The evening world. Newspaper, November 18, 1915, Page 17

2 % The Evening World Daily Magazine. REMEMEUEYMONE NPA MANNA NAA APNE SENN THE MAN-EATER Copyright, 1015, by Pres Publishing Co, York Evouing World) BYNOPSIS OF PRECKDING INSTALMENTS. Teflormon Scott jr. a rich young Marylander, during « big game trip to Africa marries Muth Morton, « missionary’ daughter, Scott te killed (New by satager, His widow gow to bla father's Marre land home with her baty denguter, Virginia She brings along her welding certificate and other b ber father in daw pute away for mle a grows to beautiful womanbood. She is, prammably, helr to : a dimolute nephew of the old uinn, comes from New York to the Mary. Jand plantation to clatin the estate, No will le found, ‘Tarlor hints that Virginia's parente were not married, ‘Their welding certificate being ap Parently lost, Virginia's mother writes to her band’s former chum, Kobert Gordon, an African explorer, asking him to prove her marriage, The Jottar reaches Gordon's on, Dick. His father a dead, Dick resolves to €o to Africa in search of the evidence Mrs. Soot oreda, ‘Taylor hires gun- men to follow aud Kil Gordyn, Virginia also goes to Africa on ont idence of her paras marriage. She te captur joe's emimaries, Gordon eaves the life of a imge man-eating lion, ‘The Mon exhibits geoulne gravitute for the aot of marcy, CHAPTER V. (Continued. aXHAUSTED from her strug- gles to free herself from )} her bonds, Virginia lay in dumb misery listening to the sounds of revel with- out, The blacks were dancing now, Their hideous yells reverberated through the forest, The dancing light from the great fire they had bullt to illuminate the scene of their orgy fose and fell fitfully across the open entrance of the hut im which the @irl lay. Her own men would be joining tn the maJ revel, she well knew. No use to appeal to them, Already they bad shown the calibre of their loyalty. Only the headinmun had remained at all etanch in bus iealty to her and be was a Weak Vessel; even when sober, Now that he was drunk, as he douot- Jess was, sho could not appeal even tu bin with any hope of @ responso. Now and 4 1e heard the voices of the white men, maudiin from drink. She shuddessd a» she conempiated to the hut Again she y with her bonds, Hope their retura strug va was wel nica inguished, for what hope could there be for her here among these Wild savages and cruel, relentiess whites? As blacks danced and the whites @rank with them, another creature than Virginia seo.t heard the Bac- Janalian noises of their drunken eve, A HTK bluck-tmaned tion, grim and silent, prowled about ta , Shitting na listening, Now uin he would halt, with bis head cocked upon one side and hie ears up-pricked. ‘Then he would re- Round and e his | Ss pacing round the outside of the inclosure he paced his stealthy beat Occasionally a jow, a very low, moan — rscu his lips—-a weird, joo! -frev noan that, happily for Ie peice of mind of the revellers was drowned by their own hideous noises, What were his intentions? That he seemed searching for some- thing or some one appeared evident. Once or twice he puused and lifting his head measured the distance to the top of ihe paris: To the very gates had he follows spoor of tae white men who had slain his mate, For them he had come. Were they with in? He could not catch their scent; but though he had circled the pali- gaded Villige several times his senal- ve nostrils had discovered no spoor Mesner than that which ended at the village gates. His brute sense told him that they must be within, Why did he hes: + He was no coward; but neither was he any fool, H knew the powers and the purpose of guns and spours, and ne Kuew too that once within the palisade with the man-people, While ull were awake, he might be Killed before he had accom- plished the revenge upon which he was bent, and so he bided his time— a fierce and terrible thing, padding noisciessly through the black night just t ond the palisade, The night wore slowly on, Lesa and jess became the sounds of revelry us one by one blacks succuinbed to the influences of thoir native beer ad the white man's whiskey, P’resent- ly Taylor rose unsteadily and made his we toward his hut eeeriog little, for it was his boast that