The evening world. Newspaper, November 17, 1915, Page 17

lal siete lathe alate niente nanh Anema ‘ Hi 1915, Pree Co, (New ‘York Evening World.) SYNOPSIS OF PRECEDING INSTALMENTS, & dissolute nephew of ‘New York to the Mary- 2 : E gil i i Hi I CHAPTER III. (Continued,) ST what words passed be- tween them qhe could not know, but suddenly the porter hurled his load to the ground, shouting to the others who had already assumed their bur- dens. One by one these followed his example, at the same time shouting taunts and insults at the frantic, dancing, futile headman, The armed members of the party—the native os- + cort—ieaned on their rifles and , grinned at the discomflture of the 4 deadman, Virginia’s heart sank as she wit- nessed this open break. 1t was mu- tiny, pure and simple, and her head- man Was quite evidently wholly inca- pablo of coping with it, That it would quickly spread to the armed guard she was sure, for their attitude proclaimed that their sympathies wero with the porters, Something must be done, and done at ouce, nor was there amotuer than herseit to do it The headman and the large porter ‘Were wrangling in high pitched voices, The other porters had closed in about the two, for it was evident that they would goon come to blows, The atu- tude of all the bearers was angry and sullen, The members of the askarl ull grinned—this was the only reas- suring syinptom of the whole danger- ous affair, They had not yet openly bag bm d the cause of the mutineers, ‘ina came to a decision quick- ly. She crossed the space between herself and the porters at a rapid walk, shouldering her way between the watchers until she stood before the headman and the bellicose porter. At sight of her they stopped their Wrangitug for a moment. Virginia turmed to the beadman, “Tell this boy,’ she sald, “that I #ay be must pick up bis pack’ at once.” The headman interpreted her order to the mutineer. The latter only laughed derisively, making no move to obey. Very deliberately Virginia drew her revolver trom its holster at A hor hip. She levelled it at the pit of the porter’s stomach and with a finger of her left hand pointed at the pack upon the ground. She said nothing, She knew that sho had committ herself to a policy which might neces- sitate the fulfilment of the threat which the levelled weapon implied, ¥ and she was ready to adhere to that Polley to the bitter end. ‘The fate of her expedition hung up- on the outcome of this clash between her porters and her representative, the headman; and upon the fate of the expedition hung, possibly, the very life of a stranger who had placed himself in jeopardy There was no al she would compel subordination The porter made no move to assume bis burden, but he ceased to laugh. Instead, his little eyes narrowed, his heavy lower Jaw and pendulous under Up drooped sullenly. He reminded the girl suddenly of a huge brute bout to spring upon ite prey, and © tightened the pressure of her finger upon the trigger of her re- volver, “Teli him,” she instructed the head. man, “that punishment for mutiny ts death. ‘That if he does not pick up his pack at once I shall shoot him, Just as T should shoot a hyena that menaced my safety.” The beadman did as he was bid. The porter looked at the encircling faces of his friends for encourage- ment, He thought that he found it there, and then an evil spirit whis- pered to liim that the white woman 4 would not dare shoot and he took a step toward ber, threateningly It was his last stop, for the Instant that he took it Virginia flred—not at hie stomach, but at bis heart—and he } crumpled forward to tumble at her feet. Without a second glance at him she wheeled upon the other porters. “Pick up your packsgand march!" she commanded, and tho#® who could not ‘understand her wo t least did not misinterpret the menace of her lev- elled weapon, One by one, and with greater alncrity than they had evinced since the first day out, they shouldered their burdens, and a mo- ment later were filing along the trail, The askari still grinned, for which Virginia was devoutly thankful. From then on she became her own headman, using that dignitary prin- cipally as an interpreter, nor for many days was there again the Meatest show of insubordination— *¢ s at came later, with results so dis- Astrous thet—but why anticipate dis- ovter® CHAPTER IV. BAR to the west Richard Gor- don had penetrated the Jungle to the site of the ruined mission, He nad scraped around the woods which overgrew the razod walls of the bungalow, and at last he had come upon the flagging of the old hearth, Stone after stone ho pried from its place until joneath one he at last came upon a tiny vault, and a mo- ment later is groping fingers touched aspisted tin box that crumpled be- neath them. Feeling carefully amid BA Aabeia Aordan Anaily withdrew THE MAN-EATER b __ omence of the. Atricen Sungis By Edgar Rice Burroughs (Author of “Tarman of the Apes,” The Cave Girl,” Bie.) PPE ET CP ening 3 & long manila envelope which had withstood the ravages of time. It still was sealed, nor did he break it open, for it was all the box contained other than a few loose pieces of jew- elry and therefore must contain the paper be sought. Dick Gorton was elated by the suo- coss of his adventure, He had feared that even the old hearth might have disappeared and the paper with it, for he had no means of Knowing how complete had been the Wakandas’ demolition of the mission, as upon nis former vist he had seen no sign of the old chimney and Early the following morning he set out upon the return journey toward the coast, confident that no further obstacles other than those ordinary to African travel lay between him and the delivery of the wafely into the hands of Mrs. Scott, How could he guess that to the east of him three American crooks, bent upon nothing less than hie death, barred his way to the coast? That they were making ghort marches and slow ones was of litue moment to the three. They soon hid tired of the hardships of African travel, and finally gave up the hope of overtaking Gordon before he reached the mission. To waylay him upon his return would angwer their purpose quite as well, and so when they came at last to a village through which Gordon must pass upon his re. turn to the coast it required little discussion of the question to deaide them to await him there, In view of generous gifts the native chief welcomed them to his hespital- ity. He set aside a commodious hut for the three whites. They unstop- pered numerous bottles of Irish whie- key and the blacks brewed their na- tive beer. The visit was a long-drawn. Bacchanalian revel which the whites found much more to their taste than long. tiregome marches and the vicis- situdes of ever changing camps, But one day the peace of the com- munity was rudely startled. A lion selzed upon an unwary woman work- ing In a little patch of cultivated ground outside the village. Her screams brought out the warriors and the whites; but the lion dragged his prey into the jungle, her ecream- ing ceased, nor was she ever seen egain, They Tho natives were terrified. besought the whites to help them— to go forth with their guns and slay the man-eater; but though they hunted for two days no trace of the maurauder could they find. Then the blacks dug a pit and baited it with a live goat, and lest the lion es- cape even this they set a watch upon the pit that the whites might be call- ed when the lion approached, Nor did they have long to walt. Scarce had they secreted themselves when a huge lion stepped majestio- ally from the brush. Raising his massive head he sniffed the air, His lower jaw rose and fell, The slayer drivelled from his fowls, his throat rumbled a low thunder, and presently at his side appeared sicek Honess, For a moment they stood thus, their yellow oyes sometimes boring straight ahead as though to pierce the thickets behind which tho tremb- ling natives crouched, or again mov- ing slowly up and down the trail Presently the lion's head went up in & quick movement of arrested atten- tion. Instantly he froze to rigid im- mobility, His sensitive nostrils di- lated and contracted, the tip of his tail moved, Agide from these he might havo been chiselled from living gold, 80 motionless, so magnificent he Up wind, in a Ittle clearing, two antelope browsed. Now and again the graceful mate raised his horned head to sniff the air; his great won- dering eyes scanning the surround- ing jungle, Then he would lower his spond penta and resume his feod! et ears and nose we’ the ater. re always upon he Judas breeze, kissing the ao coats of the antelope ay it passeds hore down to the nostrils of the lions the evidence of the near presence of flesh—of tender, juley, succulent, red flesh, ‘The king turned his royal head once toward his consort. A sound that was half sigh breathed from his great throat, Was it a message— & command? Who may say? The lioness settled herself into a com- fortable pesition in the long grass and her lord moved silently away, up wind toward the unconscious ante. lone. A moment later an excite: detached himself from any ease and sped away toward the village to notify the whites that the Hons had come, Taylor, Kelly and Gootch sught up their rifles and followed the guide back toward the pit. At their heels was half the male popula- tion of the village, armed with short, heavy spears; but’ the chief, who had hunted Hons with white men many times befe nt them all back with the exception of three who carried the whites’ extra guns. There had been enough before to have frightened all the liona out of the country, Even so the white men themselves, clumsy In this unaccustomed work, made nolse