Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1918-01-16
CHAPTER x-continued.
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u
He persuaded them to aid him in
reScuing Meriem and attacking the viii
lage of Kovudoo, calling TO mind how
he had saved their king. And so they
came. upon the second day, TO the vii
iage of Kovudoo. 1t was midafter-
noon. The village was sunk in the
quiet of the great equatorial sun heat.
The mighty herd travelled quietly now.
Beneath yne thousands of padded feet
The forest gave forth no greater sound
than might have been produced by the
increased soughing of Il stronger breeze
through the Ieafy branches of the
trees.
Korak was in the lead. Close beside
the village they halted until the strag-
glers hOd closed up. Now utter silence
reigned.
The king of the balloons was anxious
TO revenge himself upon kovudoo, and
so the band was quickly organized.
Korak, creeping stealthily, entered
the tree that Overhung the palisade.
JHe 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 prisoner within the viii
lage. All others were their legitimate
prey.
Then, raising his face toward the
Sky. he gave voice to single cry. 1t
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 bris-
Ting. spear-tipped front to the charg-
ing horde.
Korak, as he had led the march, led
the charge The blacks were struck
with horror and dismay at the sight of
This white-skinned youth at the head
of pack of hideous balloons.
For an instant they held their
@tOuIds iiAl hLAS AilIAA oPNtAAS phNN "a
the advancing multitude. But before
they could fit arrows to their bows
they wavered gave and turned in ter
rified rout Into their ranks, upon
their backs sinking strong fangs into
the muscles of their necks, spro ng 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 a
prisoner.
II was empty One after another
the filthy j.tc~iors revealed the same
disiivarteT nag fact-Meriem was in
none of the 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 fugitiyes.
To the mind of the ape man, know
ing as he did the proclivities of the
savages. there was but single eX-
planatiOn-Meriem had been killed and
eaten. With the conviction that Me
riem was dead, there surged through
Norak's brain a wave of blOod-red
rage against those he believed to be
her murderers 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 tribesmen and tax
ing account of injuries and losses. His
people were panic-stricken. Nothing
could prevail upon them to remain
longer In this country. They would
not even return TO the village for their
belongings Instead they insisted upon
continuing their fight until they had
put many miles between themselves
and the stamping ground of the white
demon whose bOrdes had so bitterly
attacked them.
And thus it befeu that Korak drove
from their homes the only people who
might have aided him I'm a search for
Meriem and cut off the only connect
Ing link between him and her from
him from the douar of the kindly Bwa-
ma who had befriended his little jungle
sweetheart.
II was a sour and savage Korak who
bid farewell to his baboon allies upon
the following morning. They wished
him TO accompany them. but the ape
man had no heart for society. Jungle
life had encouraged taciturnity in him.
His sorrow had deepened this TO sui
zen morOseness that could not brook
even the savage companionship Of the
fIl-natured balloons.
BroOding and Respondent. he took
his solitary way into the deepest jun
gle. He moved along the ground when
he knew that Numa was abroad and
hungry. He took 10 the same trees
that harbored Sheeta, the panther. He