The Prince George's enquirer and southern Maryland advertiser. (Upper Marlborough, Md.) 1882-1925, 1918-01-11


stantly he recovered his poise and
turned to Kovudoo.
"Well?" he said to the old chief.
''Is she not both young and good
looking?" asked Kovudoo.
"She is not DID," replied Malbihn.
"But, even so, she will be a burden.
We did not come from the north after
there for u.s."
Meriem stood looking straight at the
white men. She expected nothing from
them-they were to her as much ene-
mics as the black men. She hated and
feared them all. Malbihn spoke to her
In Arabic.
1--WE are friends" he said. would
you like to have US take you away
from here?"
:. Slowly and dimly, as though from a
great distance, recollection Of the once
familiar tongue returned to her.
'I should like togo free, ">she said,
.and go back to Korak." -:
aYou would like. to go with us?"
persisted, Malbihn.
NO" said Meriem. :;
Malbihn turned to Kovudoo. "She
does not wish to go with us" he said.
"You are men," returned the black.
"Can you not take her by force?"
1T, would only add to our troubles"
replied the Swede. no. Kovudoo, we
do not.wish herr though, II you wish
to be rid of her, we will take her away
because of our friendship for you"
Now, Kovudoo knew that he had
made a sale. They wanted her. So he
commenced to bargain, and in the end
the person of Meriem passed from the
possession of the black chieftain into
that of the two Swedes In considera-
ton of six yards. Of American, three
! empty brass cartridge shells and a
shiny new jackknife from New Jersey.
And all but Meriem were more than
pleased with the bargain.
Kovudoo stipulated. but single con-
dition, and that was that the Euro
peans were to leave his village and
take the girl with them as early the
next morning as they could get start
| ed After the sale he did not hesitate
to explain his reasons for this demand.
He told them Of strenuous attempts
Of the girls savage mate to rescue her,
and suggested that the sooner they got
her out of the country the more likely
| they were to retain possession Of her.
Meriem was again bound and placed
under guard, but this time in the tent
of the Swedes. Malbihn talked to her,
trying to persuade her to accompany
them willingly. He told her that they
would return her to her own village,
but when he discovered that she would
rather die than 60 back to the old
| sheik he assured her that they would
not take her there-nOr, as matter
of fact, had they any intention Of so
doing. =,
All that night Meriem lay listening
| for signal from Korak. All about
the Jungle life moved through the
| darkness. To her sensitive ears came
sounds: that the others in the camp
| could not hear, sounds that she inter-
preted as we might interpret the
| speech of friend, but not once came
q single note that betokened the pres
| ence of Korak. But she knew that he
would come Nothing short of death
itself could prevent her Korak from
returning to her.
What delayed him, though?
When morning came again and the
night had brought no succoring Korak
Meriem's faith and loyalty were still
unshaken, though misgivings began to
assail her as to the safety Of her
| friend. 1t seemed unbelievable that
| serious mishap could have overtaken
her wonderful Korak, who daily passed
unscathed through all the terrOrs Of
| the jungle. Yet morning came, the
morning meal was eaten, the camp
broken. and the disreputable safari Of
the Swedes was again on the move
northward with still no sign of the
rescue by Korak the girl momentarily
expected.
All that day they marched and the
next and the next. Nor did Korak
even so much as show himself to the
patient little waiter moving, silent and
stately, beside her hard captors.
It vas on the fourth day that -.NIer
lem began definitely to give up hope.
Something had happened to Korak.
| She knew it. He would never come
now, and these men would take her
away. Presently they would kill her.
! She would never see her Korak again.
On this day the Swedes rested, for
they had marched rapidly and their
men we're tired. Malbihn and Jensen
had gone from camp to hunt, taking
| different directions.
| They had been gone about an hour
when the door of Meriem's tent was
lifted and Malbihn entered. His look
portended no good to the girl.
Out in the jungle Jensen had
brought down two bucks. His hunting
,hadS not carried him far afield, nor
vas he prone to permit 1t to do so. He
| was suspicious of Ma1bihn. The very
fact that his companion had refused to
accompany him and elected instead to
| hunt alone in another direction would
not, under ordinary circumstances,
have seemed fraught with sinister sug-
gestion, but Jensen knew MalbiIa