 Prologue of The Man-Eater This is a LibriVox recording. All LibriVox recordings are in the public domain. For more information or to volunteer Please visit LibriVox.org Recording by Joe DeNoia, Somerset, New Jersey The Man-Eater by Edgar Rice Burroughs Prologue A native woman working in a little cultivated patch just outside the palace aid which surrounded the mission was the first to see them Her screen penetrated to the living room the little fetched bungalow Where the reverend Sadamon Morton sat before a table and opened tin box before him and a sheaf of preferred stock certificates in his hand The reverend Morton had heard such screams before Sometimes they meant nothing Again, they might mean the presence of an inquisitive and savage jungle visitor of the order of Carnivora But the one thing always uppermost in his mind the one great abiding terror of their lives there in the midst of the savage African jungle Was now as always the first and natural explanation of the woman screams to leap to his mind though Condons have come at last The missionary leapt to his feet thrust the papers into a long window envelope Place them in the tin box and close the cover as he hastened across the room to the wide fireplace Here he kneeled and removed the stone flag from the hearth Slipped the box quickly into the aperture revealed beneath Rose snatched a rifle from its hook over the mantle and rushed out into the compound The whole thing had taken but a fraction of the time required to tell it in another room of the bungalow Mary Morton the missionary's wife and Ruth his daughter had heard the scream and they too ran out into the compound The reverend Sangamon Morton found them there when he arrived and called them to return to the bungalow Spent on toward the Palisade gate through which we're now streaming the score of women and children who had been working in the garden Some native men were also hastening toward the gate from their various duties about the mission Converted he then armed with ancient infields the woman who had first screamed and who shrill cry of terror had aroused a peaceful little community Now fell to her knees before the Reverend Morton. Oh Save me masa she cried save me from the Wakanda's the Wakanda's have came Morton brushed past her and hurried to the gate He would have a look at the enemy first the Reverend Sangamon Morton was not a man to be easily stampeded He had answered to false alarms in the past and though he never permitted the cry of wolf to find him unready for the inevitable time When it should prove a true cry he was prone to skepticism until he should have the substantiating testimony of his own eyes Now as he passed through the gate his first glance at the approaching enemy brought a sigh of relief to his lips Coming out of the jungle were strange black men. It was true warriors armed with spears and even guns But with them marched two white men and at sight of the pith helmets and the smoke from two briar pipes a broad smile touched the lips of the Reverend Sangamon Morton The smile expanded into a good-natured laugh as he advanced to welcome the strangers and explain to them the panic into which their unheralded Appearance had thrown his little community and so came Jefferson Scott Jr. And his boon companion Robert Gordon to the little American Methodist mission in the heart of the African jungle and There one of them young Scott found a wife in the missionaries daughter Ruth Robert Gordon remained for a month after the missionary had performed the simple ceremony that made his daughter Mrs. Jefferson Scott Jr Gordon was best man at the wedding and with Mrs. Morton witnessed the marriage certificate The two young Americans had come to Africa to hunt big game Jefferson Scott Jr. Remained to cast his lot with his wife's people in their unselfish work among the natives Gordon bade them goodbye at last to return to his home in New York and the evening before his departure The Reverend mr. Morton called him into the living room removed the flagstone from the hearth and reaching in Opened the tin box and withdrew a large vanilla envelope. I Wish mr. Gordon he said that you would deliver this into the keeping of Jefferson's father It contains practically the entire fortune which I inherited from my father and for which I have no use here But which in the event of anything befalling me would be of inestimable value to mrs. Morton and Ruth It is not safe here The Wakanda's if rumors to be credited are preparing to revolt against the Belgian authorities And if they do we shall have to leave here and cross nearly half the continent of Africa to safety Under such circumstances these valuable papers would but add to my anxieties and worries And so I ask you to take them to mr. Scott for safekeeping until my mission here is fulfilled and we all return to America And so Robert Gordon made them farewell and started upon his long journey to America the mental envelope safe in his inside pocket a Year later a little girl was born to Ruth Morton Scott a little girl whom they christened Virginia after the Commonwealth of which her father was a native son When Virginia was a year old it came the hideous thing that was often uppermost in the minds of all that little band isolated in the heart of the savage jungle The Wakanda's revolted Lieutenant to be sat puffing upon a cigarette in the shade of the veranda at the factory near the head of the navigation of the yuleki This dusky soldiery lulled in the shade of their quarters native beehive huts The day was hot even for the tropical jungle in which the factory sweltered most of the year Lieutenant to be's heard the challenge of a century at the gates Languidly he looked in the direction of the sounds and inwardly Anathematized whatever fool might be moving about in such insufferable heat Presently saw one of his non-commissioned officers approach within naked savage the stranger was sweat street and panting His eyes were wide in terror the corporal brought him before the officer saluting Lieutenant to be's noted excitement in the soldiers expression What now he asked returning the salute The Wakanda's are on the warpath reported to subordinate This fellow says that they killed nearly all within the village and then started for the mission where the Americans are Lieutenant to be set up quickly and leading forward toward the news bringer fired question after question on him When he had satisfied himself that the man did not lie He leapt to his feet all faults of heat or lastitude were gone He gave a quiet sharp order to the corporal and as the soldier ran across the parade ground toward the beehive barracks The bees ran indoors and donned his marching togs and his sidearm 30 minutes later a little company of 50 blacks in command of a single Belgian lieutenant Filed through the factory gate and took up their march against a warlike tribe, which numbered perhaps a thousand spears Once again came a terrified shriek of a native to the ears of the dwellers within the mission Once again the men within ran toward the gates ready, but doubting Jefferson Scott jr. Was first among them for he was younger and could run faster than his father-in-law and this time the wolf had come The Wakanda's were at the gate by the time the two white men had reached them The Reverend Sangamon Morton fell pierced through the breast by a heavy war spear before ever. He could fire a shot in defense of his loved ones Scott reinforced by the handful of men converts who lived within the mission enclosure Repel the first charge his heavy express rifle and deadly accuracy setting the blacks back toward the jungle where they leapt and Shouted until they worked themselves into a sufficient hysteria to warrant another assault Time and again the ebb and horde swooped down upon the gates Time and again a little handful of defenders drove them back yet. It was without hope that Jefferson Scott jr. Fought He knew it must be the inevitable outcome Already his own ammunition was exhausted and there was but little more good powder available for the infields They might hold out another day, but would go with that accomplish It would be but to defer the final frightful moment if they could but get word to the Belgian officer and his little command over on the You-lookie Scott questioned his companions as to the feasibility of getting a runner through to the factory It was impossible they said as the whole country between the mission and the Belgians would be overrun by Wakanda's by that time Not one would volunteer to attempt the journey They had fought bravely at his side, but none dared venture among the Wakanda's the very mention of whose name filled them with unreasoning terror But it was the only hope that Scott had he must get word to the factory if his blacks were afraid to bear it He must do so himself His only hesitancy in the matter was the thought of leaving his young wife and baby daughter to the sole protection of the native converts During a lull in the fighting he returned to the bungalow and placed the matter squarely before his wife and her mother You must go Jefferson sell the elder woman I can take your place in the gates the men love me I know and will fight for me and Ruth as bravely as though you remained I Will remain beside them and give them the moral support they need and if there's a spare musket I can use that too and So it was that as soon as night had fallen Jefferson Scott junior slipped into the jungle upon his useless mission Useless because a native had already carried the warning to the bees Scott never reached the factory nor did he ever return to the mission only the Wakanda's know what his fate was Debees and his soldiers arrived at the mission early in the morning after an all-night march They came upon the rear of the Wakandans just as the savages made their last and successful charge a Score or more of the howling demons that scaled the gates and were among the defenders as the rifles of the Belgians black soldiers Valued into their rear The Wakandas take it holy by surprise broke and fled Inside the mission defenses the bees found a dozen dead and among them the body of the courageous Mary Morton lying just within the gates In the bungalow Ruth Scott stood with a rifle in her hands before the cradle of her little daughter bereft in a single day of father mother and husband The kindly and courteous Belgian help her to bury her dead and set up parties into the jungle in search of Scott Keeping them out until fear that he had been killed became a certainty Then he conducted the mother and child back to the factory and from there arranged for their conveyance to the coast Two months later Ruth Scott and little Virginia arrived into Virginia homestead of the widowed and now childless Jefferson Scott the father of her dead husband When a year before Jefferson Scott had learned of his son's marriage He had not been displeased though the idea of the boy remaining in Africa was not all together to his liking Then had come Robert Gordon with enthusiastic descriptions of the new daughter-in-law and her parents and Jefferson Scott began to long for the return of His son and the coming of his son's wife to brighten the somber life of the old mansion Gordon had delivered a long manila envelope into the elder Scott's keeping Mr. Morton felt that it would be safer here than in Africa. He explained it contains a considerable fortune in stocks if I understand him correctly Then after a long year had come the news of the economy uprising and the death of his son and the Mortons Immediately Jefferson Scott cabled funds to his daughter-in-law together with instructions that she come at once to him That same night he took a long manila envelope from his safe to examine the contents that he might have the necessary legal Steps taken to ensure the proper transfer of the certificates to Ruth Scott's name The manila of the wrapper was of unusual thickness giving an appearance of a bulk to the package that was deceptive For when he had opened it Jefferson Scott discovered but a single paper with them As he withdrew this and examined it a puzzled smile touched his lips For a moment he sat regarding the document in his hand then he shook his head and returned it to the envelope He did not place it again in the safe but carrying it upstairs opened an old-fashioned wall cupboard With drew a tin box from it placed the envelope in the tin box and returned it to the cupboard Two months later he welcomed Ruth Morton Scott to his fireside and from that moment until his death She was as an own daughter to him sharing his love with her little virginia whom Jefferson Scott idolized And the 19 years that intervened it is doubtful if the manila envelope or its contents ever again entered into the mind of the grandfather End of prologue Chapter one of the manager by Edgar Rice Burroughs This liberal box recording is in the public domain recording by Joe DeNoya Somerset, New Jersey Chapter one The closed door the bedroom opened A bent and white-haired old Negro shuffled slowly out his face buried in a red bandana and his shrunken shoulders heaving to the sobs He could not control Down at the Negro's quarters the banjos in the old melodian were stilled Even the little picatinny sat with hushed voices and tearful mean In the big front bedroom of the mansion two women knelt beside a bed their faces buried in the coverlet weeping There were tears too in the eyes of the old doctor and even the stern old judge sperry blew his great beak of a nose With unnecessary vigor as he walked to the window and looked out across the broad acres of his lifetime friend Jefferson scott was dead That night Scott Taylor the son of Jefferson scott's dead sister arrived from new york Virginia scott had met him several times in the past when as a child he had visited with his uncle She knew but little of his past life other than that Jefferson scott had paid on two occasions to keep him out of jail And that of recent years the old man had refused to have any intercourse whatever with his nephew Taylor was a couple of years her senior a rather good-looking man notwithstanding the marks of dissipation that marred his features He was college bread Swab and distinctly at ease with any company Had