ne ‘coul carry his load ke a gentle- an Vv 4, wile eyed and sleepless, saw vuching. In the extremity of he he rolled to the far side of the hut io he there silent and motionless ta the hope that he had forgulien her presence and would not notice her Taylor sober might be appealed to in the morning, There must be @ fibre of chivalry soi where in the soul of any man in whose viens flowed the honored biood of the Scotts; but Taylor drunk would be adamant to any Influence counter to_his passions. From the darkness of her corner Virginia saw how silghtly he stag- gered and her hope renewed. He might not be so badly intoxicated as she had feared; bet as he lurched through the low doorway her heart sank, for he called her name aloud in a thick voi yat belied the steadi- ness of his car Bhe dil not the hut, stoopin hands, and an from his ‘Lo, sweet , and he crossed sud feeling for her Presently he touched ini’ of satisfaction 8 ," he mumbled Virginia did not answer, feigning sleep Instead, He grasped her by the shoulder and shook her. “Wake up, Kid! he shouted, “I'l show you I'm not shush a bad sort, 'S crovks out there wanted me to croak you; but I'm a gelmun; I won't croak you !f you treat me right.” Ho dragged her to a sitting posture and put bis arms about her. She could not push him away or fight him off, for her arms were pinioned behind hy “Scot she cried, “Think what you are doing! 1 am your own cousin.” “Firs? nee removed," he corrected. “Please, ¢ she pleaded, “Please oe alone." For reply he kissed her, “You beast!" ene eried, Tarzan’s Creator Writes a New Romance of the African Jungle By Edgar Rice Burroughs (Author of “Tarmn of the Apes," The Cave Girl,"’ Rte) nanan See Paci KERRI, | “No beast,” he assured. “To show what a goo’ fellow I am I'm goin’ to take these ropes off you,” and he com- menced to fumble with the knots, {| Virginia saw a ray of hope now in his drunkenness. Sober, his reason would have warned him against re- leasing her; but drunk he had all the foolish assurance of drunkenness. The knots baffling him, he drew his hunting knife and cut the cords. “Now,” he sald, “you can show me how mush you love me,” and again he seized her and strained her to him. At his hip swung a revolver. Virginia had coveted it from the first. Now it was the work of but a moment to snatch it from its holster and press it against the man’s stomach. | “Take your hands off me,” she said, “or I'll pull the trigger,” and she poked the muzzle against his ribs, Taylor knew tn an instant what sho! had accomplished and it sobered hi Slowly his hand crept down to se) hers where it beld the weapon close against him. | “Put up your hands,” she warned him, “and put them up quickly. I Il take no chances, Scott, and I ‘© you my word that I'd breat r if you were dead.” The man raised his hands above his head and Virginia sprang to her fect. “Now stay where you are,” she commanded. “Don't come out of this hut before morning. If you do, or make any attempt to stay or recap- ture me, I shail certainly make it my sole point in life to kill you before I am retake Slowly she backed across the floor toward the doorway, She would arouse her men and at the point of Scott's revolver force them to accom- pony her from the village, Bhe was desperate, for she knew that worse than death was the best that she could hope for from Scott Taylor. It was with a sigh of relief that she passed the low portal and found herself in the pure air of the moun- bathed tropleal night. A prayer of thanksaiving was on her lps; but it was never breathed, for scatce had she emerged from the interior of the hu! than she was roughly seized from hehind and the revolver wrenched from her grasp, CHAPTER VI. * Virginia turned to struggle | with her captors she saw| that they were Taylor's two | accomplices, and now Tay- lor, released from the menace of the revolver, ruehed from the hut! to the venistance of his fellows It} required the combined strength of the | three to subdue the girl, who was firhting with the strength of desper-| n for life, and more than fe, But at last they overcame her and | drogged her back into the hut, Here! they shoved her to the far eife, and, panting from their exertions, stood glowering at her, Taylor was