice of a
codon, and fitting an arrow to his
bow he crept warily forward.
What wind was blowing came
from the beast toward him and
presently brought to his nostrils
proof of the correctness of his guess,
together with another familiar scent
that of man.
Knowing that the beast could not
catch his scent from upwind, Tanar
had only to be careful to advance
silently. Thus, he came in sight of
the beast without being discovered
by it.
TT was, as he had thought, a huge
Il wolf, a prehistoric but gigantic
counterpart of our own timber wolf.
The codon stood snarling beneath a
great tree, occasionally leaping high
against the boel as though he
sought to reach something hidden
by the foliage.
Tanar crept closer and presently
he saw the figure of a youth
crouching among the lower branches
above the codon. 1t was evident
that the boy was terror stricken,
but the thing that puzzled Tanar
was that he cast affrighted glances
upward into the tree more often
than he did downward toward the
codon, and presently this fact con-
vinced the Sarian that the youth
was menaced by something above.
Once more he crept to a new po-
sition, without attracting the at
tention either of the codon or the
youth, and from this vantage point
he could look farther UP into the
tree. Then 1t was that he realized
the hopeleSsness of the boys posi-
ton, for only a few feet above him
and moving steadily closer, ap-
peared the head Of a great snake,
whose wide, distended jaws revealed
formidable fangs.
Tanar now had crept to within
seven PAGES Of the codon, from the
sight of which he was concealed by
a low shrub. Fitting an arrow to
his crude bow and inserting four
others between the fingers of his
left hand, lamar arose quietly and
drove a shaft into the back of the
codon, between its shoulders.
With a howl of pain and rage the
beast wheeled about, only to receive
another arrow full in the chest.
Then his glaring eyes alighted upon
the Sarian and, with a hideous
growl, he charged.
ITO Be Continued.)
(Copyright. 1891. By Metropolitan News
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