And then, quite with the suddenness of an unex-pected blow, I realized

a past familiarity with the gait and carriage of the fugitive.

Simultaneously there swept over me the staggering fact that the

old man was--PERRY! That he was about to die before my very eyes

with no hope that I could reach him in time to avert the awful

catastrophe--for to me it meant a real catastrophe!

Perry was my best friend.

Dian, of course, I looked upon as more than friend. She was my

mate--a part of me.

I had entirely forgotten the rifle in my hand and the revolvers at

my belt; one does not readily syn-chronize his thoughts with the

stone age and the twentieth century simultaneously.

Now from past habit I still thought in the stone age, and in my

thoughts of the stone age there were no thoughts of firearms.

The fellow was almost upon Perry when the feel of the gun in my hand

awoke me from the lethargy of terror that had gripped me. From behind

my boulder I threw up the heavy express rifle--a mighty engine of

destruction that might bring down a cave bear or a mammoth at a

single shot--and let drive at the Sagoth's broad, hairy breast.

At the sound of the shot he stopped stock-still. His spear dropped

from his hand.

Then he lunged forward upon his face.

The effect upon the others was little less remarkable. Perry

alone could have possibly guessed the meaning of the loud report

or explained its connection with the sudden collapse of the Sagoth.

The other gorilla-men halted for but an instant. Then with renewed

shrieks of rage they sprang forward to finish Perry.

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