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1、When the When the World was Young HE was a very quiet， self-possessed sort of man， sitting a moment on top of the wall to sound the damp darkness for warnings of the dangers it might conceal. But the plummet of his hearing brought nothing to him save the moaning of wind through invisible trees and t
2、he rustling of leaves on swaying branches. A heavy fog drifted and drove before the wind， and though he could not see this fog， the wet of it blew upon his face， and the wall on which he sat was wet. Without noise he had climbed to the top of the wall from the outside， and without noise he dropped t
3、o the ground on the inside. From his pocket he drew an electric night-stick， but he did not use it. Dark as the way was， he was not anxious for light. Carrying the night-stick in his hand， his finger on the button ， he advanced through the darkness. The ground was velvety and springy to his feet， be
4、ing carpeted with dead pine-needles and leaves and mold which evidently bad been undisturbed for years. Leaves and branches brushed against his body， but so dark was it that he could not avoid them. Soon he walked with his hand stretched out gropingly before him， and more than once the hand fetched
5、up against the solid trunks of massive trees. All about him he knew were these trees； he sensed the loom of them everywhere； and he experienced a strange feeling of microscopic smallness in the midst of great bulks leaning toward him to crush him. Beyond， he knew， was the house， and he expected to f
6、ind some trail or winding path that would lead easily to it. Once， he found himself trapped. On every side he groped against trees and branches ， or blundered into thickets of underbrush， until there seemed no way out. Then he turned on his light， circumspectly， directing its rays to the ground at h
7、is feet. Slowly and carefully he moved it about him， the white brightness showing in sharp detail all the obstacles to his progress. He saw， an opening between huge-trunked trees， and advanced through it， putting out the light and treading on dry footing as yet protected from the drip of the fog by
8、the dense foliage overhead. His sense of direction was good， and he knew he was going toward the house. And then the thing happened the thing unthinkable and unexpected. His descending foot came down upon something that was soft and alive， and that arose with a snort under the weight of his body. He
9、 sprang clear ， and crouched for another spring ， anywhere ， tense and expectant ， keyed for the onslaught of the unknown. He waited a moment， wondering what manner of animal it was that had arisen from under his foot and that now made no sound nor movement and that must be crouching and waiting jus
10、t as tensely and expectantly as he. The strain became unbearable. Holding the night-stick before him， he pressed the button， saw ， and screamed aloud in terror. He was prepared for anything， from a frightened calf or fawn to a belligerent lion， but he was not prepared for what he saw. In that instan
11、t his tiny searchlight， sharp and white ， had shown him what a thousand years would not en. able him to forget a man， huge and blond， yellow-haired and yellow-bearded， naked except for soft-tanned moccasins and what seemed a goat-skin about his middle. Arms and legs were bare， as were his shoulders
12、and most of his chest. The skin was smooth and hairless， but browned by sun and wind ， while under it heavy muscles were knotted like fat snakes. Still， this alone， unexpected as it well was， was not what had made the man scream out. What had caused his terror was the unspeakable ferocity of the fac
13、e， the wild-animal glare of the blue eyes scarcely dazzled by the light， the pine-needles matted and clinging in the beard and hair， and the whole formidable body crouched and in the act of springing at him. Practically in the instant he saw all this ， and while his scream still rang， the thing leap
14、ed， he flung his night-stick full at it， and threw himself to the ground. He felt its feet and shins strike against his ribs， and he bounded up and away while the thing itself hurled onward in a heavy crashing fall into the underbrush. As the noise of the fall ceased， the man stopped and on hands an
15、d knees waited. He could hear the thing moving about， searching for him， and he was afraid to advertise his location by attempting further flight. He knew that inevitably he would crackle the underbrush and be pursued. Once he drew out his revolver， then changed his mind. He had recovered his compos
16、ure and hoped to get away without noise. Several times he heard the thing beating up the thickets for him， and there were moments when it， too ， remained still and listened. This gave an idea to the man. One of his hands was resting on a chunk of dead wood. Carefully， first feeling about him in the
17、darkness to know that the full swing of his arm was clear ， he raised the chunk of wood and threw it. It was not a large piece， and it went far ， landing noisily in a bush. He heard the thing bound into the bush， and at the same time himself crawled steadily away. And on hands and knees， slowly and
