Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1916-05-26
CHAPTER XIV
Tho Swedes Take a Hand

n 6ERIEM, again bound and under heavy
lNl guard in Kovudoo's own hut saw the
night pass and the new day come WITH
out bringing the momentarily looked-tor
return of Korak She had no DOUBT pu'
that he would come back, and still less
that he would easily free her from her
captivity.
To her Korak was little short of ON
ninotent He embodied for her all that
was finest and strongest and best in her
savage world. She gloried In his prowess
and worshiped him for the tender thought-
fulness that had always marked his treat
nent of her None other within her mem
orv had ever accorded her the love and
pentleness that was his daily Offering to
her. .,.
II he growled and showed his hghting
fanrs when they trespassed upon his IN
aIienable rights to the fruits of his kills
they felt no anger to him-only greater
rosnect for the efficient and the ht-for
him who could not only kill, but could
also protect his XIII. ..
Put toward Meriem he always had SHOWN
e. re of his human, side He killed prl-
narly, for her II was to her feet he
brought the fruits of his labors. II was
for Meriem more than for hlmseI that
he suuatted beside his flesh and growled
ominously at whosoever dared snin TOO
closely at II.
what wonder. then, that Meriem loved
her Korak? But she loved him as little
sister might love a big brother who was
very good to her.
As vet she knew nothing of the love
of a maid for man.
CO now as she lay waiting for him
she dreamed of him and of all that he
meant to her. She compared him with
the sheik. her father and at the thought
az the stern grizzled old Arab she shud-
dered Even the savage blacks mad peen
less harsh to her than he.
ndinR their tongue, she could
NOT guess what purpose they had in keep
ing her a prisoner, She knew that man
ate man. and she had expected to be
eaten: but she had been with them for
some time now. and no harm mad be-
fallen her.
she did not know that runner had
boen dispatchad to the distant village OF
the sheik to barter with him for ransom
She did not know, nor did koVudoo' that
the runner had never reached his destina-
tion-that he had fallen in with the safar
OF Jenssen and Afalhihn, and, with the
tallxativenrss of a native to other natives
had unfolded his whole mission to the
black servants of the two Swedes. These
had not been long In retailing the mat
Ter 10 their masters. and the result was
that when the runner left their camp
10 continue his Journey, he had scarce
ma ssed from sight before there came the
report of rife, and he rolled, lifeless, into
the underbrush with a bullet-hole In his
back
A few minutes later Malbihn strolled
hack into the encampment. where he went
10 some pains to let 1t be known that
he had had a shot at fne buck and
missed The Swedes knew that their men
hated them. and that an overt act against
Kovudoo would quickly be carried to the
chief at the first opportunity, Nor were
they sufficiently strong in either guns or
loyal followers TO risk antagonizing the
willy old chief,
Following this came the encounter with
the baboons and the strange white savage
who had allied himself with the beasts
against the humans
CONTINUED TOMORROW