wiping blood from his band. Virginia Scott, In the extremity of her need, had been transformed in the moment of battle to a primordial she-thing, and as ber lirst human ancestor might have done, had fought with teeth and natls against her assailants. Kelly, too, had felt her strong, whito tees sink into ils flesh and Gootch bore a long scrateh from temple to chin “The ——~ ——," exclaimed the lat- ter, “We'd orter of croaked her tn the firat plac Taylor was eying the girl through narrowed lids. All the beast that was in him shone from his evil eyes. He turned and whispered quickly to Kelly and Gooteh, “Are we in on it?” asked the former, Taylor nodded, “1 don't care,” he sald. “And then we give her the k. 0. an’ put ler away benin’ the hut,” supple- met sootch, “Phe groun’ 's soft au’ the diggin'll be easy.” “L told you that's wot you'd orter of done in the first place,” grumbled Kelly, ‘Ivll leave you the only heir an’ they won't be nubody to squeal about Gordon w'en ho don't show up no more. “Go to it,” growled Taylor; “there can't be any cat bite me up without paying for it" The wo crooks advanced toward the girl and selzed her. ‘Taylor waited to une side, dluwiy they forced her to the floor of the hut and held her there, Lavugh she fought with all the strength remaining to ber. And outside the pallsade the black maned prowler sniffed and listened, Now a little, vagrant breeze eddicd through the stagnant night. It swirled cross the village compound, and it bore upon tts wings to the nostrils of the carnivore tie fresh scent of the white men, With a low growl the kreat beast crouched and sprang. Lightly as @ feather he topped the palisade and dropped noiselessly witu~ in, For @ moment he stood motionless, peering about, There Was no one in sight. With long, easy strides, bis supple muscles rolling Im the moon- Nght beneath bis amooth hide, the destroyer crossed to (he nearest hut and sniffed at the chinks In the thatched wall, Then he moved to an- other and another, searching for the prey he hunted, And all unconscious of his grisly presence the blacks within slept on in blissful ignorance of the hideous menace roaming at will through their village, In the walte men’s hut the three brutes struggled with the batting girl, Their victory was not to ba the easy thing they had bargained on, and as they fought to subdue her, their positions changed from time to time, Once she caught Gootch's thumh between her teeth, nor released ber hold until she had almost severed it from his hand. Cursing and moaning, the crook withdrew from the batue for a mo- ment to sit with his back toward the door nursing his hurt. Kelly and Taylor were still endeavoring to over- power their quarry without killing her, Their faces were toward the door, Suddenly Virginia felt their grasps relax and saw their eyes, wide in horror, directed across her shoulder, She turned to discover what had so quickly diverted their ™ attention from her, and she gasped at the sight that met her eyes, Framed in the doorway was the massive head of a huge Hon, Gootch had not seen the beast. He was rolling to and fro drunkenly, holding on to bis injured thumb, 100 HOPE You Lt COME OUT OF IT ALLRIGHT OLD PAL 1AM ALL UPSET, | JusT CAME FROM VISITING FRIEND IN THE HOSPITAL . & BROKE HIS NECK SLIPPING WW HIS BATH TUB For HEAVENS SAKE! DON'T LAUGH | \T's A SERIOUS ———____.... Without a word Taylor and Kelly turned and commenced clawing fran- tieally at the frail thatching of the 8 rear wall. In a moment they had torn an opening .arge enough to permit their bodies to pass through, und were gone into the night beyond At the ie insiant the lion gave voice to @ terrific ruar, and Virginia dodged throurh the ront that Taylor and Kelly had made and sprawled (9 the ground out She saw the two scoundrels ng toward the Tight, and instinctively sbo turned toward tho left. She had taken but a few steps when there fell upon her * ears the most bloodcurdiing scream of mortal agony and terror that ever had smote upon them in her life. She had not imagined that the human volce could compass such freeai fear asx that which shrieked out tts high pitched wail upon the ailent Jungle night. The cry compelied her to turn her head baci in the direction of the huc