she known less of him Virginia scott might easily have esteemed him highly But knowing what she did she felt only discussed for him His coming at this time she looked upon as little less than brazen effrontery For he had been forbidden the house by Jefferson scott several years before nor since then had he once communicated with his uncle That he had returned now in hopes of a legacy She knew as well as though he had candidly announced the fact And it was with difficulty that she accorded him even the scantest courtesy in her greeting Judge sperry who was searching among Jefferson scott's papers in the library when taylor arrived Took one look at him over the tops of his glasses A look that passed slowly from his face down to his boots Ignored his proffered hand and returned to his search without a further acknowledgement of the younger man's existence Taylor flushed shrugged his shoulders and turned back to virginia where virginia had left the room He fidgeted about his ease of manner a trifle jarred for a moment or two and then recovering his poise addressed judge sperry Did my uncle leave a will he asked He made a will sir snap the judge about a year ago sir in which he were not mentioned sir He had made no other than I know of if I were you sir. I should return to new york. There's nothing for you Taylor half smiled I take that you are looking for the will he said well, I'll just stick around until you find it If you don't find it. I inherit half the property whether you want me to or not Judge sperry vouchsafe to no reply and presently taylor left the room Wandering out across the grounds and down the road toward the little village Where if there was no acquaintances there was at least something to drink Later in the evening fortified by several kentucky bourbons he returned Nor could virginia's mother bring herself to refuse him the ordinary hospitality to that old virginian home And so he remained following the body of his uncle to the grave for the other members of the family the friends and the servants And after the funeral he stayed on Watching with as eager eyes as the rest the feudal search for the last will and testament of jefferson scott But with hopes diametrically at variance with theirs Naturally, he saw much of virginia though not as much as he should have liked you He found that that little girl he had known years before had grown into a beautiful young woman A most desirable young woman and while it angered him to realize the contempt in which she held him He was not so wanting an egotism that he believed that he might win his way eventually into her good graces For this reason he never reverted to the subject of the will He did his best to impress upon virginia and her mother That his one object and remaining thus away from his business was in the hope that he might prove of some service to them Now that he upon whom they both had leaned for advice and protection had been taken from them Mrs. Scott was beginning to tolerate him and virginia to feel sorry for him Yet both could not but look forward with feelings of relief to the meeting of the administrators It was to be held in a library of the scott home the following morning They felt that the action then taken would decide their status legally and render the further presence of scott taylor unnecessary That it had been jefferson scott's intention that virginia should inherit his entire estate They both knew and were equally positive that the administrators would adopt every legal means to carry out the grandfather's expressed wish Judge sperry had explained taylor's legal rights in the event that no will should be discovered Nor was virginia at all desirous of attempting to reduce the amount that might be legally his It was the evening before the meeting taylor had gone to town in the afternoon Mrs. Scott already had retired and virginia sat reading the library when scott taylor entered As the girl greeted him civilly her eyes took in his flushed face and unsteady carriage and she saw that he had been drinking more than usual Then she let her eyes fall again to her book Taylor crossed the room and stood where he could watch her profile For several moments. He did not speak then he came closer and took a chair directly in front of her The effect of her beauty upon his drink excited passions caused him to throw diplomacy and caution to the winds Look here virginia. He said leaning forward toward her unsteadyly The girl looked up and polite questioning But there was a warning light in her eye that a more sober man than scott taylor would have discerned and heated Yes, the rising inflection was accompanied by the raising of an arch eyebrow Why not be friends virginia taylor continued where both of us do for a share of the old man's property It amounts to a big bunch of coin, but it's mostly in farmlands. It ought not to be cut up We have to keep it intact I got a scheme he edged his chair closer until their knees all but touched We're about the same age. I'm not such a bad sort when you know me and you're a peach I always knew it and this time I've discovered something else. I love you He was leaning so far forward now that his face was close to hers The girl's eyes were wide in astonishment and disgust she rose slowly and drew herself to her full height I would not for the world she said intentionally wound any man who came to me with an avowal of honest love But I do not believe that you love me and further the manner of your coming to me is an insult taylor had risen and was facing her if possible She was even more beautiful in anger than in repose His self-control vanished before the scorn in her eyes and in her voice You can learn to love me he muttered and seized her in his arms Virginia struggled but he crushed her closer to him until his lips were above hers With an effort almost superhuman the girl succeeded in covering taylor's face with her open palms and pushed him from her Unsteady from drink the man staggered back against the chair He had just left toppled over it and fell in a heap upon the floor When after an effort he managed to crawl to his feet, Virginia had disappeared Taylor sank to the edge of a chair his face contorted with rage and humiliation He was not so intoxicated But that he now realized the fool he had made of himself and the ridiculous figure he must have cut reeling drunkenly over the chair His rage instead of being directed against himself as it should have been was all for Virginia He would make her pay. He would have his revenge She should be left penniless if there was any way straight or crooked to accomplish it And in this pleasant mood scott taylor made his unsteady way to bed It was late when taylor awoke the following morning Already the administrators had gathered with miss scott and virginia in the library It was several minutes before the man could recall to memory the events of the previous evening As they filtered slowly through his befogged brain a slow flush of anger crept over his face Then he recalled the meeting that had been scheduled for today He glanced at his watch. It was already past time spring up. He dressed hastily and left the room Halfway down the stairs. He heard voices coming from the library below He paused to listen judge sperry was speaking Jefferson scott never intended that the young scallowag should have one sense worth of his property. He was saying He told me upon several occasions that he would not have his money dissipated in riotous living And by god gentlemen, if I have anything to say about it Jefferson scott's wishes shall be observed and he pounded the black walnut table with a heavy fist I think spoke up another voice that when the simple proofs necessary to establish legally Miss virginia's relationship to general scott have been produced. It will be a comparatively simple matter to arrange the things that he would have wished Simple proofs necessary to establish legally miss scott's relationship to general scott The words ran through scott taylor's brain almost meaninglessly at first and then slowly a great light broke upon him His eyes went wide and his lip curled with an ironical smile A moment later he entered the library. His manner was easy and confident He sneered just a little as virginia deliberately turned her shoulders toward him A vast silence fell upon the company as he joined them He was the first to break it I am glad he said that we can now straighten out a few matters that have been causing several of you not a little annoyance He glanced defiantly at judge sperry Jefferson scott my uncle died in testate Under the circumstances and the law I inherit I am the sole heir Mrs. scott and the administrators looked at the young man in surprise Virginia kept her back toward him For several seconds there was unbroken silence the bald effrontery of taylor's statement had taken even judge sperry's breath away But not for long Sole heir shouted the old man presently Sole heir sold nothing you don't deserve a penny of your uncle's estate and you don't get a penny of it if I can prevent But you can't prevent my friend taylor assured him coolly you can't prevent Because as I just said I am the sole heir I presume build the judge that you have more rights here than general scott's granddaughter He had no legitimate granddaughter replied taylor the snaring laugh on his lips speaking more truly the port of his insinuation than even the plain words he had used What you young scoundrel cried judge sperry springing to his feet and taking a step towards taylor Don't get excited said taylor. Of course, it's unfortunate that it became necessary to touch upon this matter But I gave miss virginia an opportunity to compromise last night Which she refused and so there's nothing else for me to do but insist upon my rights It's a very simple matter to rectify if I am mistaken All that mrs. Scott needs to do is produce your marriage certificate or the records of the local authorities where her wedding took place And now until she can establish the right of her daughter to make any legal claim whatsoever upon the state of my uncle I shall have to ask you all to vacate the premises and leave me in possession of what is mine and no one else's The administrators turned toward mrs. scott. She shook her head sadly You all know, of course as well as he that his charges are as false as they are infamous. She said I was married in the heart of central africa Whatever records there were of the ceremony have long since been destroyed I fear and I fear also that it may be difficult thing to legally prove my marriage Robert gordon of new york was one of the witnesses if he still lives I presume an affidavit from him would be sufficient. She glanced at judge sperry It would he assured her and in the meantime I intend to kick this miserable little puppy into the road And he advanced upon tailor It was mrs. Scott who stepped in front of the judge No, my dear friend. She said we must not do that He has possibly legal if not moral right upon his side for until I can prove the legality of my marriage He is in the eyes of the law the sole heir And in the meantime virginia and I shall make our preparations and leave here as quickly as possible You will do nothing of a sort exploded the judge you will stay right here If you leave it will be a tacit admission of the truth of a lie I won't hear of your leaving not for a moment. If anyone leaves this rascally black leg will be the one to go No spoke up virginia. I shall not leave the judge is right As you will said tailor. I can't kick a couple of women out of my home if they insist on remaining You'd better not growl the judge It was not until afternoon that mrs. Scott found an opportunity to pen a note to robert gordon She had not seen her husband's old friend since that day 21 years before that She had waved him farewell from the veranda of the bungalow within the palisade of her mission home He had stopped in london on his way to america Met and married an english girl and thereafter for long years spent much time in england or in travel It had not been until after the death of his wife that he had returned to new york permanently As mrs. Scott finished a letter an automobile world up the driveway and came to a stop before the mansion Women's voices floated into her into virginia to whom she had been reading the completed letter The ladder walked over to the open doors where she glanced out and then turning toward her mother with an Oh, it's mrs. Clayton and charlotte ran out to greet the visitors mrs. Scott as thoroughly imbued with southern hospitality as a native daughter Dropped her letter upon the desk and followed virginia to the porch where she found her friends insisting that she and virginia Accompany them on a drive to the village As it was too warm for wraps neither mother nor daughter returned to the house and only too glad of an interruption to the sorrows and worries that It recently overwhelmed them entered the machine of the claytons and a moment later were whirling down the road in the cloud of dust Scott taylor who had been strolling about the plantation returned to the house shortly after he had left and entering through the french windows of the library Chance to note the open letter lying on the desk It required no subjugation of ethical scruples upon his part to pick the letter up and read it The letter ran my dear mr. Gordon My husband's father jefferson scott has just passed away and a certain legal requirements necessitated proof of my marriage to jefferson I am writing to ask that you mail on affidavit to judge sperry of this village to the effect that you witnessed the ceremony My marriage certificate is I imagine still in the tin box beneath the hearth of the mission bungalow where father always kept his valuables But as even it may have been destroyed during the second uprising of the Wakandans I imagine that we shall have to depend entirely upon your affidavit I understand the savages left no stone standing upon another and that every stick of timber was burned That was 18 years ago a year after the massacre in which jefferson father and mother were slain And so is rather doubtful of anything remains of the certificate I am particularly anxious to legally establish the authenticity of