The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1931-01-24

armed as it was with those formid-
able claws and fangs? Beneath its
pallid skin surged great muscles
that attested its giant strength and
upon its otherwise blank face the
mouth alone was sufficient to sug-
gest its diabolical ferocity.
Run, Tanarl" cried Stellara.
Take to the trees! 1t is one of
the Buried People" But the thing
was too close to him to admit Of
escape even if Tanar had been
minded to desert Stellara, and so
he stood there quietly awaiting the
encounter, and then suddenly, as
though to add to the uncanny hor-
rcr Of the situation, the thing spoke.
From is fiabby dropping lips is
sued sounds mumbled, CHASTITY
sounds that yet took ON the SEM
blance Of speech until it became
Ineligible in a distorted way to
Tanar and Stellara.
1T is the woman I want"
mumbled the creature. Give me
the woman and the man may CO."
To Tanar's shocked sensibilities it
was as though mutilated corpse
had risen from the grave and
spoken, and he fell back step with
a sensation as nearly akin to hor r
as he had ever experienced.
You can not have the woman, :"
said Tanar. Leave us alone, or I
will kill you"
An uncanny scream that was 2
mixture of laugh and shrek broke
from the lips Of the thing. Then
die!" it cried, as it launched itself
upon the Sarian.
n Il
A S 1t closed, it struck upward
IA with its heavy claws in an at
tempt to disembowel its antagonist,
but Tanar eluded its first rush by
leaping lightly to one side and then,
turning quickly, he hurled himself
upon the loathsome body and cir
cling its neck with one powerful
arm Tanar turned suddenly, and,
bending his body forward and
downward, hurled the creature over
his head and heavily to the ground.
But instantly it was up again and
at him. Screaming with rage and
frothing at the mouth, it struck
wildly with its heavy claws, but
Tanar had learned certain things
from David Innes that men of the
stone age ordinarily do not know,
for David had taught them, as lac
had taught many another young
Pellucidarian, the art of self-de-
Tense, including boxing, wrestling
and jiu- jitsu, and now again they
came into good stead as they had
upon other occasions since he had
mastered them. Once more he gave
thanks for the fortunate circum-
stance that had brought David
Innes from the outer crust to Pei
lucidar to direct the destinies of its
human race as first emperor.
Combined with his knowledge,
training and agility was Tanar's
great strength, without which these
other accomplishments would have
been of far lesser value. So, as the
creature struck, Tanar parted the
blows, Tending the wicked talons
from his flesh with strength that
surprised his antagonist, since it was
fully as great as his own.
But what was still more surpris-
ing to the monster was the fire.
quency with which Tanar was able
to step in and deliver telling blows
to the body and head that in its
aWkwardness and lack Of skill, it
was unable to properly protect.
To one side. watching the battle
for which she was the stake, stood
Stellara. She might have run away
and hidden; she might have made
good her escape, but no such
thoughts entered her courageous
little head. 1t would have been im2
possible for her to desert her cham
pion in the hour of his need as it
would have been for him to leave
her to her fate and so she stood
there, helpless, awaiting the out
come.
~ oIlQ lIO dCIOSo tIlS ClGdIi11S OllG
battlers moved, trampling down the
lush vegetation that sometimes grew
so thickly as to hamper their move
rlentS. and how it became apparent
70 both Stellara and Tanar from the
labored breathing of the creature
that it was being steadily worn down
and that it lacked the endurance of
the Sarian.
However, probably sensing some
thing of this itself, it now redoubled
its efforts and the ferocity of its
attack, and, at the same time, Tanar
discovered a vulnerable spot at
which to aim his blows.
CTRIKING for the face, he acct
~ dentally had touched one of
the bullying protuberances that lay
beneath the skin where the eyes
should have been. At the impact
Of the blow. light as it was, the
creature screamed and leaped back
ward instinctively raising one OF It's