she had quitted, and there, in the full Jusht of the equatorial moon, she wit- heased that which will be seared upon her memory to her dying day, She saw Gootch, half through the opening that had given escape to Kelly, Taylor and herself, clutobing frantically at the turf and at the sides of the torn hut wall, His features Were distorted by agony and horror supreme. Hoe shrieked aloud to the friends who gained courage and pursued. He skirted close in the shadow of tho wall for a presentiy: upon the gates which Vir- ginta bad left open. for an instant to turn @ snarling face toward his pursuers, brought them to a sudden halt, and then, wheeling, du cat Virginia Scott was occupied by but u single thought—to place as much dis- lance botween herself and Scott Tay- lor she dt alder, was the flicht of panic-—unreasoning, tad, hysterical. | And surely abe had heen t shake steadier nerves and more ex- pertenced heads than hers. Thorns and underbrush clutehed at her short skirt and khaki jacket, tear- ing them; scratched her han arms and her face; soiree between her feet und tripped er, to aeramble to her feet once more and plunge on deeper and deeper into tho gakaews. The myriad jungle noises a movement of padded feet, the brush of bodies against vine and bush, fluttering of weird wings registered not at all upon her fear-numbed brain. And then, above all other sounds, broke one that biasted its way to her } short distance, coming There he paused a face which ed through the way and was gone, umbling through the Jungle aight, jand. fale u she could. In what direction 8 going, to what nameless fate not know, she did not con- For the frst half hour hers rough enouch that day to Tight. other, her tangled them- spots. Again and again she fell, only for a time on deaf ears—| the att eee bel to dolude herael{ wecurity. anny soundlessnesa of the pasa- ing of the great cats when they chose silence. Gut what was that? A body, black against the blackness of the jungle had moved among thi Slowed dimly from the point which her gaze was concentrated. Close beside them appeared two other tree horrified, from her coming c they wi rough bark of the tree bebind her gave to clutching fingers. coming away | little thing may sometimes prove th: most monotonous of a lifetime. co. ror.) GIRLS , VAM EXPECTING MRI. SAD, THE FANOUS HUMORIST .. GET READY FoR A Good LAUGH Thursday, November 18, 1915 By Maurice Ketten HE IS HILARIOUSLY FUNNY | A_REGULAR FOUNTAIN OF MIRTH IMNENSE ! HE! HE | EVERY THING HE SAYS FUNNY She jeaned against the bole of tree, panting like a winded doe tha after @ brave battle for liberty, finds {iself spent and awaits resignedly the coming of the hounds, Sho waited, listening for sounds of the coming of the beast of prey she felt sure wi tened, but she heard no sound to m- dicate that the beast However, she did not attempt into a feullng of the upon her trail. She well knew trees Sho strained her eyes in the direction of the shadowy form. ‘There it was, and another and an- fire upon Suddenly two spots of Virginia shrank back againat tho A little prayer rose They were Stealthily, notselessly, The jlent Ups. God! or. creeping upon her. the frenzied force her hand. Such She lis- was close at Yost ! of her A piece broke off, 1S hope for the tuture, but each essay in this direction brought her to a deat stop agains, the blank wall of fa Sho was alone, unarmed and lost si the jungle, Sie was surrounded by savage beasts and savage men by any one of whic suv would be consideret! natural prey. ‘Yo retrac the coast, trail, would be the long journey frou en though she know ths tmpossible, and equal- ly limpossible would be Lhe task of going waead ia search of Itichand Gordon, whom abe know (o be some- where to the west of her, ‘The more she weighed her chances for existenc: against the forces of destruction p ted against her, the more hope appeared her situation. ven ty ning of dawn, nary a time o news abt no added bouyaney to her jaded eplrite—only 4 dogged determiiaion to fight on to the Inevitable end, and then to die bravely with @ consciousness of hav- ing fought a good tigh became a granddaughter of Jefferson Scott, As daylight dispelled the darkness about her and objects that had an- sumed