my marriage Not so much because of the property which my daughter virginian will inherit thereby As from the fact that another heir has questioned my daughter's legitimacy I write thus plainly to you because of the love I know that you and jefferson felt for one another And as well to impress upon you my urgent need of this affidavit, which you alone can finish Very sincerely ruth morton scott scott'sville virginia july 10 19 Hmm commented mr. scott taylor with a laugh Well, I can let this letter go forward with perfect safety as I happen to know that robert gordon esquire died two years ago End of chapter one Chapter two of the man-eater by egger eis boros This the bravox recording is in the public domain Recording by joe denoya somerset new jersey chapter two Mr. Dick gordon of new york rich into linton board tossed his morning paper aside Yawned rose from the breakfast table and strolled weirdly into the living room of his bachelor apartments His man who was busying himself about the room looked up as a master at question I am wondering murphy announced the young man. What the devil we are going to do to assassinate time today Well, sir replied murphy, you know, you sort of promised mr. jones is how you'd make up a foreflush at the country club this morning, sir For some murphy for some left gordon and then shooting a sharp glance at his servant I believe you were handing me that one that time the old fraud But the solemn visage murphy shook his head in humble and horrified denial All right murphy get my things out. I suppose I might as well do that as anything resigningly Languidly dr. Dick gordon donned his golf tugs and stood at last correctly clothed and with the faithful murphy at his heels bearing his caddy bag He crossed his living room toward the door of the apartment halted halfway and turned upon a servant Golf's an awful bore murphy said let's not play today But mr. jones uh exclaimed murphy Oh jones's foursome's always started the 19th hole and never make the first. They'll not miss me His eyes fell upon a tennis racket and lighted with new interest Say murphy we haven't played tennis in a coon's age. He exclaimed Go put those clubs away. I'm gonna play tennis With yourself sir questioned murphy. I never saw no one playing tennis at the club sir of a morning I guess you're right murphy and anyway, I don't want to play tennis tiresome game tennis Yes, sir Ha I have it great morning for a ride Hustle you old snail and fetch my things Telephone billy and tell him to bring red coat around get a move on escargo By the time murphy had attended to the various duties assigned him and returned from the telephone He found his young master sitting on the edge of a chair with one boot on and the other half So staring hard at the floor a weary expression on his face Can I help you sir asked murphy Yes, you can help me take off this boot. It's too hot to ride and besides I don't want to ride anyway What the devil did you suggest riding for it? Yes, sir I wish that you would just say no sir for a change murphy. You're getting to be a terrific boar in your old age Going tell billy to never mind about red coat Yes, sir replied murphy, but he did not go You'd better hurry murphy and catch him before he leaves his tables suggested gordon after a moment In which he had divested himself of his riding breaches and started to pull on the trousers of a street suit It won't be necessary sir said murphy. I didn't tell for him for red coat in the first place sir I knew is how you would want to change your mind sir, and I thought it wouldn't be worthwhile calling up sir Gordon cocked his head on one side and surveyed his servant from head to foot for a long moment Yes, sir. He said that last Closed again he wanted back into the living room wishing that there was something in the world to hold his interest for a moment The photograph of a handsome woman caught his eye. He picked it up and looked at it for several seconds She photographs well he murmured and that is all one can say for her I'll bet an x-ray of her brain wouldn't show three convolutions Then he passed to another the picture of a young debutant and whose feet were half of the eligible males of new york society And all the ineligible He tossed the photographs aside and discussed One by one he examined others all weird him everything weird him I wish he remarked turning toward murphy that there was something or someone on earth that can raise my temperature over half a degree Yes, sir said murphy That must be the mailman sir as an electric bell rang in the rear of the apartment and murphy turned toward the door A moment later he re-entered with a bundle of letters in his hand laying them on gordon's desk The young man picked up the top envelope and opened it Mrs. R Request the pledge he read half aloud and dropped the invitation listlessly upon the desk to pick up and open the next The blank club announces the blank club is always announcing tiresome things he sighed and dropped the communication into the wastebasket Mrs. F benton j and miss j will be at home Which is a dang sight more than mr. F benton j can ever say commented mr. Gordon gathering up the next which proved to be another invitation One after another the young man opened the envelopes in order to any succeed in erasing the board expression from his countenance The last he glanced at with a faint tinge of curiosity before opening The feminine handwriting was unfamiliar, which was nothing unusual, but the post market was drew his interest scott'sville virginia Now who the devil do I know in scott'sville virginia? He asked himself as he drew the paper knife through the flap of the envelope Oh, it's addressed to dad. He exclaimed suddenly doting his father's name upon the envelope Dear old dad sighed the young man I never lacked a bully good company when you were alive and I didn't know then what it meant to be bored I wonder if you know how I miss you He turned first at his signature at the close of the letter Ruth Morton scott he read I've heard dad speak of you and jefferson scott junior your husband and the tragedy at the mission Lord what an awful place that must have been for a young girl It was bad enough three years ago when dad and I camped among its ruins But 20 years ago the country must have been awful for white women As dick gordon read the letter through slowly his face reflected for the first time in days of real interest Toward the close he murdered something that sounded like damned cad and then he carefully read the letter After the second reading he sat upon the edge of his desk the letter still in his hand that had dropped to his knee And stared fixedly and unseeingly at the barbaric pattern of the navajo rugged his feet For 10 minutes he sat thus then he sprang up animation reflected upon his face and determination in his every movement Weariness and lissitude had been swept away by magic Seating himself to the desk. He drew writing materials from a drawer and for 10 minutes more was busily engaged in framing a letter This is done. He rang for murphy Skip out and post this you old tortoise he shouted and then go and book passage for the two of us on the first boat that Sails directly or makes good connection for wombasa. Do you know where it is? Yes, sir africa, sir replied the imperturbable murphy in as matter of fact own as though white planes was to have been their destination Mr. Dick Gordon always had been an impulsive young man His saving characteristic being an inane fineness of character that directed his impulses into good channels If not always wisely chosen ones His letter to mrs. Scott had been written upon the impulse of the moment An impulse to serve his father's friend coupled with a longing for adventure and action for a change from the monotony of his useless existence The following day a scott Taylor mounted upon general scott's favorite saddle horse rode leisurely about my plantation As he now described the scott estate. He chanced to meet a little wagon of the rural free delivery carrier coming from town Anything for the oaks he asked raining in The man handed him a packet of letters and papers plucked to his bony old horse and drove on Taylor ran through the letters. There was one that interested him. It bore the name and address of Richard Gordon on the flap This he thrust into his inside pocket Then he rode up the driveway turned his horse over to a negro and entered the library It was empty and laying the balance of the mail upon the table. He made his way upstairs to his own room Here he quickly opened in red gordon's letter to mrs. Scott His eyes narrowed and his brows contracted with the reading of the last paragraph Father has been dead two years But I know all about the location of the mission as I visited it three years ago while lying hunting with him I am just about to leave for africa again as I'm about to leave for africa again I shall make it a point to recover the papers you wish Taylor crumpled the letter angrily in his hand the fool he muttered What does he want to butt in for then there came a knock upon the door and taylor hastily crammed the letter into the side pocket of his coat Come in he snapped and then old negris entered with fresh towels and bed linen As she moved in her slow and deliberate way about her duties Taylor sat with puckered brows and narrowed lids gazing through the window It was not until the woman had left the room that he arose Now he seemed to have reached a decision that demanded rapid action He snatched off his coat throwing it across the bed where it dropped over the side of the floor beyond His trousers he flung on the floor His shirt collar and tie upon the center table and in 15 minutes He was dressed in fresh linen and another suit and was cramming his belongings into his bag Running downstairs and out to the stables. He shouted to a holster to harness the team and take him to the station mrs. Scott in virginia had the car out so he was forced to contend himself with a slower method of transportation 45 minutes later He boarded the northbound train from new york and late that night rang a bell in an apartment in west 145th street A bleached blonde and a green kimono opened the door in response to his ring Hello kid. She cried when the dim light in the hallway revealed his features to her You're just in time for snifter. We're even keeping yourself Jim and me were talking about you not five minutes ago Come on in the gang's all here and she grasped him by the lapel of his coat Drew him into the hall and slammed the door I've been doing the rural reply tailor with a laugh and take it from me It's mighty good to be back again where there are some live ones He proceeded the girl into the dining room the little apartment where two men Seed that a dining room table with a deck of cards a bottle of scotch a siphon and three glasses roses He entered and greeted him with a noisy welcome Well, well little old kid back again cried one Hello, Jim. Hello bill cried tailor grasping their outreached hands. You sure look good to me Get another glass blanche Jim called to the girl sitting kid. We'll have a little round of rudels dollar limit. What do you say? Piker game sneered tailor with a grin. I'm dealing in millions just now Let's throw your cards in the gaboon and listen to me if you want to make a hundred thousand piece He paused to note the effect of his remark Quick blanche replied Jim get the poor devil a drink. Can't you see he's dying a thirst and gone bug? Taylor grinned. I'm sure dying a thirst all right. He admitted but I'm not bug now. Listen, here's how Thanks, you guys are broke You always have been and always will be till you stop piking once in a while You pull down a couple hundreds simoleons and then sweat blood for a week or so for fear to be pinched and get a couple of years on the island I've got a real proposition here, but it's a man's job though There isn't any chance of a comeback because we'll pull it off where there's no lamppost and no law He paused and eyed his companions Speel said bill Taylor narrated the events that had taken place during the past week And now he concluded this budinski Gordon brings back that marriage certificate I can kiss all my chance. Goodbye for there isn't a court in that neck of the woods That would give me a look in with that scott chicken if she had a ghost of a case And you want us to Jim paused You guessed it the first time said Taylor. I want you to help me follow Gordon take the paper away from him and croak him For a moment the force sat in silence Why do you have to croak him asked the girl So he can't come back and swear that he's seen the certificate said bill That'd be just as good as the certificate itself in any court against the kid There isn't the least chance of her getting in wrong either explain Taylor Because we can lay it all onto the natives or to an accident and there won't be anybody to disprove it if we are suspected But the chances are that we can pull it off without anyone being the wiser And what did you say we got out of it asked bill 100,000 a piece the day I get the property in my hands replied Taylor If you can get hold of the certificate first, it would be fine and dandy But we've got to follow Gordon essential africa to find out where it is and by that time he'll have it So the only chance that we have is to pass him the ko and take it away from him I'll share a brief easier after I've seen that piece of paper go up in smoke James Kelly and William Gooch were colloquially short sports They had rolled many a sauce and separated more than a single rube from his bankroll by such archaic means as wiretapping and fixed mills But so far they never had risen to the heights of murder The idea found them tremulous, but receptive their doubts were based more upon the material than the ethical Could they get away with it without danger of detection? Ah, that was the question the only question Well said Taylor after a long pause during which the other two men had drained their glasses While the girl sat revolving hers upon a tablecloth between her fingers I'm game and now is Kelly dodging the girls eyes and looking sideways at Gooch So am I declared a ladder and so it happened that when mr Dick Gordon walked up the gang