enough to bring the lion- ess to her feet as they crawled into the bushes beside the watchers, When finally they saw her she was stand- ing head on gazing nervously toward their hiding place, It was evident that she Was uneasy, and the old chief knew that in an instant she would bolt, What had held her so jong in the face of the noise of the awkward white men he could not guess, hoot!" he whispered, “Quick!” Already the Honess was wheeling to depart when the three rifles spoke Only one bullet struck the target, but t one was enough to transform the timid jungle creature into a mad en- age and destruction, Turn- ike a cat and growling horribly, oness charged without an in- stant's warning straight down upon the cover that hid her foes, It was the first time tn thetr lives that any one of the white men had seen a charging Honess, and it was too much for the dope shattered nerves of Kelly and Gootch. Flinging away thelr rifles, they turned and ran like scared rabbits, their gun bearers and the watchers near them, surprised into panic at the unwonted sight of terror-struck white men, emulating their example. Only Taylor, his gun bearer and the chief held their ground, Taylor was frightened—few men are pot in the face of a charging lion, esnectally if it be their first; but the blood of the Rentts flawad in hie vaine and ahat. Sa Anne © 33 He! ever else he m! forehead. THOSE RipIc ULOUS. Boots ! AREN'T THose Ful, SKIRTS Riis CuLoUS | physical coward. In the moment that ensued he took careful aim and fir time the lioness lor drew a deep beads of perspiri He wiped them away, and we! a) ight be he was not a ain, and this topper ead, ‘h of relief, jon stood upon his as he attempted to arise he noticed that his knees 80 were weak and trem- It wouldn't do for the chief he sat down again and By the time the frightened ones had been recalled he was able to control his muscles. Gootch and Kelly came with thetr tail is between their legs, Uke whipped curs, “You guys laughed Taylor, missed “You ought to ha your calling, been lion tamers.’ ‘The twain grinned sheepishly, “I'll see that hell-cat face in my ream for the rest of my natural a fe," said Kelly, Gootch shrugged with a shudder, “Me for Broadway and the Tam- “Well, let's go and have a drink on my first lion, doesn't make such @ eaid. back to the village suggested Taylor, and the three de- parted, leaving sling and carry ess in. the natives to rig a the body of the lion- When the lion left his mate he made his way rection of his again he stopped to rt stealthily in the de- quart; Now and se his head and sniff the air, or with up-pricked ears to listen, Ahead of him, the buck, though he had as yet uneasy, located no enemy, moved slowly off followed by his doe, them by scent, within sight of on the move an such as to favor a charge. Craftily the lion trailed Presently he camo them but they were d the ground was not So ho \stalked them—cauttously, warily, si- lently—the personification Jesty, of power, ed them for a halted again to of a little Jesty, wearled tured @ charge tance, Jain, and then his ma of ma- of stealth. He stalk- long time, until they browse upon tho edge and impatient, ve from too great @ dis- Like a bolt he broke from the con- cealing jungle. With a speed that is only a lion's when it charges he sped toward them—ai they fed on, It looked up, and bay brown fled fow flash. It dozen more bounds convinced great cat that an angry roar he hal! & moment aft feant, and then ad sull all unconscious was the doe who first then two streaks of before the tawny, yel- was soon over, A the he had lost, and with ed to glare for er his disappearing to turn, still rumbling, back into the forest toward his mate. He came, after a time, to the spot where he had left her, not there, He did not about, answer, The scent of man was still but she was called to her, but she Then he sniffed heavy in the alr, and the acrid odor of powder clun| the branches, blood? The lion crossed an} and—what smell x to the grasses and was that, of blood? The d recrossed the trail. He walked about sniffing, and at last he came upon mate had died. from his mighty lungs. snot where his A great roar broke He smelled about the trampled grasses, Blacks! And what is this, the scent spoor of whites? The blacks were familiar denizens of the jungle. Nttle of them Sometimes he at He thought one way or another, te them, for they were stupid creatures easily overcome; but the whites! The whites! He had had experience of them before—of them and acrid smoke and t His forearm had and the scar still p their ir painful bullets, creased by ono Inly showed. How he hated them? Such Is Life! ~ — by the (Toe New SILLY PANTALETTES Hel He! c a Copyright, 191% ‘Tira Tania fork Reenivg t CHIN CHIN Cottar | Co old.) AREN'T THOSE 4 By Maurice Ketten rid Daily Magazine, Wednesday, Novem