The Rajah's Fortress — page 189: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

178 THE RAJAH’S FORTRESS. “You'll see in a minute now. We'll stay up here and watch the whole circus. There’s no danger at all,” and half rising he tossed the meat, piece by piece, far out toward the cages. The sound it made in falling, slight though it was, attracted the dacoits, and two dusky forms moved along the side of the house and out into the open court. They discovered one of the hunks of meat and bent over it in curiosity. “Now,” exclaimed Mike, in a low dramatic whisper, “the time has come.” He took the cords from Forbes, and singling one out, handed the rest back. ‘‘ Now watch,” he said, and he gave the cord a strong, steady pull. A faint creaking sound. That was all. The two dacoits heard it and raised their heads. Then came a low, snarling growl, and the watch- ers on the roof waited in breathless suspense. A long drawn wailing cry floated out on the night air, chilling their blood, and then like a catapult a dark mass bounded into the air, and with another hor- rible yell plumped right down upon the two startled dacoits. Tt was the Black Panther of Java. Human cries of agony mingled for a moment with the snarls of the beast, and as McGore had anticipated, the foe made a general rush toward the center of the courtyard; but brave as they were they did not dare venture near the scene of COLUM 1OOO SS co