Part 31 (1/2)

”When one of the sailors had taken nant at estion that we return at once to land 'Why, Mr Philander,' he said, 'I am surprised that you, sir, a man of letters yourself, should have the teress of science I had about deduced from certain astrono the past several tropic nights an entirely new nebular hypothesis which will unquestionably startle the scientific world I wish to consult a very excellent raph on Laplace's hypothesis, which I understand is in a certain private collection in New York City Your interference, Mr Philander, will result in an irreparable delay, for I was just rowing over to obtain this pareatest difficulty that I persuaded hi to force,” concluded Mr Philander

Miss Strong and her mother were very brave under the strain of ale beasts Nor were they quite able to accept so readily as the others the theory that Jane, Clayton, and Monsieur Thuran had been picked up safely

Jane Porter's Esmeralda was in a constant state of tears at the cruel fate which had separated her froreat-hearted good nature never deserted hi always for the couests With the men of his yacht he remained the just but firle than there had been on board the LADY ALICE as to as the final authority in all questions of ient leadershi+p

Could this well-organized and coed, fear-haunted trio a few nized in them the forhed and played upon the LADY ALICE

Clayton and Monsieur Thuran were almost naked, so torn had their clothes been by the thorn bushes and tangled vegetation of the h which they had been compelled to force their way in search of their ever more difficult food supply

Jane Porter had of course not been subjected to these strenuous expeditions, but her apparel was, nevertheless, in a sad state of disrepair

Clayton, for lack of any better occupation, had carefully saved the skin of every ani the theed to save them in a fair condition, and now that his clothes were threatening to cover his nakedness no longer, he co a sharp thorn for a needle, and bits of tough grass and animal tendons in lieu of thread

The result when coarment which fell nearly to his knees As it was made up of numerous small pelts of different species of rodents, it presented a rather strange and wonderful appearance, which, together with the vile stench which per other than a desirable addition to a wardrobe

But the time came when for the sake of decency he was compelled to don it, and even the misery of their condition could not prevent Jane Porter froht of him

Later, Thuran also found it necessary to construct a sis and heavily bearded faces, they looked not unlike reincarnations of two prehistoric progenitors of the human race Thuran acted like one

Nearly two reat calamity befell the abruptly the sufferings of two of therile, forever

Thuran, doith an attack of jungle fever, lay in the shelter ae Clayton had been into the jungle a few hundred yards in search of food As he returned Jane Porter walked toand crafty, crept an old and y lion For three days his ancient thews and sinews had proved insufficient for the task of providing his cavernous belly with meat

For months he had eaten less and less frequently, and farther and farther had he roamed from his accustomed haunts in search of easier prey At last he had found nature's weakest and most defenseless creature--in a moment more Nu death behind him, strode out into the open toward Jane He had reached her side, a hundred feet froirl saw the tawny head and the wicked yellow eyes as the grasses parted, and the huge beast, nose to ground, stepped softly into view

So frozen with horror was she that she could utter no sound, but the fixed and terrified gaze of her fear-widened eyes spoke as plainly to Clayton as words A quick glance behind him revealed the hopelessness of their situation The lion was scarce thirty paces from them, and they were equally as far from the shelter The ainst a hungry lion, he realized, as a toy pop-gun charged with a tethered cork

Nu since learned the futility of roaring andas he searched for prey, but now that it was as surely his as though already he had felt the soft flesh beneath his still -pent rage in a series of deafening roars that made the air tremble

”Run, Jane!” cried Clayton ”Quick! Run for the shelter!” But her paralyzed id, staring with ghastly countenance at the living death creeping toward them

Thuran, at the sound of that awful roar, had co of the shelter, and as he saw the tableau below hi to them in Russian

”Run! Run!” he cried ”Run, or I shall be left all alone in this horrible place,” and then he broke down and commenced to weep For a moment this new voice distracted the attention of the lion, who halted to cast an inquiring glance in the direction of the tree Clayton could endure the strain no longer Turning his back upon the beast, he buried his head in his arirl looked at hi? If heat that terrible face with his puny stick, no ht be Would Tarzan of the Apes have done thus? Would he not at least have gone down to his death fighting heroically to the last?

Now the lion was crouching for the spring that would end their young lives beneath cruel, rending, yellow fangs Jane Porter sank to her knees in prayer, closing her eyes to shut out the last hideous instant

Thuran, weak froClayton was alht--his knees trembled--a moment more and he would collapse

Jane Porter could endure it no longer She opened her eyes Could she be drea?