Me HIGH-WATER ——_ HAT lotic PANTS FoousH | ——_—~ THOSE SISSY « TIGHT. FITTING CLOTHE: HE! HE CAN YoU REAT THE bye BRow ON HIS UPPER UP | ment = stir Down went his nose to the trail. Which way had they gone? He would follow and avenge. Straight along the crooked jungle pathway led the spoor, Rumbiing in his throat the Hon followed, all engrossed in hate and rage, so that he did not see th trap until tt was too late, Sud- denly there was a giving of the trail beneath his feet. A snapping of small branches, He clawed and tried to leap to safety, but in vain, The earth sank from beneath him, and snarling and beating with his armed feet he dropped into the blackness of the pit that had been digged for him. Nor, for all his great strength and cunn! could escape, * 28 > It was midafternoon, following a long march, that Virginia and her safari came upon a village where the headman had told her they would be well received and could doubtless trade for fowl and goats and vege- tables, The prospect was alluring, for during the past week her hunters had been vouchsafed the poorest of luck, Goat and chicken would taste good, Virginia's mouth watered, The mouths of her boys watered too; but not so much for goat and chicken as for the native beer for which this village was justly famous. The chief was away when tl tors arrived, but his wife and son did honors in his stead, They, as well as the balance of the villagers, evinced the greatest curiosity, But few of them ever had seen a white woman before, and they clustered about her, feeling of her flesh and garments, laughing uproariously at each new discovery, but nccording her every mark of friendship, At last, with diMculty, Virginia @uc- ceeded in arranging through her head - man for a hut to which she might retire; but even here the women and children followed her, squatting about watching her every move, The tn- terior of the hut was filthy, and tho girl had been in it but a short time when she decided to summon her headman and have her tent and camp Pitched outside the village, When she went to find him, for she could not make any of the women understand her wants, she discovered him, with others of ‘her safari, ‘n- dulging freely tn beer, Already they had consumed large quantities, a with an unlimited supply in view were loath to leave the immediate vicinity of the brow ‘or the sake of pitching camp for her or any one else. As she stood arguing with them through the headman she was #ud- denly aware of the approach of new. comers from the jungle, A little vi party of men were entering the vil- lage gates, and her heart gave 4 great icap of joy as she saw a white man among them, She had started forward impulsively toward him, bait believing that it might be Richard Gordon, when she saw two other him, aad recognized them immediately as Taylor, wrt sank ax @he realized tho icament in which she had unwit- Taylor, seeing her bere, would not need to be tuld to know what bad brought her, and now, just when she mont needed the loyalty of her boys, they were on the high road to inebriation, She turned toward them quickly, however, placing herself behind them out of sight of the advancing whites, “Quick!” she whispered to the a an, “You must get the boys ner at once, We will continue nareh. ‘Those men who have Just red the village are my enemies the boys of the askart to get pre Ungly placed herself. Tell their guns—We may need them; but I must get out of this village at once.” The headman transmitted her com- mands to (he porters and the askari, but they elicited only grumbling mur- murs at first, and, when he urged her authority upon thei, open refusal to iuove from where they were, They said that they had marched far that day—they could go no further—they would not go further, and one who had consumed 1ore beer than hia follows atinou that he would tale no more orders from a woman, And just then Scott Taylor came abreast party and as his eyes fell upon Virginia Seott they went wide tn in- credulity and wonder, “Virginia!” he exclaimed, “Where did you come from? What on earth are you doing here?" And then us had guessed the answer his owed and a lowering scowl is face, “You've been fol- me, have you? Spying on me, ou think you can put one over do you? Well, you've got an- think coming, young lady.” Virginia Scott looked coldly at the Speaker, utter contempt In the curve of her lip and the expression of her level eyes, j “Yes, 1 followed you, Scott,” she “1 know you too well, you . pot to have guessed something of \ * ulterior motive which prompted ome to Africa immediately heels of Mr. Gordon. We tter to mother, you see, y at pocket, the coat that you & tually dropped behind your bed bet eft, if you will take my you will take yourself lous friends here back out of Africa as fast ONE OF THE MANY THOUSAND PEOPLE WHO ARE READING THE EVENING WORLD'S Complete Novel Each Week? Hf not, yor robbing yourself of the richest fiction treat ever offered to the readers of a newspaper, The Evening World, every week, prints a novel by some famous author, These nove! They are selected with a view And the tremendous sucoe: In The Evening Worl series ie the foremost work of such Chambers, Mary Roberts Rinehart, Robertson, Margaret are issued complete in six large daily instalments. to suiting the tastes of all readers. of the plan has long been demonstrated. 