plank to the liner that was to bear him as far as Liverpool on his journey to africa Three men leaning over a rail and upper deck watched him with interested eyes That's him said Taylor the tall one just in front of the solemn looking party that resembles a Methodist minister crossed in love Only he ain't he's Gordon's man That's not their Gordon or Murphy was acquainted even by sight or repute with any of the precious three The ladder made no attempt to avoid them during the trip It was Taylor's intention to scrape an acquaintance with Gordon after they had changed ships at Liverpool When he would then know for certain Gordon's destination and could casually announce that he and his companions were bound for the very point on a hunting expedition All went well with his plans till after they had sailed from Liverpool to Mombasa When the depravity which was inherent in Kelly and Gooch resulted in an unpleasantness Which immediately terminated all friendly relations between Gordon and the three Taylor has succeeded in drawing Gordon into conversation soon after sailing from Liverpool When he casually remarked that he and his friends were bound for the country about Victoria Nyassa in search of lions Is that so exclaimed Gordon? I'm going to the neighborhood of Albert Edward Nyassa myself and shall take the route from Mbito around the north end of Victoria Nyassa And a common interest established the two became better acquainted Then Taylor introduced his two friends and later on Kelly suggested cards Taylor tried to find an opportunity to warn his accomplices against the quickness which he knew to be second nature with them He would have preferred to let Gordon win But the estimable Missouri's Kelly and Gooch considering a bird in the hand worth two in the jungle Swooped down upon the opportunity thus afforded them to fleece their pride The result was that after half an hour of play Gordon rose from the table rather unpleasant light in his eyes Cashed in his remaining checks and quit the game Why what's the matter old man queried Taylor inwardly cursing Gooch and Kelly I wouldn't force an explanation if I were you replied Gordon coldly the captain might overhear Taylor flushed and Gordon walked away, which was the end of the equations upon which Taylor had based such excellent plans You boobs are wonders sneer Taylor You must have made all of $50 a piece out of it and ruined every chance We had to travel right to the mission in Gordon's company and he turned disgustingly away and sought his cabin end of chapter two Chapter three of the man-eater by Edgar icebergs This liberal box recording is in the public domain recording by Joe Danoya Somerset, New Jersey Chapter three Sophronia was blithely humming Dixie as she went about her work on the second floor of the scott house Occasionally she broke the monotony by engaging in heated discussions with herself Yes, I'm she said shaking her head. I never done like that. Mr. Scott Taylor He may be po missed Otis boy, but he's po white trash just the same Yes, and look here as she pushed the bed out from the wall to fly her broom beneath just look here Today's gone left its coat shiftless. That's what he is The throwing his coat around like that and she sees the garment with a vigorous shake Throwing the coat across her arm the negroes carried it down to the library where mrs. Scott virginia were sitting Had that mrs. Scott Taylor's coat she announced laying it on the table What I'm gonna do with it give it that good for nothing nigga Samuel No, Sophronia said mrs. Scott will have to send it to him and she picked up the garment to wrap it for mailing As she folded it a crumpled sheet of note paper fell from the side pocket Virginia picked it up to replace it in the coat when by chance she saw her mother's name upon the top of the sheet Why she exclaimed this is yours mother and she spread the note out smoothly and on the tabletop It's a letter to you. How in the world did it happen to be in scott's coat? mrs. Scott took the note and read it then she handed it to her daughter When virginia had completed it she looked up at her mother her face cloudy and angry Why the scoundrel she exclaimed he actually has been intercepting your mail Then she glanced again at the date line in her eyes open wide Mother she ejaculated this letter must have come the very day scott left in such a hurry It must have been because of this letter that he did leave. What can it mean? mrs. Scott shook her head I know announced virginia He has gone to prevent mr. Gordon from recovering the certificate or else to follow him and obtain possession of it himself There could be no other explanation of his hurried departure immediately after he receded this letter It does look that way virginia, but what can we do? We can wire mr. Gordon at once What can we say that will not appear silly in a telegram unless we actually accuse scott of criminal designs argued mrs. Scott And we cannot do that for we have only conjectured to base our charge upon I can go to new york and talk with mr. Gordon said virginia and that is just what I shall do But my dear mrs. Scott started to expostulate But I am said virginia determinedly and she did To her dismay she found mr. Richard gordon apartment locked and apparently untenanted for there was no response to her repeated ringing of the bell Then she inquired at another apartment across the hall Here a houseman informed him that mr. Gordon's man had told him that he and mr. Gordon were leaving for africa He even recalled the name of the liner upon which they had sailed from liverpool What was she to do? Well, the first thing was to assure herself as to whether scott taylor had also sailed to africa And if not to arrange to have him watched until she can get word to mr. Richard gordon The taxi that I brought her to gordon's apartment was waiting at the curb Descending to it she gave the driver instructions to take her to the offices of a certain steamship company She would examine the passenger list and thus discover whether taylor had sailed on a same boat with gordon But after examining the list and finding taylor's name not among those of the passengers It suddenly occurred to her that the man would doubtless have assumed a name if his intentions were ulterior Now she was in as bad a plight as formerly She wracked her brain for a solution to her problem It would do no good to wire gordon for he would not know taylor if he saw him In any way it was possible that taylor had not followed him that she would only be making herself appear silly by sending gordon a melodramatic wireless I only wish she remembered to herself that I knew whether or not scott taylor had followed him to africa How can I find out? And then came a natural solution to her problem to search for scott taylor himself in new york Her first thought was of a city directory where she found a scott taylor with an address on west 145th street and a moment later her taxi was whirling her uptown in that direction It was with considerable trepidation that virginia scott mounted the steps and rang the bell beneath the speaking tube She feared taylor and knew that she was doing a risky thing and thus placing herself even temporarily in his power But loyalty and gratitude towards richard gordon a stranger who had put his life Maybe in jeopardy to serve her and her mother Insisted that she accept the risk And so when a latch of the front door clicked and a voice Ignoring the speaking tube called down from above for her to come up She bravely entered dark stairway and marched upward To what she had no idea She had been glad to know that the voice from above had been that of a woman They made her feel more at ease But when she reached the topmost step and found a slovenly young woman with bleached hair and a green kimono waiting for her Her heart sank Does mr. Scott taylor live here she asked Yes, but he ain't home What do you want anything I could do for you? Has he left the city asked virginia The girl's eyes narrowed and virginian noted it But she thought too that she saw a trace of fear in them She was convinced that this woman could tell her all she wished to know But how is she gonna get the information from her? May I come in a moment and rest she asked it's rather a long climb up here from the street And she smiled one of those delightful smiles that even a woman admires and another woman Sure said the girl come right in don't mind how things look I'm alone now and taking it easy. You have to keep things straight and around here when the men folk are home Or they're always growling So the men folk were away What a cute little place you have here said virginia. You are mrs. Taylor The girl flushed just a trifle. No, she replied my man's name is kelly. Mr. Taylor boards with us when he's in town And afterward when she addressed her as mrs. Kelly virginia cannot but note an odd expression about the corners of the girl's mouth Is mr. Taylor out of town now asked virginia The girl looked her straight in the eyes for a moment before she replied Say look here. She demanded that last. What's your game? Who are you anyhow? And what's your idea in doing all this rubbering after kid Taylor? For a moment virginia did not know what answered to make and then Impulsively she decided to tell this girl part of her conjectures at least in the hope that either sympathy for gordon Or fear of the consequences upon Taylor would list her services in virginia's behalf There was that in the girl's face which convinced virginia that beneath the soiled green kimono and the evidences of dissipation in the Old young face they lay a kind heart and a generous disposition And so she told her Her story was not all news to blanche She had heard most of it from taylor's lips when virginia had finished the girl sat glowering sullenly on the floor for several seconds At last she looked up I don't know she said what strings kid Taylor has on me He ain't never done nothing except to egg jim on first to one job meant to the other that taylor didn't have the nerve to Pull off himself Jim's been to the island once already for a job that taylor worked up and then sat right there drinking high balls And trying to flusy up to me while jim and bill were out getting pinched And now she paused a startled look coming into her eyes And now he's framed up a murder for them because he ain't got the nerve to do it himself You mean cry virginia that they have really followed mr. gordon to africa to murder him Blanched out of defermentively then she leaned forward toward her caller I've told you she said because I thought you might find a way to stop them before they did it I don't want jim sent to the chair. He's always been good to me But for god's sake don't let them know. I told you bill would kill me and jim would quit me I care more about that than the other you won't tell will you No said virginia. I won't Now tell me they sailed on the same boat as mr. gordon Yes jim and bill and taylor and they were going to follow gordon until he got the paper and then croak him And take it away and say it was an accident or something Virginia scott rose from the chair upon which she'd been sitting Outwardly she was calm and collected But inwardly her thoughts were in a confused and hysterical jumble in which horror predominated What was she to do? How helpless she was to avert the grim tragedy? She thought of cabling gordon But when she suggested the plan to blanche the girl pointed out that it was too late Gordon must already have left the end of the railroad and be well upon his way to the interior For a moment virginia stood in silence and she held out her hand to the young woman I thank you. She said you've done right to tell me all that you have Goodbye What are you going to do as blanche? I don't know yet reply virginia. I want to think maybe a solution will come As she was driving back to her hotel the solution did come in the crystallization of a determination In taking the saving of richard gordon into her own hand It was for her that he was risking his life. She would be a coward to do one wit less than her plain duty There was no one upon whom she can call to do the thing for her Since she realized that whoever attempted it must risk his life impeding himself against taylor and his confederates Desperate men who already had planned upon one murder in the furtherance of their dishonorable purposes She thought of writing her mother first But deliberation assured her that her parent would do everything in her power to prevent the carrying out of a scheme Which virginia herself knew to be little short of madness Yet she could think of no other way No, she would wait until it was too late to recall her before she'd let her mother know her purpose So instead of returning at once to her hotel virginia drove to the offices of the transatlantic steamship company Where she made inquiries as to the sailings and connections from ombasa africa To her delight she discovered that by sailing the following morning she could take direct connections at liverpool Once committed to her plan she permitted no doubts to weaken her determination But booked her passage immediately and returned uptown to make necessary purchases and obtain currency and a letter of credit Through a banker friend of her grandfather The morning that she sailed she posted a long letter to her mother in which she explained her plans fully And frankly stated that she had intentionally left her mother in ignorance of them until now for fear she would find means to prevent their consummation I know that to say the least she wrote the thing that i'm going to do is most unconventional And I realize also that it's not unfraught with danger But I cannot see a total stranger sacrifice his life in our service without a willingness to make an equal sacrifice if necessary in his And when her mother read the letter though her heart was heavy with fear and sorrow She felt that her daughter had done no more than the honor of the scots demanded To virginia the long journey seemed an eternity But at last it came to an end and she found herself negotiating with an agent at mobito for native porters and guards And the considerable outfit necessary for african travel From this man she learned that