Queen Edna of the Panthers

This issue of the August 1, 1897 publication features "Cyclone Saul's Search" by Wm. R. Eyster. The story opens when Saul Sanders, a young treasure hunter, encounters Tom Calvert on the desert plain accompanied by four tame panthers. The men agree to become partners—Calvert seeks a woman he loves who has traveled into dangerous territory with an old guide called Planthunter; Sanders hunts hidden treasure. The panthers lead them through a mysterious rocky passage for a day and night. As the men grow inexplicably compelled to follow despite their exhaustion, they eventually reach a natural stone arch where they collapse into sleep. Upon waking, a beautiful young woman in white emerges mysteriously from the recess, pointing at Calvert without speaking. The narrative suggests supernatural elements and suggests Queen Edna, of the Panthers, controls the beasts and the men's destinies.