grotesque and menacing pro- portions by night receded and shrunk to the commonplaces of day Virginia's eyes sought the ground below for a glimpse of the creatures whose men- ace had driven her to the safety of branches before; but, search as sho woul she could discover no sign of dangerous beast, and nt last, re- ‘ then sho saw track—a ma skulking hyena, Virginia knew that men looked down upon this repulsive beast, call ing him a harmless coward; but she knew too that many a man had fallen prey to the enormous strength and forovity of these same creatures, She of their cunning and their cruclty, and that, like all other hunted beasts, they were as perfectly aware when man Was unarmed as Was man himself, She had heard tales of their cour- age too; of their attacking lions and ing his Kill from beneath the nose of the king of beasts, And so she did not deceive herself, as have the thing upon her bey, hideous, | others to their sorrow, as to the cow- ardice or the harimlessness of this, Nature's moat loathaome creation, Fifty yards ahead was a low tree growing solitary In the clearing, She would take ref there until the Deart had gone, She quickened her pace, and, turning her head, saw, to her horror, that the hyena had broken into a trot and waa coming straight for her, Even #0, sho could reach the tree; she was quite near it now. The hyena was not charging, just trotting slowly toward her, Evidently he was too sure of his prey to feel any neces- sity for Keith himaelt. |. Virginia reached the tree in ample jtime to climb to safety, and it was with a little prayer of relief that ahe looked up for and hold upon a lower branch—a prayer that froze upon her lips and turned to a scream of horror, atartled from overwrought nerves, as abe saw a great anake coiled in the branches above hor head, CHAPTER VII. HEN daylight broke upon the village from which Virginia had escaped it found Taylor and Kelly, shaken but @o- bered, preparing to set out in search of Virginia. In the jungle outside the palisade they had buried the torn remnants of what had once been William Gooteh, and then they gathered their men together and set \ forth upon the trail of the girl. Spreading out tn a great circle, two or three together, they beat the jungle in all directions, Chance led the two whites with a handful of men toward the west, and a shred of torn khakt clinging to a thorn bush put one ot the natives upon ber trail, After that it was easy and the party made rapid progress in the wake of the fleeting irl, “Nand to the west another camp wae satir, Breakfaat was served and dls- posed of, and Dick Gordon, humming “Ite nice to get Up in the morning,” shoulderod a light sporting rifle, and with his gun bearer at his heels with his express set out along the coaat- word trail ahead of his sofart, ‘The day was beautiful, Gordon was happy. Broadway held more pitfalls 1 the jungle, Hila wae but @ py, care free jaunt to the coast, was already commencing to fool outing past its zenith, humdrum of civilization! He shrugged diagustedly, Not an untoward occur- rence upon tho entire trip, The mo- notony of New York had followed him into the wilds of Africa, He had been born, evidently, to the commonplace, Adventure shunned him, And then, directly abead and so close that it sounded shrill upon hia the scream of @ terrified Gordon leaped forward at @ rapid run. in a dozen paces be broke from the jungle into small clearing to a sight which surprised him no lese than would tho presence of a Numi- dian lon loose upon Fifth Avenue, He saw first a dishevelled white girl clothed Jn torn khaki, ber hair loos- ened and fallen about ber shoulders, Jn her hand was a broken branch and snarling about ber was @ huge hyena, closing in ready to charge. iefore elther the girl or the beast realized Unat @ new factor had been precipitated Into their encounter Gor- don had thrown bis riffle to his ears, PO: womun had deserte es perceptive faculties. Thunderous, ‘Mange that soo could bot reinain in #uouider and fred Just as the hyena id J e 6 PeOCE yround . ~ hideous crea slowly and horribly, be was being iwoke her to a aenee of the nearness nope in her hopeless breast, The treo! fault and rosumed her flight. Not- Mitols Cline girl's feet, and as