's “COMPLETE NOVEL EACH WEEK” “best-seller” authors as Robert W. Rupert Hughes, James Oliver Cur- Widdemer, George Rando! Chee- jorgan ter, Loule Joseph Vance, Edgar Rice Burroughs and many others of equal celebrity, Taylor had been thinking rapidly as the girl spoke, yet still he was at a joss what step to take next. If she knew that he had followed Gordon to Africs. then her mother knew it too, and whatever harm might befall Gor- don here would be laid at his door even though he found the means to quiet Virginia, The means to quiet Virginia! The thought kept running through his head over and over again. The means to quiet Virginia! Ho gave his head a little shake as he let his eyes rest on the girl's taco gain, She was very beautiful—even more beautiful in her khaki and tan than she had been in the soft sum- mer dresses and clear white complex~ fon of the Virginia days, “Will you take the «..arce and go?” sho asked presently, “I promise that I will say no word of this that will harm you. Each of us ls half Scoa.— 1 would not willingly harm my ewn blood, nor will I see you pennihess when the estate comes into my hands.” The mention of tho estate brought ‘Taylor up with a start. It also brought a gleam into the eyes of Kelly and Gooteh, who had been interested lin- teners to tho conversation, Kelly leaned toward Taylor. “If you go back, Ki he asked, e an’ Bill tl fool,” too “who's goin’ to pay hundred thou apiece? “I'm not going back, you snapped Taylor, “I've come damned far to go back now.” “What are you going to do, Scott?” Virginia asked the question in an even voice, She well knew the moment was fraught with hideous possibill- ties for her, “The frst thing I'm going to do, growled Taylor, “is to put you wh you can be watched, and where y won't get another chance to go and blab all you know or think you know to Mr, Butinski Gordon.” He stepped quickly to tho girl's side as he spoke and thougl she reached for her revolver his band was too quick for her and the weapon was wrenched from her grasp before she could use it, as use It she most certainly should had she had the opportunity. Taylor seize’ her wrist and he stood there holding bor, acow!- ing down into her face, Virginia re- turned the scowl, and spoke a single word, loud enough for the other whites to hear. “Coward! That single word was filled with loathing and contempt 6u- yreme, It stung the man as would t ‘orrent of invective, It stung and roused all the brute within him With an oath be jerked the girl roughly after him as he turned and crossed the village street, Straight toward the but occupied by himself ind his two associates he dragived and at his heels came Kelly and h t a rope.” snapped Taylor when wore inside, “We'll truss this pen until we can plan what's bewt And anyway we haven't had deink yet on my first lor tch found a rope and together the three men bound the girl securely, Then they went out of the hut, taking a bottle of whiskey with them. After they had left her Vir exerted every effort to free herself of her bonds; but strain as she would she could not slip them an inch ° uft-rnoon wore on, She hear the loud talk and laughter of (he drinking blacks and whites, and she trembled as she thought what the r turn of those three, Qushed with drink, might mean to her. And nigt fell and still she lay a prey to grim terror and the physical tortures of her honda end the unclean weer oom BY ALBE ) 37] r | & mats upon which they had thrown her, CHAPTER V. WINGING along at the head } of hia safari, Dick Gordon | puffed upon his blackened briar and hummed a gay tune of the roof gardens. The biack boys at his heels laughed and chattered and sang. They were a merry party, for Gordon had a way with him tha, kept men singing at |thelr work until they forgot that wan work. Ho could get more miles out of a safari than mony a harden- Jed, and hard, old explorer, for he treated his boys like children, humor- ‘ing or punishing as seemed best, but Never permitting an Injustice, never nursing an Irritation, and never let- |ting them forgot that he was master, |From headman to meanest porter they loved him, respected him, each thought that he would wade through blood for the big, singing bwana; but they were soon to find that it was easier to think than to wade when the chances were even that the