The Morgan City daily review. (Morgan City, La.) 1916-1920, 1917-11-15

the forest gave forth no greater sound
than might have been produced by the
increased soughing of stronger breeze
through the leafy 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
10 revenge himself upon Kovudoo, and
SO the band was quickly organized.
Korak. creeping stealthily. entered
the tree that overhung the palisade.
He glanced behind him. The pack
was close upon his heels. The time
had come. He had warned them con-
tinuOusly during the long march that
no harm must befall the white woman
ape who lay a prisoner within the vii
lage. All others were their legitimate
prey.
Then, raising his face toward the
sky, he gave voice to a single cry. It
was the signal.
In response 5000 hairy bulls leaped
screaming and barking into the village
Of the terrified blacks. Warriors pour
ed from every hut. Mothers gathered
their babies in their arms and fed to-
ward the gates as they saw the horrid
horde pouring into the village street.
Kovudoo marshaled his fighting men
about him and, leaping and yelling to
arouse their courage, offered Il bris-
Ting, spear-tipped front to the caarg
ing horde.
Korak, as he had led the march, led
the charge. The blacks were strucl
with horror and disnay ut the sight OF
this whte-skinned youth at the head
OF pack of hideous balloons.
For an instant they held their
ground, hurting their spears once at
the advancing multitude. But before
they could lit arrows to their bows
they wavered, gave and turned in ter
ritied rOut. Into their ranks. upon
their backs, sinking strong fangs into
the muscles of their necks, sprang the
balloons, and first among them, most
ferocious, most bloodthirsty, most ter
rible, 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 Meriem had been q |
prisoner.
1t was empty. One after another !
the filthy interiors revealed the same
disheartening fact-Meriem 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 fugitives.
To the mind Of the ape man, know
ing as he did the proclivities of the
there was but a single ex-
Standardization had been killed and
eaten. With the conviction that Me-
REM was dead, there surged through
kOrak's brain q wave Of blo0d-red
rage against those he believed to b.
her p2urderers. In the distance he
could hear the snarling of the balloons
mixed with the screams of their VIC
tins, and toward this he made his
way.
In the distance Kovudoo was gath
ering his scattered tribesmsn and TAX
ng account Of injuries and losses. His
people were panic-stricken. Nothing
could prevail upon them to remain
Onger in this country. They would
lot even return to the village for their
Instead they insisted upon
continuing their flight until they had
ut many miles between themselves
md the stamping ground of the white
lemon whose hordeS had so bitterly
Ittacked them.
And thus it befell that KGrak drove
rom their homes the only people who
night have aided hiIl in a search for
Ieriem and cut Off the only connect
ng link between him and her FROM
might come in search Of
i'm from the dOuar Of the kindly Bwa-
a who had befriended his little Jungle
It was sour and savage Korak who
i'd farewell to his babOon allies upon
he following morning. They wished
i'm to accompany them. but the ape
IAN had no heart for society. Jungle
fe had encouraged taciturnity In him.
Iit sorrow had deepened this to q sui
u moroseness that could not brook
ven the savage companionship Of th
|l-natured balloons.
Brooding and respondent, he tool
way into the deepest jun
lie. He moved along the ground whea
e knew that Numa was abroad and
ungry. He took to the same trees
hat harbored Sheeta, the panther. He
ourted death in hundred ways and
hundred forms. His mind was ever
coupled with "reminiscences of Meri.
% and the happy years that they had =
pent together.
He realized now to the full what she G
ad meant to him. The sweet face,
he tanned, supple little body, the
right smile that always had welcomed