The Man-Eater by Edgar Rice Burroughs

Author:Edgar Rice Burroughs [Burroughs, Edgar Rice]
Format: epub, mobi
Tags: Adventure, Fiction, Science Fiction & Fantasy, Action & Adventure
ISBN: 9781440437847
Publisher: On Demand Publishing
Published: 2000-08-12T16:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER VI

AS Virginia turned to struggle with her captors she saw that they were Taylor's two accomplices, and now Taylor, released from the menace of the revolver, rushed from the hut to the 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 she-thing, and as her first human ancestor might have done, had fought with tooth and nails against her assailants. Kelley, too, had felt her strong, white teeth sink into his flesh and Gootch bore a long scratch from temple to chin.

"The -- --," exclaimed the latter. "We'd orter of croaked her in the first place."

Taylor was eyeing the girl through narrowed lids. All the beast that was in him shone from his evil eyes. He turned and whispered quickly to Kelley and Gootch.

"Are we in on it?" asked the former.

Taylor nodded. "I don't care," he said.

"And then we give her the k. o. and put her away behin' the hut," supplemented Gootch. "The groun' 's soft an' the diggin'll be easy."

"I told you that's wot you'd orter of done in the first place," grumbled Kelley. "It'll leave you the only heir an' there won't be nobody to squeal about Gordon w'en he don't show up no more."

"Go to it," growled Taylor; "there can't be any cat bite me up without paying for it."

The two crooks advanced toward the girl and seized 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 palisade the black maned prowler sniffed and listened. Now a little, vagrant breeze eddied through the stagnant night. It swirled across the village compound, and it bore upon its wings to the nostrils of the carnivora the fresh scent of the white men. With a low growl the great beast crouched and sprang. Lightly as a feather he topped the palisade 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 rolling in the moonlight beneath his smooth hide, the destroyer crossed to the nearest hut and sniffed at the chinks in the thatched wall. Then he moved to another and another, searching for the prey he wanted. And all unconscious of this grisly presence the blacks within slept on in blissful ignorance of the hideous menace roaming at will through their village.

In the white man's hut the three brutes struggled with the battling 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.

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