blood might be their own, ‘They were nearing a native village where beer flowed like water, and Gordon, having had one previous ex- perience of the place and the effects that {t had upon his mon for two con- secutive marches, had decided to camp short of the village and pass it on tho fly in the morning. They had come almost to the spot he had selected for thelr camp, when the roars of a Hon, almost at his feet brought Gordon to @ sudden stop at the verge of a pit cunningly hid in the trail. A hole a fow paces further on showed where the lion had disappeared and why he was roaring thus up out of the bowels of the earth. Gordon approached and peered into the excavation, There below bim crouched ‘a huge, black maned lion, At Gordon's elbow was bis gun bearer, To turn and grasp the ready rifle was the work of but a momont, but when he had raised the weapon to his shoulder and levelled it upon the breast below him something brought him to a sudden atop. His men were gathered about the pit now throwing taunts and insulls al Lhe great ceast, ‘Poor devil,” thought Gordon, “ite shame to pot you like this without \a chance for your life’—he paused and then—"I'm damned if FU do it, | "Young Mr, Gordon was, as you may have guesed, & f unpui He was wout to nd t later, whieh is minty Gane Way lo do ithe right Ching if one is inferenlly —right #1 feart, and doesn't chuace to be Javorfag whuer Cue iumidivus toxin of anger, Then, too, Vick Gordon loved animals, and loved the great, fierce caus of the jungle. To him’ there was no moro inspiring sight than that of a mighty lion, and as he looked at the one bi low him, even in the dim light of the pit, he realized that never before had his eyes rested upon so magnificent 4 creature as this great, black-maned prisoner. He lowered hig rifle and turned toward bix headman, “Let's have a litue fu he sald, “It's not sport to shoot a in @ pit. I never have, and I never shall, We'll Jet this old boy out where he'll have a run for his inoney and then I can take @ little pride im his skin when 1 get it home.” The headman grinned. He was something of & sport himself, but not when It came to lions, “How you get him out, bwana?’ he asked, Gordon examined the pit, Its roof Was chostructed of several stout sap- Ungs crossed with lesser branches and brush, To drag 4 couple of the largor logs until their ends dropped into the pit would be the work of but a mo- ment, then the lon could clamber out if be were not injured, and there was nothing In his appearance or manner to indicate that he was not entirely whole, Gordon explained his plan to the head man and give his orders for the beurters to lay aside their loads and drag tho poles far enough to let their ends drop into the pif. The men grinned and shrugged, and looked for handy trees, for they knew that a maddened lion is Ughtning unochained Gingerly they laid hold of the saplings and commenced to haul away upon them, but when the ends had come to the pit's verge and were about to drop down and lItberate the lion they , still grinning, though sheap- > excused, as it ined to particularly he and he y 4 and nothing him. od naturedly. " can take to the trees,” he said, “and hurry up about tt. I’ going to let loose this man-ear- f Rellal.” ono of the the eded nd he graspe logs and pr Nis act, tarried not for e of his words, to right and left, clam & to the safety of the lower bran with the agility of monkews. Only Gordon's gun bearer remained at his po: The young elng him et the boy to pl rifle a faw paces to his rear whero Id take it up and fire should it After 1 drop nit hefore dozen Wor him was bid in ithe tre he leaned th him vt th rifle, coc! era hand. nanred the distance be. i the tree with his 1 that even thoneh after climbing from 14 take him a mo ch level ground and with that advantare Gordon could easily reich his rifle and bring the beast down before it was upon him. ne re whic aleulate and lon ¢ his prison it w ment or two to r | NEXT WEEK'S COMPLETE NOVEL IN THE EVENING WORLD When Liberty Was Born} PAYSON TERHUNE sure to PCN Ie RE EMPEY MENA The element of risk in the advens ture appealed to the young New Yorker, He would be pitting his own ekill and prowess against the skill and prowess of the 1, for if Gordon falled to stop him with his firet shot the victory would be to the great cat, This was sport! Gordon felt a thrill of excite, ment tingling along bis nerves as he drew slowly upon the end of one of the logs. Below him the lion stood motionless glaring up into hie face, and uttert cecanional low growis. As he worl Gordon glanced often at the great beast, admiring his splendid statare, his great mane and his massive The lion was wondering if this crea- ture was one of those who had slain his mate. What was he doing? Why was he pulling the cover his prison? Why had the loud noise and the