Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1918-02-06

ner mead as she called the words TO
him across the little distance which
separated them-throwing back her
head and revealing her face for the
first time tc the eyes of the Killer in
the tree above.
KOrak started as though pierced
through the heart with an arrow. He
trembled and shook like a leaf He
closed his eyes. pressing his palms
across them. and then he opened them
again and looked.
But the girl was gone. Only the
waving foliage of the jungle's rim
marked where she had disappeared.
Ii was impossible. 1t could not be
true! And yet with his own eyes he
had seen his Meriem-Older a little.
with figure more rounded by nearer
maturity, and subtly changed in other
ways; more beautiful than ever, yet
still his little Meriem. Yes, he had
seen the dead alive again he had seen
his Meriem in the flesh. She lived
She had not died
He had seen her--he had seen his
Meriem-in the arms of another mani
And that man sat below him now with
in easy reach.
Korak the Killer fondled his heavy
spear. He played with the grass rope
dangling from his gee string. He
stroked the hunting knife at his hip.
And the man beneath him called to his
drowsy guide, bent the rein to his
pony's neck and moved of toward the
north.
Still sat Korak the Killer alone
among the trees. Now his hands hung
idly at his sides. His weapons and
what he had intended were forgotten
for the moment. Korak was thinking.
He had noted that subtle change in
Meriem. When last he had seen her
she had been his little, half-naked
Mangani-wild, savage and uncOuth.
She had not seemed uncouth to him
then. But now, in the change that had
come over her, he knew that such she
had been, yet no more uncouth than
he, and he was still uncouth.
In her had taken place the change.
In her he had just seen sweet and
J lovely flower of refinement and civiliza-
ton. and he shuddered as he recalled
! the fate that he himself had planned
! for her-to be the mate of an ape man,
his mate. in the savage jungle.
His Meriem loved anotherl For a
long time he let that awful truth sink
! deep, and from it he tried to reason
out his future plan of action. In his
heart was a great desire to follow the
man and Stay him. but there rose in his
, consciousness the thought ''she loves
! him."
Could he STAY the creature Meriem
loved? Sadly he shook his head. No,
he could not
Then came partial decision to fol-
| low Meriem and speak with her. He
half started and then was ashamed.
He, the son of a British peer, had thus
thrown away his life, had thus degrad-
| ed himself to the level of a beast so
| that he was ashamed to go to the wo-
r9an he loved and lay his love at her
feet. He was ashamed to go to the
| little Arab maid who had been his jun
gle playmate. For what had he to Of
| fer her?
For years circumstances had pre-
! vented u return to his father and moth
| er, and at last pride had stepped in
| and expunged from his mind the last
vestige of any intention to return. In
! spirit of boyish adventure he had
cast his lot with the jungle ape. The
| killing of the crook in the coast inn
! had filed his childish mind with terror
of the law and driven him deeper into
| the wilds. The rebuffs that he had met
with at the hands of men. both black
and white had had their effect upon
his mind while it was yet In the forma-
tive state and easily influenced.
Meriem was not for him-not for the
! savage ape. No, shs was not for him,
| but he still was hers. If he could not
| have her and happiness. he would at
! least do all that lay in his power to
assure happiness to her. He would fol-
| low the young Englishman. In the first
| place, he would know that he meant
| Meriem no harm and after that, though
| jealousy wrenched his heart. he would
/ watch over the man Meriem loved for
! Meriem's sake.
And so 1t came that a few minutes
! after the Hon. Morrison Baynes entered
! the camp to be greeted by Hanson,
| Korak slipped nolselessly into a near
by tree. There he lay until late after
noon, and still the young Englishman
made no move to leave camp. Korak
wondered If Meriem were coming there.
| A little later Hanson and one of his
black boys rode out of camp. Korak
merely noted the fact. He was not
| particularly interested In the doings of
any other member of the company than
! the young EngIishman.
CHAPTER XIV