Story of the Phantom by Lee Falk

tall women, though an occasional small beauty had found her way to the Skull Cave. There had even been one small Phantom-small that is, by comparison. That Phantom, the Thirteenth, had been of average height, but as stocky and powerful as a bull. To compensate for his size, he had wed a woman a head taller than himself, and he was known affectionately to his descendants as "The Runt." For the most part, they were big men like Kit's father.

    Whose costume had this one been? It was smaller than the Runt's-Kit had seen that one-and was shaped differently. It was narrowed in some places, wider in others. He asked his father about it. He laughed.

    "That belonged to my great great Aunt. She would be your great great great Aunt," he said to Kit.

    Kit's mother, carrying a basket of laundry, paused at the entrance.

    "Your family tree makes me dizzy," she said.

    "Want to know something? It makes me dizzy, too," said his father.

    "This costume?" asked Kit impatiently. "Did she wear it?" His father nodded. "A female Phantom? Is that possible?" asked his mother.

    "For a short time, she was the Phantom ... an unusual case," said the Twentieth.

    "Tell me about it," said Kit excitedly.

    "Wait until I hang up the wash, in the sun. I want to hear this," said his mother, hurrying off.
    When his mother returned, they moved to the chamber of Chronicles. His father took a volume from the shelf and glanced through it. "Just to refresh my memory," he said, and began the tale.

    THE FEMALE PHANTOM

    The Seventeenth Phantom (great grandfather to Kit's father), was born with a twin sister. The brother and sister grew up in the Deep Woods and their life there was much the same as Kit's. From generation to generation, there was little change here. Brother and sister learned to ride and swim and hunt together. They learned the lore and ways of the jungle, and, at the age of twelve, were sent together to Rome for their education. During their years in the Eternal City, the remarkable pair amazed the patrician Romans; the boy with his physical skills, the girl, Julie, with her beauty.
    The time came when the brother, grown to manhood, was called back to take his place on the Skull Throne. Julie, turning down marriage offers from four counts, three dukes, and a prince of the royal family, returned with the brother. This was a surprise to him. He thought she should stay and make a life in the civilized world. But she found the people and life on the Continent effete and dissolute and longed for the jungle. So they returned to the Skull Cave and he assumed the place and duties of their late father who had died violently: the usual lot of the man who wore the Skull Ring.
    After a few months of this, Julie began to wonder if she had made a mistake. She loved the Deep Woods, but she was lonely now, since her twin brother was frequently away on his missions. He had a few violent scrapes but thus far had returned unhurt. But while he was at home, they would ride and hunt and swim together, Julie in her sarong, her brother now in the garb of the Phantom.
    One night, there was a hurried call for help to the Skull Throne. Bandits had stopped a rich caravan 38

    at the edge of the jungle, robbing, and killing. The Jungle Patrol had reached the scene too late and followed the tracks of the bandits to a lake. The bandits had taken a large houseboat by force and were anchored in the crocodile-infested waters. They had taken a hostage with them, a young missionary traveling with the caravan, and threatened to kill him if the patrol tried to attack them.
    The new Seventeenth Phantom-Julie's twin, in his role as commander of the patrol-sent word for them to withdraw. Then he went out to rescue the missionary himself. But not alone. Julie made up her mind to go along. The bandits were a cruel and dangerous lot. The odds were heavy, but she could shoot as well as her brother, so she insisted on going along to help. Time was short, too short to argue with a determined