acrid odor that accom these white skinned humans not yet aa- sailed his ears and nostrils? Hon was puzzled. He cocked his head upon one side, watching Intentiy—so intently that he forgot to growl. Gordon dragged the end of one of the logs until 1 just hung upon rim of the pit, then he drew its fel~ low to the same position. A al quick, heavy pull upon the two gether should precipitate the ends in« to the bottom of the trap. Dick Gordon glanced behing him once more that he might @naily Ox tn his mind the exact location of bis rifle, then he garged back with s firm «rip upon the logs, the at the op- posite end of the pit crumbled from the edge and the two ors dropped their further extremities side by side to the bottom. At the same instant Gordon turned and ran for his rifle. The lion leaped nimbly. to one side to avoid the fall- ing logs, instantly grasped their sig- nificance to him and with an leap was upon them and at the of the pit by time Gordon had covered half the distance to the tree waere his gun leaned, ready to his an Seeing the man fleeing the lion gave a single terrific roar and burst into the full speed of the charge, The na- tives in the trees screamed toudly to Gordon, the man turned his head, thinking the lion must be already upon him, and in the little instant that his eyes were taken from his path hia foot caught in the protrud- ing root of a creeper and he was down, But for this he might have reached his weapon and put In one good shot Even now he started to scramble to his feet and rece on; but even as he half rose a great body struck him from behind and hurled him back to earth—a great, tawny, hairy body that towered above him grim and terrible, A thousand thoughts raced through Dick Gordon's mind in the brief in- stant that the lion stood over him. Ho thought of his revolver and bis as knife tn their holsters at his side. @ last resort he wonld use them. # had heard of men being tn positions similar to bis own and of escaping unbarmed—of the lions leaving them for some unaccountable reason with- out inflicting even a scratch upon them. Gordon determined to wait until the lion took the offensive. Ho lay very quietly just as he had fatien, half upon hi One t fore- paw waa opposite his face, for the tion straddled him, Gordon even noted the ugly, Jagged scar upon the inside of the forearm. ‘The boys in the trees were shouting and hi branches at the huge beast, The ant- mal paid no more attention to them than as though they had been many little monkeys. He lowered mighty head and aniffed the body of his prey. Gordon could feel the aie touching his back lightly, and hot breath upon his neck and The lion was puzzled. This was not one of those whom he sought, several minutes that seemd an nity to Gordon thy him, iz beast stood What wns he thinking? from captivity? Who may say? But thie we do know, that with ene great paw he turned Gordon over on his back, sniffed him from head to foot, looked straight into his fame for a full minute and then turn stalked majestically down the leaving unharmed the puny creature whose career one closing of mighty jaws would have forever. Scarce belleving that he could credit his own senses, Gordon rose slowly to hin feet and gazed after the lion. Be- hind him his boy slid from the and, seizing Gordon's rife, ran fo: and thrust It into Ube man's hand. awakened from the stupor of the shook he had received, Gordon mechanically threw the weapon to the hollow of his shoulder Quickly the sights covered a spot in the middle of the beast’s back hind the shoulders, the trigger- assed slowly back. The blacks, t pow, awaited in breathless ex- pectancy the shot that was never fired. “or & moment Gordon stood thus tke @ statue, Then, with an shake of bia head he lowered thi ‘weapon, “I can't do it,” he muttered. “The beast could have kilted me, but didn’t. If | killed him now I'd be less than @ beast I wonder why he left us? Could \t have been gratitude? Shucks! Gratitude nothing! He wasn't hungry or else the boys frightened bim away,” and at the latter thought Gordon could not repress a erin as he recalled the great carnivore’s apparent utter con- tempt for the yelling natives, And as he stood watching the lel- surely departure of the king until he was hidden by a turn in the trail the belief that it mieht have heen @rati- fe insist tpon obtruding Itself nehts n his th “Anyway,” be sald half aloud, “t'lr ke a pretty story, oven If it's not fe trie explanation.” Hig hove had all descended from their trees by this time and were shont him, chatterine to one udly expatiating upon f of ry they Gordon >. e Up your to he near the » beside the beer make camp as soon a@ oy thew fonnd a mutt. ir camn, and Mordor “4 by a mosrnito Net, atretol of in his hammoek to entow the nf @nine and a honk hetore, the evenin= me: be. pat (To prote bir eae