nd the wild existence for which nature had
intended them, and once free, had evidently bred prolifically, in
marked contrast to the captive exotics of twentieth century
Pan-America, which had gradually become fewer until extinction occurred
some time during the twenty-first century.

The palace, if such it was, lay not far from the banks of the Thames.
The room in which we were imprisoned overlooked the river, and I
determined to attempt to escape in this direction.

To descend through the palace was out of the question, but outside we
could discover no lions. The stems of the ivy which clambered upward
past the window of the room were as large around as my arm. I knew
that they would support our weight, and as we could gain nothing by
remaining longer in the palace, I decided to descend by way of the ivy
and follow along down the river in the direction of the launch.

Naturally I was much handicapped by the presence of the girl. But I
could not abandon her, though I had no idea what I should do with her
after rejoining my companions. That she would prove a burden and an
embarrassment I was certain, but she had made it equally plain to me
that she would never return to her people to mate with Buckingham.

I owed my life to her, and, all other considerations aside, that was
sufficient demand upon my gratitude and my honor to necessitate my
suffering every inconvenience in her service. Too, she was queen of
England. But, by far the most potent argument in her favor, she was a
woman in distress--and a young and very beautiful one.

And so, though I wished a thousand times that she was back in her camp,
I never let her guess it, but did all that lay within my power to serve
and protect her. I thank God now that I did so.

With the lions still padding back and forth beyond the closed door,
Victory and I crossed the room to one of the windows. I had outlined
my plan to her, and she had assured me that she could descend the ivy
without assistance. In fact, she smiled a trifle at my question.

Swinging myself outward, I began the descent, and had come to within a
few feet of the ground, being just opposite a narrow window, when I was
startled by a savage growl almost in my ear, and then a great taloned
paw darted from the aperture to seize me, and I saw the snarling face
of a lion within the embrasure.

Releasing my hold upon the ivy, I dropped the remaining distance to the
ground, saved from laceration only be