18、cautiously， he crawled on， till his knees were wet on the soggy mold， When he listened he heard naught but the moaning wind and the drip-drip of the fog from the branches. Never abating his caution， he stood erect and went on to the stone wall ， over which he climbed and dropped down to the road out
19、side. Feeling his way in a clump of bushes， he drew out a bicycle and prepared to mount. He was in the act of driving the gear around with his foot for the purpose of getting the opposite pedal in position， when he heard the thud of a heavy body that landed lightly and evidently on its feet. He did
20、not wait for more， but ran， with hands on the handles of his bicycle， until he was able to vault astride the saddle ， catch the pedals ， and start a spurt. Behind he could hear the quick thud-thud of feet on the dust of the road， but he drew away from it and lost it. Unfortunately， he had started aw
21、ay from the direction of town and was heading higher up into the hills. He knew that on this particular road there were no cross roads. The only way back was past that terror， and he could not steel himself to face it. At the end of half an hour ， finding himself on an ever increasing grade ， he dis
22、mounted. For still greater safety， leaving the wheel by the roadside， he climbed through a fence into what he decided was a hillside pasture， spread a newspaper on the ground ， and sat down. “Gosh ！” he said aloud， mopping the sweat and fog from his face. And “Gosh ！” he said once again ， while roll
23、ing a cigarette and as he pondered the problem of getting back. But he made no attempt to go back. He was resolved not to face that road in the dark， and with head bowed on knees， he dozed ， waiting for daylight. How long afterward he did not know， he was awakened by the yapping bark of a young coyo
24、te. As he looked about and located it on the brow of the hill behind him， he noted the change that had come over the face of the night. The fog was gone； the stars and moon were out ； even the wind had died down. It had transformed into a balmy California summer night. He tried to doze again， but th
25、e yap of the coyote disturbed him. Half asleep， he heard a wild and eery chant. Looking about him， he noticed that the coyote had ceased its noise and was running away along the crest of the hill， and behind it， in full pursuit， no longer chanting， ran the naked creature he had encountered in the ga
26、rden. It was a young coyote， and it was being overtaken when the chase passed from view. The man trembled as with a chill as he started to his feet， clambered over the fence， and mounted his wheel. But it was his chance and he knew it. The terror was no longer between him and Mill Valley. He sped at
27、 a breakneck rate down the hill， but in the turn at the bottom， in the deep shadows， he encountered a chuck-hole and pitched headlong over the handle bar. “Its sure not my night，” he muttered ， as he examined the broken fork of the machine Shouldering the useless wheel， he trudged on. In time he cam
28、e to the stone wall ， and ， half disbelieving his experience， he sought in the road for tracks， and found them moccasin tracks， large ones， deep-bitten into the dust at the toes. It was while bending over them， examining， that again he heard the eery chant. He had seen the thing pursue the coyote， a
29、nd he knew he had no chance on a straight run. He did not attempt it ， contenting himself with hiding in the shadows on the off side of the road. And again he saw the thing that was like a naked man， running swiftly and lightly and singing as it ran. Opposite him it paused， and his heart stood still
30、. But instead of coming toward his hiding-place， it leaped into the air， caught the branch of a roadside tree， and swung swiftly upward， from limb to limb， like an ape. It swung across the wall， and a dozen feet above the top， into the branches of another tree， and dropped out of sight to the ground
31、. The man waited a few wondering minutes， then started on. II Dave Slotter leaned belligerently against the desk that barred the way to the private office of James Ward， senior partner of the firm of Ward， Knowles & Co. Dave was angry. Every one in the outer office had looked him over suspiciously，
32、and the man who faced him was excessively suspicious. “You just tell Mr. Ward its important，” he urged. “I tell you he is dictating and cannot be disturbed ，” was the answer. “Come to- morrow.” “To-morrow will be too late. You just trot along and tell Mr. Ward its a matter of life and death.” The se
33、cretary hesitated and Dave seized the advantage. “You just tell him I was across the bay in Mill Valley last night ， and that I want to put him wise to something.” “What name ？” was the query. “Never mind the name. He dont know me.” When Dave was shown into the private office， he was still in the be
