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As for me, the strangest sensation that I have ever experienced claimed me for an

instant. A peculiar, tingling thrill ran through my veins, and my head swam. I

could not account for it.

Naturally, being a naval officer and consequently in the best society of the

federation, I have seen much of women. With others, I have laughed at the

assertions of the savants that modern man is a cold and passionless creation in

comparison with the males of former ages--in a word, that love, as the one grand

passion, had ceased to exist.

I do not know, now, but that they were more nearly right than we have guessed,

at least in so far as modern civilized woman is concerned. I have kissed many

women--young and beautiful and middle aged and old, and many that I had no

business kissing--but never before had I experienced that remarkable and

altogether delightful thrill that followed the accidental brushing of my lips against

the lips of Victory.

The occurrence interested me, and I was tempted to experiment further. But

when I would have essayed it another new and entirely unaccountable force

restrained me. For the first time in my life I felt embarrassment in the presence

of a woman.

What further might have developed I cannot say, for at that moment a perfect

she-devil of a lioness, with keener eyes than her lord and master, discovered us.

She came trotting toward our place of concealment, growling and baring her

yellow fangs.

I waited for an instant, hoping that I might be mistaken, and that she would turn

off in some other direction. But no--she increased her trot to a gallop, and then I

fired at her, but the bullet, though it struck her full in the breast, didn't stop her.

Screaming with pain and rage, the creature fairly flew toward us. Behind her

came other lions. Our case looked hopeless. We were upon the brink of the river.

There seemed no avenue of escape, and I knew that even my modern automatic

rifle was inadequate in the face of so many of these fierce beasts.

To remain where we were would have been suicidal. We were both standing now,

Victory keeping her place bravely at my side, when I reached the only decision

open to me.

Seizing the girl's hand, I turned, just as the lioness crashed into the opposite side

of the bushes, and, dragging Victory after me, leaped over the edge of the bank

into the river.

The Lost Continent