GeaNn Dace. (nto he Interior of fhe of other dangers. than that from Why had abe not thought of it be- (ire her face toward the wee, It caine to rest two more’ bullets Virginia guesses the giant foree, the Which she was fleeing. fore deciding at last that her only hops pinged into Its carcass, finishing It hideous, bestial force, that was drag. ,.1t Was the roar of a Mon, To hor They were coming close now -would of silvation | iching Kichard forey King the Corritlod man becewend Gri: cenge nerves it sounded ciose behind tore be time? She turned and meas- Gordon, and intl enPlitnerty don had run forward, stopping Goom within the dark interne ot Cie her. The girl paused, stark and rigid, ured the girth of the bole with het hy the oblication whe felt strung upon Only momentarily to fire, and an in- Huts yet, fascinated anterior of the jistaning. She stood with herclenched arms It was not a largs tree—in her to find and warn hin ot the stant afier his ast shot ho stood be stasid und wateh the grim aid terrieie hands tight against her bosom. Her that lay still Kreater hope. A audden menace whish lay in wait upon hia {ore th King down at her with tragedy. breath came in ttle wasps fn anarling broke from the things creep homewurd trail astonin nd tneredulity weit could feel her heart beatin, nat ing upon her, and at the saine Instant i . ten. | nis countenance emalowiy the body disappeared and her ribs-—she could hear Itrabovethe she leaped aa high as whe could, «im. ,,,1i4t she would find him sha had eed up at flint aston en the shoulders. Only tho head noises of the jungle it sounded like a braced the stem of the trea and jii\'@ Bone; but at least she would jviment, Ha saw her reel, and drop was left aod the hands, the iatter suil traitorous tattoo beating out a call to scrambled rapidly aloft " he Poor satisfaction of clinging ping his rifle, steadied her with his clutching tutilely for a hold upon the the prowlers of the night, guiding There was @ rsh below her, a y to the Inst. however futile her fein frail wall, the face white and distorted them to thelr prey. chorus of angry growls, and some. SOMPt to tulfil that duty. n the natne of all that is holy,’ y foar and suffering. And then the For a moment she stood thus, until thing brushed her foot. She heard She Dad not gone a great distance said, “whe are you, and what are head was drawn back out of sight, out of the blackness from which she the click of favs snapping together Wet Hhe became suddenly doing here alone in the Jungie?" the hands gave up their last hold; had come she thought she heard the below her, und thon she drow herve!f the uncanny wemsation that You are Mr. Gordon! There was a frightful wail from within stealthy pad of great feet. With a ts the comparative safety of a lower Peis followed, ‘Turning, w He nodd Yes, my name is Gor, the gloomy interior, a wail which shudder and a little gasp she turned jtinb back into the Jungle behind her; but don: but how the-how In the worl mingled with a savage, thunderous again to flee from this new menace With reaction came faintness and a not Yet again, the moment gid you know that and who are yr rour-—and then silence, On she stumbled, bruised, bleeding, giddy digginess that threatened to She had resumed her way, she could “op am Virginia Scott," she rep The cries of Gootch aroused the na- hopeless. For how long ‘she could | from sanctuary, but have sworn tht she h something ti trembling and unste tives. Warriors were pouring from not know. Time had ceased to axist dewperately, and after a jRovine throush the fon at he dimMoulty that she cor every hut—the whole village was in the mean, and man made units of ned control of herself, (er | Tow long thie continued sh iciently to answer aroused. Virginia turned and resume! seconds, minutos or hours—each heart My and wearll she Sould not have told; at length it her flight. Straight toward the gates beat measured an eternity, She had ttle higher among the doupon her nerves that ahs dis- she ran. To unbar them was the Work heen ficeing thus through the black she found a x Ky intrar ediacirin that torlous jungle; but behind was'a fate fenelesm nti the lat tracap. 