Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1917-11-10

beautiful. She saw that sweetness and
goodness were stamped indclibly upon
her countcnancc. She no longer feared
hcr. and when her brief story had been
narrated and the woman came and put
her arms about her and kissed her and
called her poor little darling" some
thing snapped in Mcricm's heart.
She buried her face on the bosom Of
this new friend in whose voice was
the mother tone that Mcrcm had not
heard for so many years that she had
orgottcn It's very existence. She buried
her face on the kindly BOSOM aud wept
us she had not wcpt before in all her
ifc-tcars of relief and JOY that she
could not fathom
And 50 came Mcricm, the savage lit.
tie Mangnni, out of her beloved Jungle
into the midst of Il home of culture
and refinement Already "Bwana" and
my dear Us she first heard them
called ana continued to call them. were
MS father and mother to her.
Once her savage fears were ullnycd
she went to the opposite extreme of
trustfulness ana love. Now she was
willing to wait here until they found
korak or korak found her. She did
not give up that thought. Kornk. her
korak. always WAS first.
And out in the Jungle. far away.
korak. covered with wounds. stiff
with clothed blood. burning with
rage and sorrow. as soon as sufli.
cicnt strength returned swung back
nf I,n
He did not find them where he had
laSt seen them nor In any OF their
usual haunts. but he sought them along
the we'll marked spoor they had left
behind them. and at last he overlook
them.
. He persuaded them to aid him In
rescuing Meriem and attacking the vii
lage Of Kovudoo, calling to mind how
lie had saved their king. And so they
came. upon the second day, to the vii
laSc or koHudOo. 1t waS midaftcr-
noon. The village was sunk in the
quiet Of the great equatorial sun heat.
The mighty herd Travelled quietly now.
Beneath the thousands Of padded feet
the forest gave forth no greater sound
than might have been produced by the
increased soughing of stronger breeze
through the lcary branches Of the
trees.
Korak was In the lead. Close beside
the village they halted until the strag-
glers had closed up. Now utter silence
reigned.
The king OF the balloons was anxious
I hSp,r,lr
so the band was quickly organized.
horak. creeping stcalth;ly. entered
tho tree that ovcrhung the palisndc.
lie glanced behind him. The pack
was close upon his heels. The time
had come. lie had warned them con-
tinuously during the long march TINT
no harm must bcfall the white woman
ape who lay prisoner within the vii
lagc. All others were their legitimate
prey.
Then, raising his face toward the
sky, he gave voice to II single cry. 1t
was the signal
In response 5000 hairy bulls leaped.
screaming and barking. into the village
of the terrified blacks. Warriors pour-
cd from every hut. Mothers gathered
their babies In their arms and fled to-
ward the gates rs they saw the horril
horde pouring into the village street.
Kovudoo marslalcd his lighting men
about him and. leaping and yelling to
arouse their courage. offered q bris-
thing, spear tipped front 10 the charg-
ing horde.
Korak. as he had led the march, led
the charge. The blacks were struck
with horror and dismay ut the sight of
this white skinned youth Mt the head
OF pack Of hdcous balloons.
For an instant they held their
ground, hurting their spears opce mt
the advancing multitude But before
they could fit arrows to their bows
they wavcrcd. gave and turned In ter.
riiicd rout. Into their ranks. unon
their backs. sinking strong fangs into
the muscles OF their ncrks. sprang the
balloons. and first among Them most
ferociOus. most bloodthrSty. most ter,
riblc. was Korak. the Killer
at the village gates. through which
the blacks poured in panic. Korak left
them to the tender mercies OF his al
lies and turned himself eagerly toward
the hut in which Mcriem had been
prisoner.
1t was empty One after another
the filthy interiors revealed the same
disheartening fact-AIcrem was in
none Of them. That she had not been
taken by the blacks in their flight from
the village Korak knew. for he had
watched carefully for glimpse Of her
among the fugitivcs.
! To the mind Of the ape man. know
Ing rs he did the proclivities OF the
savagcs. there was but single OK
Dlanation-AIcriem had been killed and
eaten With the conviction that Me
riem was dead. there surgcd through
kOrak's brain II wave OF blood red
rage against those he believed to be
her murdcrcrS In tho distance he
could hear the snarlng of the balloons
mixed with the screams of their vic
tins, and toward this he made his