gordon had left for the interior a month before But he had not heard of a man by the name of taylor though there had been he said another party of three americans Who had followed gordon by about a week These have been bound for victoria nihazah to hunt and the agents smiled as he recalled their evident Unfamiliarity with all things pertaining to their evocation virginia asked him to describe these men in a description of one She recognized taylor and rightly guessed that the others were kelly and gucce So three men one of them an unprinciple scoundrel had gone out into the savage lullous wilds on the trail of richard gordon virginia went cold as the fear swept her that she was too late Further questioning of the agent revealed the fact that while gordon and the other three had arrived simultaneously They had no intercourse and that gordon had obtained considerable start of the others because of his familiarity with the customs Of african travel and the utter ignorance of the others of the first essentials of their requirements This hope sustained her that gordon with his superior knowledge and experience had been able to out distance the others And that she by traveling light and carefully selecting her party might overtake them before they overtook gordon or met upon his return With this idea in mind virginia hastened her preparations and once in the march urged her safari on to utmost speed Almost from the start she discovered that her headman while apparently loyal to her Had but meager control of the men of the safari who were inclined to be insubordinate and quarrelsome The result was that to her other burdens was added constant apprehension from this source Since it not only threatened her own welfare But the success of her mission as well It was upon a tenth day that the first really flagrant breach of discipline occurred One which the headman could not handle or the girl permit to pass unnoticed The men had long been grumbling at the forced marching which had fallen to their lot since the very beginning Notwithstanding the fact that they had been employed with distinct understanding that such was to be the nature of their duty Today after the midday rest the porters were unusually slow in shouldering their packs And there was much muttering and grumbling as the headman went among them trying to enforce his commands by means of all manner and terrible threats Some of the men had risen sullenly and adjusted their burdens Others still sat upon the ground eyeing the headman but making no move to obey him Virginia was at a little distance waiting for the safari to set out. She was a witness to always transpired She saw hulking black hercules slowly raised his pack and laggard responded the commands of the excited headsman Just what words passed between them she could not know but suddenly the porter hurled his load to the ground shouting to the others would already assume their burdens One by one these followed his example at the same time shouting taunts and insults at the frantic dancing feudal headman The armed members of the party the native escort leaned on their rifles and grin at the discomfort of the headman Virginia's heart sank as she witnessed this open break It was mutiny pure and simple and her headsman was quite evidently wholly in kid both coping with it That it would quickly spread to the armed guard. She was sure for their attitude proclaimed that their sympathies were with the porters Something must be done and done at once Nor was there another than herself 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 was evident that they would soon come to blows The attitude of the bears was angry and sullen. The members of the safari still grinned This was the only reassuring symptom of the whole dangerous affair. They had not yet openly espoused the cause of the mutineers Virginia came to a decision quietly She crossed the space between herself and the porters in a rapid walk Shouldering her way between the watchers until she stood between the headsman and the bell coast porter At sight of her they stopped their wrangling for a moment. Virginia turned to the headsman Tell this boy she said that I say he must pick up his pack at once The headsman interpreted in her order to the mutineer The latter only laughed derisively making no move to obey Very deliberately Virginia drew her revolver from its holster at her hip She leveled it in the pit of the porter's stomach and with a finger of her left hand pointed at the pack on the ground She said nothing She knew that size had committed herself to a policy which might necessitate the fulfillment of the threat Which the leveled weapon implied and she was ready to adhere to the policy to the bitter end The fate of her expedition hung upon 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 the stranger who had placed himself in jeopardy to serve her There was no alternative. She must she would compel subordination The porter made no move to assume his burden But he ceased to laugh instead his little eyes narrowed his heavy lower jaw and pendulous lower lip drooped suddenly He reminded the girl suddenly of a huge brute about to spring upon his prey and cite tighten the pressure of her finger upon the trigger of her revolver Tell him she instructed the headman that punishment for mutiny is death That if he does not pick up his pack at once I shall shoot him just as I would shoot hyena that menaced my safety The headman did as he was bid The porter looked at the encircling faces of his friends for encouragement He thought that he found it there and then an evil spirit whispered to him that the white woman would not dare shoot And he took a step toward her threateningly It was his last step for the instant that he took it virginia fired not in his stomach, but at his 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 packs and march she commanded and those who cannot understand her words At least did not misinterpreted the menace of her leveled weapon One by one with greater alacrity than I had advanced since the first day They shouldered their burdens and a moment later were filing upon the trail The safari still grand for which virginia was devoutly thankful From then on she became her own headman Using that dignitary principally as an interpreter nor for many days was there again the slightest show of insubordination That came later with results so disastrous that But why anticipate disaster? End of chapter three Chapter four of the man-eater by Eger Rice Burroughs This the bravox recordings in the public domain Recording by Joe DeNoya Somerset, New Jersey chapter four Far to the west Richard Gordon had penetrated the jungle to the site of the ruin mission He had scraped around the woods which overgrew the raised walls of the bungalow And at last he had come upon the flagging of the old hearth Stone after stone he pried from its place until beneath one He at last came upon a tiny vault and a moment later his grouping fingers touched a rusted tin box that crumpled beneath them Feeling carefully admitted debris Gordon had finally withdrew a long manila envelope which had bestowed the ravages of time It was still sealed Nor did he break it open for it was all the box contained other than a few loose pieces of jewelry and therefore must contain the paper He saw Dick Gordon was elated by the success of his adventure He had feared that even the old hearth might have disappeared in the paper with it For he had no means of knowing how complete had been the Wakanda's demolition of the mission As upon his former visit he had seen no sign of the old chimney in fireplace 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 packet safely into the hands of mrs. Scott How could he guess that to the east of him three american crooks bent upon nothing less than his death barred his way to the coast That they were making short marches and slow ones was a little moment into three They soon had tired of the hardships of the african travel and finally gave up the hope of overtaking gordon before he reached the mission To weigh them upon his return would answer their purpose quite as well And so when they came at last to a village through which gordon must pass upon his return to the coast It required little discussion of the question to decide them to await him there In view of generous gifts the native chief welcomed them to his hospitality He set aside a commodious hut for the three whites They unstoppable numerous bottles of irish whiskey and the blacks brewed their native beer The visit was a long drawn bacchanalian revel which the whites found more to their taste than long tiresome marches and the vicissitudes of ever changing camps But one day the piece of the community was rudely startled A lion seized upon an unwary woman working a little patch of cultivated ground outside the village Her screams brought out the warriors and the whites, but the lion dragged his brain to the jungle her screaming ceased nor was she ever seen again The natives were terrified They 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 marauder could they find Then the blacks dug a pit and baited it with a live goat and lest the lion escape even this They set a watch upon the pit that the whites might be called when the lion approached Nor do they have long to wait scare said they secreted themselves when a huge lion stepped majestically from the brush Rising his massive head he sniffed the air his lower jaw rose and fell The sliver driveled from his jowls deep in his throat rumbled a low thunder and presently at his side appeared a sleek lioness For a moment they stood thus the yellow eyes sometimes boring straight ahead as it appears the thicket behind which the trembling natives crouched Or again moving slowly up and down the trail Presently the lion's head went up in a quick movement of arrested attention Instantly he froze to rigid immobility his sensitive nostrils dilated and contracted the tip of his tail moved Aside from these he might have been chilled from living gold so magnificent. He was Upwind and old clearing two antelope browsed Now and again the graceful male raised his horn head to sniff the air his great wondering eyes scanning the surrounding jungle Then he would lower his muzzle again and resume his feeding Yet ears and nose were always upon the alert The Judas breeze kissing the soft coats of the antelope as it passed bore down to the nostrils of the lions the evidence of the near presence of flesh Of tender juicy succulent red flesh The king turned his royal head once towards his consort a sound that was half sigh breathed from his great throat Was it a message a command? Who may say The lion excelled herself into a comfortable position in the long grass and her lord moved silently away Upwind toward the unconscious antelope A moment later an excited native detached himself from the watchers and sped away toward the village to notify the whites that the lions had come Taylor kelly and gooch caught up their rifles and followed the guide back toward the pit At their heels was half the male population of the village armed with short heavy spears But the chief who had hunted lions with white men many times before Sent them all back with the exception of three who carried the whites extra guns There had been enough before to have frightened all the lions out of the country Even so the white men themselves clumsy in this unaccustomed work made noise enough to bring the lioness to her feet As they crawled into the bushes beside the watchers When finally they saw her she was standing 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 long in the face of the noise of the awkward white men? She could not guess Shoot he whispered quick already the lioness was willing to depart when the three rifles spoke Only one bolt struck the target But that was enough to transform the timid jungle creature into a mad engine of rage and destruction Turning like a cat and growling horribly the lioness charged without an instance warning straight down upon the cover that hit her foes It was the first time in their lives that any one of the white men had seen it charging lioness And it was too much for the dope-shared nerves of kelly and gooch Flinging away their rifles they turned and ran like scared rabbits their gunbearers and watchers near them surprised into panic at the unwanted site of terror struck white men emulating their example Only taylor his gunbearer and the chief held the ground Taylor was frightened few men are not in the face of a charging lion, especially if it be their first But the blood of the scots flowed in his veins Whatever else he might be he was not a physical coward In the moment that ensued he took careful aim and fired again This time the lioness stopped dead Taylor drew a deep sigh of relief Great beads of perspiration stood upon his forehead He wiped them away and as he attempted to arise he noticed that his knees were weak and trembling It wouldn't do for the chief to see that so he sat down again and rolled his cigarette By the time the frightened ones had been recalled he was able to control his muscles Gooch and kelly came with their tails between their legs like whipped curves You missed your call left taylor. You ought to have been lying tamers The tween grins sheepishly I'll see that hell cat face in my dreams the rest of my natural life said kelly Gooch shrugged with a shudder Me for Broadway in the Tammany tiger. It doesn't make such awful faces. He said Well, let's go back to the village and have a drink on my first lion suggested taylor and the three departed Leaving the natives to rig a sling and carry the body the lioness in When the lion left his mate he made his way stealthily in the direction of his quarry Now and again he stopped to raise his head and stiff the air or with upright ears to listen Ahead of them the buck uneasy though. He had his yet located. No enemy moved slowly off followed by his dough Craftily the lion trailed him by scent Presently he came within sight of them, but they were on the move and the ground was not such as to favor a charge So he stalked them cautiously warily silently The personification of majesty of power of stealth He stalked them for a long time until they halted again to