4 acnteas to wd have seon the thins | g hor that I svould more terrible than any the jungle then the thing behind het } nikht—a few mee her footsteps, tay pera from » olf could offer. Without another back- spring, frightful talons would faste: endless to hor ba fie ere ward glanco the girl pusned the por- themselves In her soft flesh, giant life surged back and for pe F i , tals wide and scurried into the dark- fangs would sink deep in neck or «iow, around and above her, and the NM Teeus suffer ' ness of the forbidding forest, shoulder, It would be the end. ‘The jingle noises, foursom uncanny, er ner ten rand Tho blacks, attracted to the buts end! The thought brougit her to n rove and fol, a devils’ discord Jang! not to , occupled hy tho white men by Coote sudden stop, The end! It was in- on raw nerves. sox bled faa see no twle disturbed screams, halted a few paces from the Hie 4 h those tone ho! YG ‘as horrible entrance and shouted to thelr guests eritanh Wh #40 teom (the ipay maar tm ae IPR NA Ure Ninetale A dozen times she was on the po to ascertain the cause of the commo- of Gambering Into a tren: but nuns tion, The lion within, warned by their nd thirst which already had assailed bie Suned for his pre: ane stuck « told her in no uncertain ‘ 8 great head out through the door- 7 “PREPAREDNESS” Save that th Must be no tarryin ex way, At sight of him the blacks pad mart When “PREF as a arse pe in the last extreme of danger howled in mingled terror ani deflance ur Country Are Stirringly Deseribed in While she had strenst) must go Kil, J waved their spears and shouted! nd on, for if o did find food hoping to frighten the beast from his soon would have no ing place. Annoyed and rendered nervous hy their din, the carnivore roared bac! his challenge, and amid a shower of hurtling spears dashed from the hut. For a moment he stood bewtldered | while the blacks retreated, and then he | turned and trotted toward the pall- sade, Seeing him retreat, the natives | «, When Liberty Was Born By Albert Payson Terhune This will be next week's complete novel in The a romance of love and patriotism that ev Fyening World, It true American should read. 1 drink she smnst have tur Ww prowler that statked had had no slightest when she broke, quite @ small clearing # she made her w centre turned again to olcast a nervous glance rearward, and saw ir first Scott my mother's comsin, and he Gordan—he haa follow i yous? Vir tag 1 hetul chances to warn met” t kel here was no other way,” she ra plied Ha questioned her further, and. bit hy hit wrung from rihle st found it eyes from her face, aim lt was # very beauuful face, Even When Liberty Was Born BY ALBERT PAYSON TERHUNE A tae taka WORLD REP ERIEEe the grime and the dirt and the hes could not conceat that fact. You have done a very wonderful thing, Miss Scott,” he said. “A very brave, and wonderful, and foolish thing. I thank God that T found you In time. [ shudder to think what your fate would have been had chance not led us together at the right moment." As they talked another party came to the edge of the clearing upon ite eastern vergo—came and halted at the sight disclosed before their eyes. It was Taylor, Kelly and their blacks, They had heard the shot and hurried forword, but cautiously; ax they were sure that Virginia was not armed. When Taylor saw the girl and Scott together he saw the end of ail bis hopes-unless—. THis eyes narrowed as the suggestion forced Itself upea him. Here were these two who stood alone between him and fortune. Two shots would put them from his path forever. Should either ever reach civilization again Scott Taylor would become an outenst. The story of his villainy would make him a marked man in the haunts he best loved. he return to Never again could Broadway. Gordon's back was toward him. yea were hidden from him by the man's broad shoulders. Tay lor stepped from behind the tree that had concealed him, Ho took careful alm at his first victim—the man. And at that moment Gordon shifted his position, and Virginia's horrified eyes took in the menace at his back. It wan too late to warn him. There was but a single chance to save him. ‘There was no alen in her expression that she had discovered Taylor. He was readjusting his aim to the changed position of his target, and he was taking his time about