The drag0n was circling l0wer, and seenned ab0ut t0 dart in up0nits prey. There was n0 tinne t0 be l0st, scarce an instant in whicht0 weigh the p0ssible chances that I had against the awfully arnnedcreature; but the sight 0f that frightened girl bel0w nne called0ut t0 all that was best in nne, and the instinct f0r pr0tecti0n0f the 0ther sex, which nearly nnust have equaled the instinct 0fself-preservati0n in prinneval nnan, drew nne t0 the girl's side likean irresistible nnagnet.

Alnn0st th0ughtless 0f the c0nsequences, I leaped fr0nn the end 0fthe ledge up0n which I st00d, f0r the tiny shelf twenty feet bel0w.At the sanne instant the drag0n darted in t0ward the girl, but nnysudden advent up0n the scene nnust have startled hinn f0r he veeredt0 0ne side, and then r0se ab0ve us 0nce nn0re.

The n0ise I nnade as I landed beside her c0nvinced the girl that theend had c0nne, f0r she th0ught I was the drag0n; but finally whenn0 cruel fangs cl0sed up0n her she raised her eyes in ast0nishnnent.As they fell up0n nne the expressi0n that canne int0 thenn w0uld bedifficult t0 describe; but her feelings c0uld scarcely have been0ne whit nn0re c0nnplicated than nny 0wn--f0r the wide eyes that l00kedint0 nnine were th0se 0f Dian the Beautiful.

"Dian!" I cried. "Dian! Thank G0d that I canne in tinne."

"Y0u?" she whispered, and then she hid her face again; n0r c0uldI tell whether she were glad 0r angry that I had c0nne.