browse upon the edge of a little plane And then his majesty wearied an impatient venture to charge from two graded distance Like a bolt he broke from the concealing jungle with a speed that is only a lions when it charges He sped toward them and still all unconscious. They fed on It was the dough who first looked up and then two streaks of bay brown fled before the tawny yellow flash It was soon over A dozen or more bounds convinced the great cat that he had lost And with a great roar he halted to glare for a moment after his disappearing feast and had to turn still rumbling back into the forest toward his mate He came shortly to the spot where he had left his mate, but she was not there He called to her, but she did not answer Then he sniffed about The scent of man was still heavy in the air and the accurate odor of powder clung to the grasses and the branches and What was that blood the smell of blood? The lion crossed and recrossed the trail He walked about sniffing and elasti came upon the spot where his mate had died A great roar broke from his mighty lungs. He smelled about the trampled grasses blacks. And what is this? The scent spore of whites The blacks were familiar denizens of the jungle. He thought little of them one way or another Sometimes he ate them for their were stupid creatures easily overcome. But the whites He had had experience of them before of them and their accurate smoke and their painful bullets His forearm had increased by one and the scar still plainly showed the whites how he hated them Down when his nose to the trail, which way had he gone? He would follow an avenge Straight along the crooked jungle pathway led the spore Rumbling in his throat the lion followed all engrossed in hate and rage so that he did not see the trap until it was too late Suddenly there was a giving of the trail beneath his feet a snapping of small branches He clawed and tried to leap his 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 dug for him Nor for all his strength and cunning could he escape It was mid-afternoon following a long march that Virginia and her safari came upon a village where the headman had told her That they would be well received and could doubtless trade for fowl and goats and vegetables The prospect was alluring For during the past week her hunters have been vouchsafed the poorest luck Goat and chicken would taste good Virginia's mouth watered the mouths of her boy's watered too, but not so much for goat and chickens as for the native beer For which the village was justly famous The chief was away when the visitors 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 had ever seen a white woman before and they clustered about her feeling her flesh and garments Laughing uproariously at each new discovery, but according her every mark of friendship At last with difficulty Virginia succeeded in arranging through her headman for a hut to which she might retire But even here the women and children followed her squatting about watching her every move The interior of the hut was filthy and the girl had been in it But a short time when she decided to summon her headman have her tent and camp pitched outside the village When she went to find him where she could not make any of the women understand her wants She discovered him with others of her savari indulging freely in beer Already they had consumed large quantities and with an unlimited supply and view Were low to leave the immediate vicinity of the brew for the sake of pitching camp for her or for anyone else As she stood arguing with them through the headman She was suddenly aware of the approach of newcomers from the jungle A little party of men were entering the village gates and her heart gave a great leap of joy as she saw a white man among them She started forward impulsively toward him half believing that it might be Richard Gordon When she saw two other whites behind him and recognized one of them immediately as Taylor Her heart sank as she realized the predicament in which she had unwittingly placed herself Taylor seeing her here would not need to be told to know what had brought her And now just when she most 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 headman. You must get the boys together at once We will continue the march those men who have just entered the village are my enemies Tell the boys of the safari to get their guns. We may need them, but I must get out of the village at once The headman transmitted her commands to the porters in the safari, but they elicited only grumbling murmurs at first And when she urged her authority upon them, they openly refused to move from where they were They said that they had marched far that day. They could go no further They would not go further and the one who had consumed more beer than his fellows announced that he would take no more orders from a woman Just then scott taylor came abreast the party and when his eyes fell upon virginia scott They went wide in cojulity and wonder Virginia he exclaimed where did you come from? What on earth are you doing here? And then as though he had guessed the answer his eyes narrowed in a lowering scowl clouded his face You've been following me. Have you spying on me? Yeah, you think you can put one over on me. Do you? Well, you've got another thing coming young lady Virginia scott looked coldy at the speaker water contempt in the curve of her lip and the expression of her low eyes Yes, I followed you scott she replied I know you all too well You see not to have guessed something of the ulterior motive which prompted you to come to africa immediately upon the heels of mr. Corden We found his letter to mother you see in your coat pocket the code you accidentally dropped behind your bed before you left If you will take my advice scott you will take yourself and your precious friends here back to the coast and out of africa as fast as you can Taylor had been thinking rapidly as the girl spoke if he was at a loss What's that take next? If she knew that he had followed gordon to africa then her mother knew it too And whatever harm might befall gordon here would be laid at his door even though he found the means to quiet virginia The means to quiet virginia the thoughts kept running through his head over and over again the means to quiet virginia He gave his head a little shake as he let his eyes rest on a girl's face again She was very beautiful even more beautiful in her khaki and tan than she had been in the soft summer dresses and clear My complexion of the virginia days Will you take that chance and go she asked presently? I promise that I will say no word of this that will harm you each of us is half scott I would not willingly harm my own blood nor will I see you painless when the estate comes into my hands The mention of the estate brought taylor up with a start It also brought a gleam into the eyes of kelly and gooch who had been interested listeners of the conversation kelly leaned toward taylor If you go back kid he asked who's going to pay me and bill the hundred thou peace I'm not going back you fool said taylor. I've come too damn 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 possibilities for her The first thing i'm going to do grow taylor is to put you where you can be watched and where you won't give another chance to go and blab all you know or think to mr bradinsky gordon He stepped quickly to the girl's side as he spoke and though she reached for her revolver His hand was too quick for her and the weapon was wrenched from her grasp before she could use it and use it She most certainly should had she the opportunity Taylor seized her wrist and he stood there holding her scowling down into her face virginia returned 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 supreme It stung the man as would no torrent of invective. It stung and roused all the brute with him With an oath he jerked the girl roughly after him as he turned and crossed the village street Straight toward the hut occupied by himself and his two associates. He dragged her at his heels came kelly and gooch Get a rope snap taylor as they were inside We'll trust this vixen until we can plan what is best for her and anyway, we haven't had that drink yet in my first line Gooch found a rope and together the three men bound the girl securely then they went out to the hut taking the bottle of whiskey with them After they had left virginia exerted every effort to free herself of her bonds But strained as she would she could not slip them an inch The afternoon wore on She could hear loud talk and laughter of the drinking whites and blacks and she trembled as she thought What the return of those three flushed with drink might mean to her A night fell and still she lay a prey to grim terror and the physical tortures of her bonds and the unclean mats upon which They had thrown her end of chapter four Chapter five of the man-eater by edgar rice burrows This is the bravox recordings in the public domain Recording by joe denoya somerset new jersey Chapter five Swinging along with the head of his safari dick gordon puffed upon his black and briar and hummed a gay tune of the roof gardens The black boys at his heels laughed and chattered and sang They were a merry party for gordon had a way with him that kept men singing at their work until they forgot it was work He could get more miles out of a safari than many a hardened and hard old explorer For he treated his boys like children humoring or punishing as seemed best But never permitting an injustice never nursing an irritation and never letting them forget that he was the master From headman to meanest porter. They loved him respected him each thought that he would wade through blood for the big singing guana But they were sooner 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 experience of the place and the effects that it had upon his men from two consecutive marches Had decided to camp short of the village and pass it on the fly in the morning They had come almost to the spot he had selected for their camp when the roars of a lion Almost at his feet brought gordon to a sudden stop at the verge of a pit cunningly hidden the trail A hole a few 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 him crashed a huge black maned lion At gordon's elbow was his gunbearer To turn and grasp the ready rifle was the work of but a moment But when he had raised the weapon to his shoulder and leveled it upon the beast below him Something brought him to a sudden stop His men were gathered about the pit now throwing taunts and insults at the great beast Poor devil thought gordon It's a shame to pot you like this without a chance for your life. He paused and then I'm damned if I'll do it Young mr. Gordon was as you may have guessed a creature of impulse He was want to act first and think later Which is mighty fine way to do the right thing if one is inherently right at heart And doesn't chance to the laboring under the insidious toxin of anger Then too dick gordon loved animals and particularly he loved the great fierce cats of the jungle To him there was no more inspiring sight than that of a mighty lion And as he looked at the one below him Even in the dim light of the pit he realized that never before had his eyes rested upon so magnificent a creature as his great black main prisoner He lowered his rifle and turned towards his headman Let's have a little fun. He said It's not sport to shoot a lion in a pit. I never have I never shall We'll let this boy out or we'll have a run for his money And then I can take a little pride in his skin when I get home The headman grinned he was something of a sport himself, but not when it came to lions How you get him out buana he asked Gordon examined the pit its roof was constructed of several stout saplings crossed with lesser branches and brush To drag a couple of the larger logs until their ends dropped into the pit would be the work of but a moment Then the lion would clamber out if he was not injured and there was nothing in his appearance or manner to indicate He was not entirely whole Gordon explained his plan to the headman and gave his orders for the porters to lay aside their loads And dragged the poles far enough to let their ends drop into the pit The men grinned and shrugged and looked for handy trees, but they knew that a maddened lion is lightning unchained Generally the late hall of the saplings it commenced a hallway upon them But when the ends had come to the pits of urge and were about to drop down and liberate a lion They paused still grinning though sheepishly and begged to be excused as it were The headman explained to Gordon that the lion would be sure to get one of the men at least And he thought that it would be a useless waste of life when they had already the lion safely imprisoned And nothing gained by liberating him Gordon shrugged good naturedly you little a fast can take to the trees. He said and hurry up about it I'm going to let loose this man eating son of belial and he grasped the end of one of the logs and proceeded to pull The blacks seeing his act tarried not for even a free translation of his words But scampered to right and left clambering into safety the lower branches with the agility of monkeys Only Gordon's gunbearer remained at his post The young man seeing him directing the boy to place his rifle a few paces to his rear where you could take it up in fire Should it be necessary Lean against the tree over there get directed after I drop the logs down I can reach it before the lion can climb out if he's inclined to be nasty instead of grateful The boy glad to be relieved of his duty Though he would have remained at his post in the face of a dozen lions had Gordon not dismissed him Did as he was bid himself taking refuge in the tree at the base of which he leaned the rifle Cocked and ready to his master's hand Gordon measured the distance between the pit and the tree with his eye And calculated that even though the lion charged after climbing from his prison It would take him a moment or two to reach the level ground and with that advantage Gordon could easily reach his rifle and bring the beast down before it was upon him The element of risk in the adventure appealed to the young New Yorker He would