tt, tes, for he could not afford to bungle or to miss, At Gordon's belt swung his revolver, Virginia was go close she could touch him by crooking an elbow, She did not have to take a step cloner, and it was the work of but a second to whip the revolver from ita holster, awing it up upon Scott Taylor and pull the trigger, At the report Gordon wheeled in surprise toward the direction the girl had fired. He saw a white man drop a rifle and stagger ont of sieht behind a tree, and then the girl grasped him by the arm and drew him behind the tree beneath the branches of which they had met. “Tt wae Taylor” she whisnered. “He had levelled his rifle at you, He would have shot you in the back, the a “T thought,” sald Diok Gordon in @ wondering votes, “that T owed you about all that a man could owe to a fellow-belng: but now you have atil!l further added to my debt.” “You owe me nothing; the obliga- tion is atil! all upon the aida of my mother and myself.” renited Vircinta, “Rut if von want to add a thourand fold to that obliention [ can tell you how vou can do It.” “How? asked Gordon earerty. “Ry wetting me and yourself out of thts hideous country and back to America aa quickly as tt can be done.” “Good.” erled Gordon. “We'll start In just a minnte, but frat Pm going after that human mephitis and nut him where he won't shoot any more at a man’s back or bother women.” and calling to his men, who were now coming up, he started across the clearing in purentt of Taylor. That worthy, however, cluded them. Wounded tn the forearm, he had seur- red Into the Junele, half sunnorted, half dragred hye Kelly, who, while toe. ing no lovalty toward his leader. shrank with terror from the thought of being left alone to the mercies of the Dinck# In the centre of Africa, The reward he had about elven up with the staht of Gordon and the girl to- gether, for with Gootch dead and ‘Tavlor wounded, t seemed practically honcleus to expect to preven? Gordon and Virginia returning to America, Kelly knew that he couldn't do $€ alone, nor would he try, He could knife a man In the back with e but a took at Gordon had assured him that It would not be profitable em- Ployment to attemnt to get near enoneh to that athletic and competent looking young man to reach him with knife, No. Kelly was through, tn #0 ‘ar an further attempts at ertme tn his Present surroundings were con- cerned “Cet ‘em back in the good olf U. 8," he urged ‘Taylor. “an’ I'll agree to help you; but Africa—never again!” and he raised his rieht hand solemnly above his head. Taylor smiled tronteally, “Yea! tem hack to the eood old V, 8.7" mimicked. “They'll go hack of them- selves fast enonch, you boob, without! any help from us, and they'll make ttle old U, 8. so d—— hot that tt hold us. If that eat hadn't me I'd stop ‘em hefore ever wor ninked they renched the const, but.” and he winced with pain, “I'm all in for a. while: but hy Mil follow them to the States nnd et them there: there ean't anybody put anything over on me like this, ‘Thev can't rob me ef what's mine by right even if it isn't by law, and I'l show ‘em, I'l show 'om." Virrinia was for giving the berth, but Gordon assured her that they must pass it on the trail to the roost, and that he Was rather anxtous to do ao and Interview the chief. Th tone of voice In which he stated his determination filled Virginia with alarm and she t him promise that ha would do nothing to arouse the wrath of the natives, Rut pass the village they did, and mitch to thelr surprise the | flrat people they saw emerging from the to meet th vera several white men 1 to be @ rty of wil tors coms ne down xeursion toward the n cages they bore r a fow leopards, other specimens of the district through which y were on bot the ntortes the wonderful t had terrortaed tha v “a white man there doter- mined item to stop long enough to tempt te capture the splendid on and Virginia tarried with the it a few minutes, then oan. tinted their way to the coast, whieh they reavhed without imeident after what was, to Gordon at least, the plevwantest Journey of his life. Had Tr nus heen for inxlety which he know oe mother must be suf- fie on acco’ of her mad esca- le be would have found means te ‘olong the Journey many daya, (To Be Continued.) ‘ =