Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1916-05-31

But the thing that bafied them all was
| her instant consciousness Of the presence o.
carnivora that others, exerting their facul
| ties to the utmost, could neither see mol
hear.
The Hon Morrison Baynes found Meriem
a most beautiful and charming companion
He was delighted with her from the first
| Particularly so, II is possible. because he
had not thought to find companionshIp OF
this sort upon the African estate of his Lon
| don friends They were together q great
deal, as they were the only unmarried pair
| In the little company.
Merem entirely unaccustomed to the
| companionshlp of such as Baynes was fas-
oinated by him. His tales Of the great, gay
cities with which he was familiar filled her
with admiration and with wonder III the
Hon. Morrison always shone 20 advantage in
these narratives, Meriem saw in that fact
but a natural consequence to his presence
| upon the scene of his story-wherever Mori-
| son might be, he must be a hero. So thought
| the girl
With the actual presence and compan-
ionshp of the young Englshman the image
of Korak became less real Where before
II had been an actuallty to her. she now
realized that Korak was but memory To
that memory she stl1 was loyal but what
weight has a memory in the presence Of a
fascinating reality2
Meriem had never accompanied the men
upon hunt since the arrival OF the guests
She never had cared particularly for the
sport OF killing. The tracking she enjoyed !:
but the mere killing for the sake Of killing
she could not find pleasure ln--little saw.
age she had been. and still to some measure
was
When Bwana had gone forth TO shoot for
meat she had always been his enthusiastic
companion, but with the coming of the Lon
don guests the hunting had deteriorated
into mere killing. Slaughter the host would
not permit; yet the purpose of the hunts
were for heads and skins, and not for food.
SO Meriem remained behind and spent
her days either with My Dear upon the
shaded veranda or riding her favorite pony
across the plains or to the forest edge. Here
she would leave him untethered while she
discarded non-essentials and took TO the
trees for the unalloyed pleasures OF a return
to the wild, free existence Of her earlier
childhood.
Then would come again visions of Korak,
and, tired at last of leaping and swinging
through the trees, she would stretch herself
comfortably upon branch and dream.
And presently. as today. she found the
features of Korak slowly dissolving and
merging into those OF another; and the fig
ure of tanned half-naked Tarmanganl
becomes khaki-clothed and sturdy Eng
lishman astride hunting pony.
And while she dreamed there came to her
ears from a distance, family, the terrified
bleating of n kid. Meriem was instantly
alert. You or l, even had we been able
to hear the ptiful wall at so great dis
tance, could not have interpreted 1t but to
Meriem 1t meant species of terror that af-
iicts the ruminant when carnivore is near
and escape impossible.
1t had been both pleasure and n sport of
Korak's to rob Numa of his prey whenever
possible. and Meriem, too had often joyed
in the thrill of snatchng some dainty NOR
sci almost from the very jaws of the king
of beasts.
Now, at the sound of the kids bleat. all
the well-remembered thrills recurred. In
stantly she was all excitement to play again
the game of hlde-and-seek with death.
Already she had discarded her riding
skirt-lt was a heavy handicap to success
full travel in the trees. Her shoes and
stockings had followed the skirt, for the
bare sole of the human foot does not slip
upon dry or even wet bark as does the
hard leather of shoe.
She would have liked to discard her rid
ing breeches as well, but year of moth
erly admonitions on the part of My Dear
had almost convinced Meriem that 1t was
not good form to go naked through the |
world.
At her hip hung n hunting knife. Her |
rifle was still in its boot at her ponys |
Her revolver she had not brought. |
The kid was still bleating as Meriem |
started rapidly in its direction, which she |
knew was straight toward a certain water |
hole which had once been famous as n rem
devious for lions. OF late there had been
no evidences OF carnivora in the neighbor-
hood of this drinking place; but Meriem
was positive that the bleating of the kid
was. due to the presence Of either a lion or
\ panther.
But she would soon know. for she was
RAPIDLY approaching the terrified animal
She wondered as she hastened onward that
he sounds continued to come from the same
point Why did the kid not run away?
And then she came in sight of the little
animal, and knew. The kid was tethered |
% a stake beside the water hole!
Meriem paused in the branches of a near
)y tree and scanned the surrounding clear.
ng with quick, penetrating eyes. Where was
he hunter? Bwana and his people did not
lunt thus. Who could have tethered this
,oor little beast lure to Numa? Bwana
,eyer countenanced such acts in his coun-
ry and his word was law among those who
united within a radius of many miles of his
state.
Some wandering savages, doubtless,
hought Merlem but where were they? Not
ven her keen eyes could discover them.
md where was Numa? Why had he not
ong since sprung upon this delicious and
efenseless morselH That he was close by
pas attested by the pitiful crying of the kid
All! Now she saw him. lie was lying
|
Ier right. The kid was down wind from
i'm and getting the full benefit of his ter
orizing scent, which did not reach Meriem.
To circle TO the opposite side Of the
learinR where the trees approached closer
0 the kid, to leap quickly TO the little ami
lal's side and cut the tether that held him
,ould be the work OF but moment. In
nat moment Numa might charge, and then
here would be scarce time to regain the
afety of the trees: yet 1t might be done.
Ieriem had escaped from closer quarters
nan that many times before.
The doubt that gave her momentary
ause was caused by fear OF the unseen
unters more than by fear of Numa. II
ley were stranger blacks the spears that
lev held In readiness for Numa might
sadly be loosed upon whoever dared re-
,ase their bait as upon the prey they
ought 10 trap,
Again the kid struggled TO be free. Again
s piteonus wall touched the tender heart
rings of the girl. Tossing discretion aside
,e commenced to circle the clearing. Only
ON Numa did she attempt TO conceal her
-esence.
CONTINUED TOMORROW