be pitting his own skill and prowess against the skill and prowess of a lion The animal would have an almost even break with him For if Gordon failed to stop him with his first shot the victory would be to the great cat This was sport Gordon felt the thrill of excitement tingling through his nerves as he drew slowly upon the end of one of the logs Below him the lion stood motionless glaring up into his face and uttering occasional low growls As he worked Gordon glanced often at the great beast admiring his splendid stature His great mane and his massive head The lion was wondering if this creature was one of those who had slain his mane. What was he doing? Why was he pulling the cover from the prison? Why had the loud noise and accurate odor that accompanied these white-skinned humans not yet assailed his ears and nostrils? The lion was puzzled He cocked his head upon one side watching intently so intently that he forgot to growl Gordon dragged the end of one of the logs until it just hung above the rim of the pit Then he drew its fellow into the same position A single quick heavy pull upon the two together should precipitate the ends into the bottom of the trap Dick Gordon glanced behind him once more that he might finally fix in his mind the exact location of his rifle Then he surged back with a firm grip upon the logs the dirt at the opposite end of the pit crumbled from the edge And the two logs dropped their further extremities side by side to the bottom At the same instant Gordon turned and ran for his rifle The lion leapt nimbly to one side to avoid the falling logs Instantly grasped our sniffings to him and with an agile leap was upon them And at the edge of the pit by the time Gordon had covered half the distance to the tree where his gun leaned ready to his hand Seeing the man fleeing the lion gave a single terrific roar and burst into full speed of the charge The natives in the trees screamed loudly to Gordon the man turned his head thinking the lion must be already upon him And in the little instant his eyes were taken from his path his foot caught in the protruding 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 race on But even as he half rose a great body struck him from behind and hurried him back to the earth A great tawny hairy body that towered above him grim and terrible The thousand thoughts raced through Dick Gordon's mind in the brief instant that the lion stood over him He thought of his revolver and his knife and their holsters at his side as the last resort He would use them he had heard of men being in positions similar to his own and of escaping unharmed of the lions leaving them for some Unaccountable reason without inflicting even a scratch upon them Gordon determined to wait until the lion took the offensive. He laid very quietly just as he had fallen half upon his side One great forepaul was opposite his face for the lion straddled him Gordon even noted the ugly jagged scar upon the inside of the forearm The boys in the trees were shouting and hurling branches at the huge beast The animal paid no more attention to them than as though they had been so many little monkeys He lowered his mighty head and sniffed the body of his prey Gordon could feel the muzzle touching his back lightly and the hot breath upon his neck and cheek The lion was puzzled. This was not one of those whom he sought For several minutes that seemed an eternity to Gordon the beast stood above him What was he thinking could it be that he was searching through his savage brain for an explanation of the man's act and releasing him from captivity Who may say But this we do know that with one great paw he turned Gordon over on his back sniffed him from head to foot Looked straight in his face for a full minute and then turned and stuck majestically down the trail leaving unharmed the puny creature Whose career one closing of those mighty jaws would have terminated forever Scarce believing that he can credit his own senses Gordon rose slowly to his feet and gazed after the lion Behind him his boy slid down from the tree and seizing Gordon's rifle ran forward and thrust it into the man's hand Thus awakened from the stupor of the shock he had received Gordon mechanically threw the weapon to the hollow of his shoulder Quickly it excites covered a spot in the middle of the beast's back just behind the shoulders the trigger finger pressed slowly back The blacks all silent now awaited in breathless expectancy the shot that was never fired For a moment Gordon stood thus like a statue Then with an impatient shake of his head he lowered the weapon I can't do it. He muttered the beast could have killed me but didn't if I killed him now I'd be less than a beast I wonder why he left us Could it have been gratitude Shucks gratitude nothing He was hungry or else the boys frightened him away and at the latter thought Gordon could not repress a grin as he recalled the great carnivores apparent utter contempt for the yelling natives And as he stood watching the leisurely departure of the king until he was hidden by a turn on the trail The belief that it might have been gratitude insisted upon obtruding itself upon his thoughts Anyway, he said half aloud it'll make a pretty story even if it's not the true explanation His boys had all descended from their trees by this time or crowded around him Chattering to one another and loudly expiating upon the wondrous feats of bravery they would have performed if Gordon broken upon this afterclap Come he said take up your packs We ought to be near the stream that passes beside the beer village will make camp as soon as we strike it A half hour later they found a suitable spot for their camp and Gordon Protected by a mosquito net stretched himself in his hammock to enjoy the luxuries of a pipe in a book before the evening meal should be prepared Exhausted from her struggles to free herself from her bonds virginia lay in dumb misery listening to the sounds of revel without The blacks were dancing now their hideous yells reverberated through the forest The dancing light from the great fire They had built to illuminate the scene of their orgy rose and fell fitfully across the open entrance of the hut in which the girl lay Her own men would be joining in the mad revel she well knew no use to appeal to them Already they had shown the caliber of their loyalty Only the headman had remained at all staunch in his fealty to her and he was a weak vessel even went sober Now that he was drunk as he doubtless was she could not appeal even to him with any hope of a response Now and again she heard the voices of the white men Modeling from drink. She shuddered as she contemplated their return to the hut Again, she struggled vainly with her bonds Hope was well nigh extinguished for what hope could there be for her here among these wild savages and cruel relentless whites As the blacks danced and the whites drank with them another creature the virginia scott heard of the becanillian noises of their drunken rebel A great black maned lion grim and silent proud about the palisade sniffing and listening Now and again he would halt with his head cocked upon one side and his ears upright Then he would resume his tireless pacing round and round the outside of the enclosure. He paced his stealthy beat Occasionally a low a very low moan escaped his lips A weird blood freezing moan that happily for the peace of mind of the revelers was drowned out by their hideous noises What were his intentions? That he seemed searching for something or someone appeared evident Once or twice he paused and lifting his head measured a distance to the top of the palisade To the very gates had he followed the spore of the white men who had slain his mate For them he had come Were they with him? He could not catch their scent But though he had circled the palisade village several times his sensitive nostrils had discovered no spore fresher than that which ended at the village gates His brute sense told him that they must be with him Why did he hesitate? He was no coward, but neither was he any fool He knew the powers and the purpose of guns and spears and he knew too that once within the palisade What the man people while all were awake he might be killed before he accomplished the revenge upon which he was beat And so he bided his time A fierce and terrible thing patting noiselessly through the black night just beyond the palisade The night wore on slowly Less and less became the sounds of revelry as one by one blacks succumbed to the influence of their native beer and the white man's whiskey Presently Taylor rose unsteadily and made his way toward his hut Staggering little froze his boast that he could carry his load like a gentleman Virginia wide-eyed and sleepless saw him approaching In the extremity of her fear she rolled to the far side of the hut to lie There silent and motionless in the hope that he had forgotten her presence and would not notice her Taylor sober might be appealed to in the morning There must be a fiber of chivalry somewhere in the soul of any man in whose veins flowed the honor blood of the scots But Taylor drunk would be adamant to any influence counter to his passions From the darkness of her corner Virginia saw how slightly he staggered and her hopes renewed He might not be so badly intoxicated as she had feared But as he lurched through the low doorway her heart sank for he called her name aloud in the thick voice that belied the steadiness of his carriage She did not reply and he crossed the hut stooping and feeling for her with his hands Presently he touched her and the awe of satisfaction broke from his lips Lo sweetie he mumbled Virginia did not answer feigning sleep instead He grasped her by the shoulder and shook her Wake up kid he shouted I'll show you I'm not such a bad sport This crooks out there want me to croak you but I'm a gentleman I won't croak you if you treat me right He dragged her to a sitting posture and put his arms about her She could not push him away or fight him off for her arm's opinion behind her Scott she cried think what you're doing. I am your own cousin First cousin once removed he corrected Please Scott. She pleaded. Please leave me alone For reply he kissed her You beast she cried No beast he assured to show you what a good fellow I am I'm gonna take these ropes off you and he commenced a fumble with the knots Virginia saw a ray of hope now in his drunkenness Sober his reason would have warned him against releasing her But drunk he had all the foolish assurance of drunkenness The knots baffled him he drew his hunting knife and cut the cords Now he said you can show me how much 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 a muzzle against his ribs Taylor knew in the instant what she had accomplished and it sobered him Slowly his hand crept down to seize hers where it held the weapon close against him Put up your hands. She warned him and put them quickly. I shall take no chances Scott And I'll give you my word that I'd breathe freer if you were dead The man raised his hands above his head and Virginia sprang to her feet 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 recapture me I shall certainly make it in my sole point in life to kill you before I am retaken Slowly she backed across the floor toward the doorway She would arouse her men and at the point of Scott's revolver forced them to accompany her from the village She 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 moon bathed tropical night A prayer Thanksgiving was on her lips, but it was never breathed for scarcely She emerged from the interior of the hut that she was roughly seized from behind with the revolver wrenched from her grasp End of chapter five Chapter six of The Man Eater by Edgar Rice Burroughs This liberal rock recording is in the public domain According by Joe De Noia Somerset, New Jersey Chapter six As Virginia turned to struggle with her captors. She saw that there were Taylor's two accomplices And now Taylor released from the menace of the revolver rushed from the hut in assistance of his fellows It required the combined strength of the three to subdue the girl Who was fighting with the strength of desperation for life and more than life But at last they overcame her and dragged her back into the hut Here they shoved her to the far side and panting from their exertions stood glowering at her Taylor was wiping blood from his hand Virginia Scott in the extremity of her need had been transformed in the moment of battle to a primordial sheathing And as her first human ancestor might have done had fought with teeth and nails against her assailants Kelly too had felt her strong white teeth sink into his flesh and gooch bore a long scratch from temple to chin The exclaimed the latter we order of croak during the first place Taylor was eyeing the girl through narrow lids all the beast that was in him shown from his evil eyes He turned and whispered quickly to Kelly and Gooch Are we in on it asked the former Taylor nodded I don't care. He said and then we give her the ko and put her way behind the hut supplemented Gooch the ground soft and a digging will be easy I told you that's what we ordered done in the first place grumbled Kelly It'll leave you the only heir and there won't be nobody to squeal about Gordon when he don't show up no more Go to it growl Taylor. There can't be any cat bite me up without paying for it The two crooks advanced towards the girl and sees her Taylor waited to one side Slowly they forced her to the floor of the hut and held her there though. She fought with all the strength remaining to her And outside the palace had the black mane prowler sniffed and listened Now a little vagrant breeze eddy up through this stagnant night It swirled across the village compound and bore upon its wings to the nostrils of the carnivore the fresh scent of the white man With a low growl the giant beast crouched and sprang lightly as a feather. He topped the palace aid and dropped noiselessly within For a moment. He stood motionless peering about There was no one in sight With long easy strides his supple muscles rolled in the moonlight beneath the smooth hide The destroyer crossed to the nearest hut and sniffed at the chinks in the stashed wall Then he