34、lligerent frame of mind， but when he saw a large fair man whirl in a revolving chair from dictating to a stenographer to face him， Daves demeanor abruptly changed. He did not know why it changed， and he was secretly angry with himself. “You are Mr. Ward ？” Dave asked with a fatuousness that still fu
35、rther irritated him. He had never intended it at all. “Yes，” came the answer. “And who are you ？” “Harry Bancroft ，” Dave lied. “You dont know me ， and my name dont matter. ” “You sent in word that you were in Mill Valley last night？” “You live there ， dont you？” Dave countered ， looking suspiciousl
36、y at the stenographer. “Yes. What do you mean to see me about？I am very busy.” “Id like to see you alone，sir.” Mr. Ward gave him a quick， penetrating look， hesitated， then made up his mind. “That will do for a few minutes， Miss Potter.” The girl arose， gathered her notes together， and passed out. Da
37、ve looked at Mr. James Ward wonderingly， until that gentleman broke his train of inchoate thought. “Well？” “I was over in Mill Valley last night，” Dave began confusedly. “Ive heard that before. What do you want？” And Dave proceeded in the face of a growing conviction that was unbelievable. “I was at
38、 your house， or in the grounds， I mean. ” “What were you doing there？” “I came to break in，” Dave answered in all frankness. “I heard you lived all alone with a Chinaman for cook， and it looked good to me. Only I didnt break in. Something happened that prevented. Thats why Im here. I come to warn yo
39、u. I found a wild man loose in your grounds a regular devil. He could pull a guy like me to pieces. He gave me the run of my life. He dont wear any clothes to speak of， he climbs trees like a monkey， and he runs like a deer. I saw him chasing a coyote， and the last I saw of it， by God ， he was gaini
40、ng on it.” Dave paused and looked for the effect that would follow his words. But no effect came. James Ward was quietly curious， and that was all. “Very remarkable ， very remarkable，” he murmured. “A wild man ， you say. Why have you come to tell me？” “To warn you of your danger. Im something of a h
41、ard proposition myself， but I dont believe in killing people . . . that is， unnecessarily. I realized that you was in danger. I thought Id warn you. Honest， thats the game. Of course ， if you wanted to give me anything for my trouble， Id take it. That was in my mind， too. But I dont care whether you
42、 give me anything or not. Ive warned you any way ， and done my duty.” Mr. Ward meditated and drummed on the surface of his desk. Dave noticed they were large， powerful hands， withal well-cared for despite their dark sunburn. Also ， he noted what had already caught his eye before a tiny strip of fles
43、h-colored courtplaster on the forehead over one eve. And still the thought that forced itself into his mind was unbelievable. Mr. Ward took a wallet from his inside coat pocket， drew out a greenback， and passed it to Dave， who noted as he pocketed it that it was for twenty dollars. “Thank you，” said
44、 Mr. Ward， indicating that the interview was at an end. “I shall have the matter investigated. A wild man running loose IS dangerous. ” But so quiet a man was Mr. Ward， that Daves courage returned. Besides， a new theory had suggested itself. The wild man was evidently Mr. Wards brother， a lunatic pr
45、ivately confined. Dave had heard of such things. Perhaps Mr. Ward wanted it kept quiet. That was why he had given him the twenty dollars. “Say，” Dave began，“now I come to think of it that wild man looked a lot like you” That was as far as Dave got ， for at that moment he witnessed a transformation a
46、nd found himself gazing into the same unspeakably ferocious blue eyes of the night before ， at the same clutching talon-like hands， and at the same formidable bulk in the act of springing upon him. But this time Dave had no night-stick to throw， and he was caught by the biceps of both arms in a grip
47、 so terrific that it made him groan with pain. He saw the large white teeth exposed， for all the world as a dogs about to bite. Mr. Wards beard brushed his face as the teeth went in for the grip on his throat. But the bite was not given. Instead ， Dave felt the others body stiffen as with an iron re
48、straint， and then he was flung aside， without effort but with such force that only the wall stopped his momentum and dropped him gasping to the floor. “What do you mean by coming here and trying to blackmail me？” Mr. Ward was snarling at him. “Here，give me back that money.” Dave passed the bill back
49、 without a word. “I thought you came here with good intentions. I know you now. Let me see and hear no more of you， or Ill put you in prison where you belong. Do you understand ？” “Yes， sir，” Dave gasped. “Then go. ” And Dave went， without further word， both his biceps aching intolerably from the bruise of that tremendous grip. As his hand rested on the door knob， he was stopped. “You were lucky ，” Mr. Ward was saying， and Dave noted that his face and eyes were cruel and gloating and proud. “You were lucky. Had I wanted， I could have torn your muscles ou