And there the famous inventor lay with the panther’s form upon him, with the hot blood surging over him in a stream. Barney closed the throttle, applied the brakes, and brought the Steam Man to a halt. Then the two faithful servitors rushed out of the cage and to Frank’s side. But the young inventor was unhurt, and scrambled quickly to his feet as soon as the panther’s body was pulled off from him. ‪“Whurroo!” yelled Barney, in delight and triumph. “We’ve saved yez, Misther Frank, an’ if we hadn’t yez would shurely ’av’ been kilt entoirely.” ‪“Yes, I think I should,” agreed Frank. ‪“And I owe my life to you both. I shall not forget it.” The puma was the largest of his kind that our adventurers had ever seen. It was at the time of year that his skin was worthless, being mangy, so that it was not preserved. Frank was quite overcome with his experience, and went on board the wagon to rest. As darkness was at hand, it was decided to make no further exploration of the forest until morning. Frank was more than ever convinced, however, that there were ruins in the forest. ‪“To-morrow we will cut our way through,” he declared, ‪“and I will satisfy you, my friends, that I am right.” “A’right, Marse Frank,” agreed Pomp. “We’se open to conviction jus’ de same.” “Bejabers, that’s right!” put in Barney. It was seldom deemed safe to sleep outside the wagon. So beds were made comfortably enough on the seats which ran along the sides. Here our adventurers could sleep quite soundly. Barney and Pomp were soon in the land of dreams. But Frank Reade, Jr., could not successfully woo the gentle goddess. Suddenly, as he lay there in a reverie, a sudden curious manifestation caused him to start up. A ray of something, a trifle brighter than the moonlight, glinted its radiance athwart the wire netting. For an instant Frank was puzzled. He rose to a sitting posture and glanced out upon the level plain. All was plain in the moonlight out there. But no sign of life was to be seen. Then Frank turned his gaze toward the forest, and there he caught the vivid glimmer of a light. Certainly it was not moonlight glinting on any bright substance, but such a vivid radiance as could only be made by firelight. Either a torch or lantern it was, and its motion and changing of base suggested that it was carried by human hands. Frank was deeply interested. ‪“I knew it!” he muttered. “I’ll wager my life that there is a building in that forest, but I did not dream that it was inhabited.” He watched the light intently. It moved back and forward, and was of such size as to dispel the theory of the will-o’-the-wisp or ignis fatuus. Once from the distance Frank fancied he heard a distant outcry. But this he could not place reliance upon, as it might have been made by some wild beast. But of one thing he was satisfied. There was certainly human life and habitation in the forest. On the morrow he would learn what it meant.