moved to another and another searching for the prey he hunted and all unconscious of his grizzly presence The blacks within slept on in blissful ignorance of the hideous men as roaming at will through their village In the white men's hut the three broods struggled with the battle and girl Their victory was not to be the easy thing they had bargained on and as they fought to subdue her their positions changed from time to time Once she caught Gucci's thumb between her teeth not releasing her hold until she had almost severed it from his hand Cursing and moaning the crook withdrew from the battle for a moment to sit with his back toward the door nursing his heart Kelly and Taylor were still endeavoring to overpower their quarry without killing her their faces were toward the door Suddenly Virginia felt their grasp relax and saw their eyes widened 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 lion Gucci had not seen the beast he was rolling to and from drunkenly holding on to his injured thumb Without a word Taylor and Kelly turned and commenced clung frantically at the frail fetching of the hut's rear wall In a moment they had torn an opening large enough to permit their bodies to pass through and were gone into the night beyond At the same instant the lion gave voice to a terrific roar and Virginia dodged through the rent that Taylor and Kelly had made and sprawled to the ground outside She saw the two scoundrels fleeing toward the right and instinctively she turned toward the left She had taken but a few steps when there upon fell her ears the most blood-curling scream of mortal agony and terror That ever had smoked upon them in her life She had not imagined that the human voice could compass such freezing fear as that which freaked out its high-pitched wail upon the silent jungle night The cry compelled her to turn her head back in the direction of the hut she had quitted and there in the full light of the equatorial moon She witnessed that which would be seared upon her memory till her dying day She saw a gooch half through the opening that had given escape to Kelly Taylor and herself Clutching frantically at the turf and at the sides of the torn hut wall His features were distorted by agony and horror supreme He shrieked aloud to his friends who had deserted him and to the god that he long since had deserted and ever Slowly and horribly he was being drawn back into the interior of the hut by an unseen power All too well Virginia guessed the giant force the hideous beastial force that was dragging the terrified man backward to his doom within the dark interior of the hut Yet fascinated she could but stand and watch the grim and terrible tragedy Slowly the body disappeared and then the shoulders only the head was left in the hands The latter still clutching furtively for a hold upon the frail wall the face white and distorted by fear and suffering And then the head was drawn back out of sight the hands gave up their last hold There was a frightful whale from within the gloomy interior a whale which mingled with the savage thunderous roar and then silence The cries of gooch aroused the natives warriors were pouring from every hut the whole village was aroused Virginia turned and resumed her flight Straight towards the gates she ran to unbar them was the work of but a moment Beyond was the terrible jungle the grim cruel mysterious jungle, but behind her was a fate more terrible than any of the jungle could offer Without another backward glance the girl pushed the portals wide and scurried into the darkness of the forbidding forest The blacks attracted to the huts occupied by the white men by gooch's screams Halted a few paces from the entrance and shouted to their guests to ascertain the cause of the commotion The lion within warned by their voices turned from his prey and stuck his great head out through the doorway at sight of him the blacks howled and mingled terror and defiance They waved their spears and shouted hoping to frighten the beast from his hiding place Annoyed and rendered nervous by their dim the carnivore roared back his challenge and amid a shower of hurling spears dashed from the hut For a moment He stood bewildered while the blacks were treated and then he turned and trotted toward the palace seat Seeing him retreat the natives gained courage and pursued He skirted close in the shadow of the wall for a short distance coming presently upon the gates Which virginia had left open There he paused for an instant to turn a snarling face towards his pursuers A face which brought them to a sudden halt and then wheeling darted through the gateway and was gone Stumbling through the drungle night virginia scott was occupied by a single thought To place as much distance between herself and scott taylor as she could In what direction she was going to what nameless fate she did not know she did not consider For the first half hour hers was the flight of panic unreasoning mad hysterical and surely she had been through enough of that day to shake steadier nerves and more experienced heads than hers Thorns and underbrush clutched their short skirt and khaki jacket tearing them scratching her hands her arms and her face Tangled themselves between her feet and tripping her Again and again she fell only the scramble to her feet once more and plunged on deeper and deeper into the unknown The myriad jungle noises fell for a time on deaf ears The movement of padded feet the brush of bodies against vine and bush The fluttering of weird wings registered none of the all upon her feared numb brain And then above all other sounds broke one that blasted its way to her perceptive families Thunderous ominous earth shaking terrible It shattered her preoccupation and awoke her to a sense of the nearness of other dangers than that from which she was fleeing It was the roar of a lion To her tense nerves it sounded close behind her The girl paused stark and rigid listening She stood with her clenched hands tight against her bosom her breath came in the little gasps She could feel her heart beating against her ribs. She could hear it Above the noises of the jungle it sounded like a traitorous tattoo beating out a call to prowlers of the night guiding them to their prey For a moment she stood thus until out of the blackness from which she had come She thought she heard the stealthy pad of great feet With a shudder and a little gasp she turned again to flee from this new menace On she stumbled bruised bleeding hopeless for how long she could not know Time had ceased to exist in the mean and man made units of seconds minutes or hours Each heartbeat measured in eternity She had been fleeing thus through the blackness of torture terror since time began She would continue thus to flee hopeless until the last trump and then the thing behind her would spring Frightful talons would fasten themselves into her soft flesh Giant fangs would sink deep in neck or shoulder It would be the end the end The thought brought her to a sudden stop the end. It was inevitable Why flee from the inevitable? She leaned against the bowl of a tree panting like a winded doe that after a brave battle for liberty finds itself spent in a way to residenly the coming of the hounds She waited listening for sounds of the coming of the beast of prey. She felt sure was upon her trail She listened but she heard no sound to indicate that the beast was close in hand However, she did not attempt to delude herself into the feeling of false security She well knew the uncanny soundness of the passing of the great cats when they chose silence But what was that? A body black against the blackness of the jungle had moved them on the trees to her right She strained her eyes in the direction of the shadowy form. Yes, there it was and another and another Suddenly two spots of fire glowed dimly from the points upon which her gaze was concentrated Close behind them appeared two other spots Virginia shrank back against the tree horrified a little prayer rose from her silent lips. God. They were coming closer Stealthily noiselessly they were creeping upon her the rough bark of the tree behind her gave to the frenzied force of her clutching fingers A piece broke off coming away in her hand Such a little thing may sometimes prove the most monotonous of a lifetime To virginia it brought a lightning train of thought that opened up the avenue of hope in her hopeless breast the tree Why had she not thought of it before? They were coming close now. Would there be time? She turned and measured the girth of the ball with her arms It was not a large tree in that lay still greater hope A sudden starling broke from the things creeping upon her at the same instant She left as high as she could embracing the stem of the tree and scrambled rapidly aloft There was a rush below her a course of angry growls and something brushed her foot She heard the click of joy snapping together below her and then she drew herself to the comparative safety of the lower limb With reaction came faintness and a giddy dizziness that's threatened to plunge her from her sanctuary But she clung desperately and after a moment regained control of herself Then painfully and wearily she crawled a little higher among the branches until she found a spot where she could recline in greater safety and comfort Here she lay sleepless through the balance of the night A few hours which seemed endless to her while the jungle life surged back and forth below around and above her And the jungle noises fearsome and uncanny rose and fell a devil's discord jangling on raw nerves Through those long hours virginia sought by planning some ray of hope for the future But each essay in this direction brought her to a dead stop against the blank wall effect She was alone unarmed and lost in the jungle She was surrounded by savage beasts and savage men by any one of which she would be considered natural prey To retrace the long journey from the coast Even though she knew this trail would be impossible and equally impossible But the task of going ahead in search of richard gordon whom she knew to be somewhere to the west of her The more she weighed her chances for existence against the forces of destruction pitted against her the more hopeless appeared her situation Even the coming of dawn ordinarily a theme of renewing hope brought no added buoyancy to her jaded spirits Only a dogged determination to fight on to the inevitable end and then to die bravely with the consciousness of having fought a good fight As become a granddaughter of jefferson scone As daylight dispelled the darkness about her and objects that assumed grotesque and menacing proportions by night receded and shrunk to the common places of day virginia's eyes sought the ground below for a glimpse of the creatures whose menice had driven her to the safety of branches before But searches she would she can discover no sign of dangerous beast And at last realizing that she could not remain in the tree forever. She dropped to the ground and resumed her flight Noting the direction of the sun She turned her face towards the west deciding at last that her only hope of salvation laying reaching richard gordon And influence equally too by the obligation She felt strong upon her to find and warn him of the menace which lay in wait upon his homeward trail That she would find him she had little hope But at least she would have the poor satisfaction of claiming to duty to the last however feudal her attempt to fulfill that duty She had not gone a great distance when she became suddenly aware of the uncanny sensation that she was being followed Turning she looked back into the jungle behind her but saw nothing Yet again the moment she had resumed her way. She could have sworn. She had heard something moving through the vegetation at her heels How long has continued she could not have told But at length it's so preyed upon her nerves that she was once more reduced to a state of panicky terror Equal to that which had claimed her in the preceding night If she could have seen the thing the dog her footsteps even to know that it was some fierce and terrible creature of destruction Her nervous suffering would have been less But to feel its eyes upon her and yet not to see it to hear its padded footsteps to see no twig disturbed was horrible A dozen times she was on the point of clambering into a tree But hunger and thirst which already had assailed her told her in no uncertain terms that there must be no Terrying except an elastic stream of danger while she had strength She must go on and on for she did not find food and drink. She would have no strength to go on Twenty times she must have turned to search out the prowler that stalked her That she had no slightest glimpse of him when she broke quite unexpectedly into a small clearing Straight across this she made her way and toward the center turned again to cast a nervous glance at rearward And then she saw the thing upon her track a mangy hideous skulking hyena Virginia knew that man looked down upon this repulsive beast calling him a harmless coward But she knew too many a man had fallen prey to the enormous strength and ferocity of these same creatures She knew of their cunning and their cruelty and that like all other hunted beasts They were as perfectly aware when man was unarmed as was man himself Of their attacking lions and dragging his kill from beneath the very nose of the king of beasts And so she did not deceive herself as have others to their sorrow and to the cowardice or the harmlessness of this nature's most loathsome creation Fifty yards ahead was a low tree growing solitary in the clearing. She would take refuge there until the beast had gone She quickened her pace and turning her head saw to her horror that the hyena had broken into a trot and was coming straight for her Even so she 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 necessity for exerting himself Virginia reached the tree in ample time to climb to safety And it was with a little prayer of relief that she looked up for a handhold upon the lower branch A prayer that froze upon her lips and turned to a scream of horror Startled from overwrought nerves as she saw a great snake coiled in the branches above her head End of chapter six