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Terror, violence, slaughter and insecurity--these all had greeted the colonists; and now, in addition, they found the patriarch was dead Above all, they were virtually prisoners in this gloomy cavern of the rock

But Stern was very wise He by noHis only course was to ht of trials and hardships, and, if need were, to command

He arose, carefully stopped up the chinks around the rock at the doorway, and bade Zangamon replenish the fire with dry sticks Then, Bre, they prepared food

Now Beatrice, too, awoke Allan took her in his arms, unmindful of the newcomers, and there ords of love and joy, and self-reproaches, and a new faith plighted between theain

She was unharmed, except for a few bruises and scratches Her nerves had already recovered soht of Allan's bandaged arni she turned pale, and not even his assurances could comfort her

They talked of the terrible adventure

"It was all my fault, Allan--every bit my fault!" she exclai orders You see, I was expecting you last night Instead of staying in the cave, with the door barricaded, I lingered on the terrace, after having piled the signal-fire high ood

"I sat down and watched the sky, and listened to the river down below, and thought of you I must have dozed a little, for all of a sudden I ca with a terror I couldn't understand Then I heard sorunted and snuffled savagely

"I started up, ran for the cave, and just got inside when the brute reached it I rolled the stone in place, Allan, but before I could brace it with the pole it was hurled back, and in crawled the gorilla, roaring and snapping like a de at the terrible ain: "I snatched up the pistol and fired Then--"

"You hit him?"

"I must have, for he screeched most horribly and pawed at his breast--"

"So, then, that explains the blood-reat hand-print on the wall?"

"Hand-print? Was there one?"

"Yes; but no hastly! He seized e, hairy chest; he gripped me like iron My bloere no ain, but he wrenched the pistol away, and bent it in his huge teeth and flung it down But, though he was raging, he didn't woundHe seemed to want to capture me alive--"