The Morgan County press. (Wartburg, Tenn.) 1916-1926, 1918-02-15
CHAPTER X-Continued.
p

He persuaded them to aid him 10
rescuing Meriem and attacking the VII
lage of Kovudoo, calling to mind now
he had saved their king. And SO they
came. upon the second day, to the VII
lope of Koyudoo. 1t was mlda1ter-
noon. The village was sunk In the
nuiet of the great equatorial sun neat
The mighty herd Travelled quietly now.
Reneath the thousands Of padded feet
the forest gave forth no greater souno
than might have been produced by the
increased soughing Of stronger preeze
through the leafy branches OF inc
trees.
Korak was in the lead. Close beside
the yfllnge they halted until the strag-
glers had closed up. Now utter silence
reigned.
The king of the balloons was anxious
to revenge himself upon Kovudoo' ana
SO the band was quickly organized. 7.
Korak. creeping stealthily. entered
the tree that overhung the palisade.
He glanced behind him. Inc pacA
was close upon his heels. Inc tlme
had come. He had warned them con-
+;nuously during the long march tnat
M harm must befall the white woman
npe who lay prisoner within the VII
laqe. All others were their legitimate
prey.
Then. raising his face toward the
skv he gave voice to single cry. IL
was the signal.
Tn 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 ana heo TO-
ward the gates as they saw the norrlu
horde mourning into the village street.
Kovudoo marshaled his fighting men
about him and, leaping and yelling TO
arouse their courage, offered DIS
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 or
this vhite-skinned youth at the head
Of q pack of hideous balloons.
For an instant they held their
ground, hurting their spears once at
the advancing multitude. But before
they could fit arrows to their bows
they wavered, gave and turned In ter
rif1ed rout. Into their ranks, upon
their backs. sinking strong fangs into
tbe 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 a
prisoner.
If 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
savages, there was but q single ex-
planation-Meriem had been killed and
eaten. With the conviction that Me-
rem was dead, there surged through
Korak's brain a wave Of blood-red
rage against those he believed to be
her murderers. In the distance he
eouId 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
erins his scattered tribesmen and tax
ing account Of injuries and losses. His
neople were panic-stTicken. Nothing
could prevail upon them to remain
Ionger ia this country. They would
not even return 10 tie village for their