The Brookings register. [volume] (Brookings, Brookings County, S.D.) 1903-1971, 1918-01-10

w. f'D
does not wish to go with u.s." he said.
"YOu are men," returned the black.
"Can you not take her by force?"
at would only add to u troubles"
replied the Swede. mo, Kovudoo. we
do not wish her, though, If You wish
to be rid of her, VIZ 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 I'm the end
the person Of Meriem passed from the
possession Of the black chieftain into
that Of the two Swedes In considers
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 n single con-
dition. and that was that the Euro
peans We're 10 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.
lie 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 go back to the old
sheik he assured her that they would
not take her Therefor, as Il matter
Of fact, had they any intention Of SO
doing.
All that night Meriem lay listening
for a signal from Korak. All ab&t
the jungle life moved through the
darkness. 70 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 a friend, but not once came
a 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
~unSaoken, though mlSg,snn1> logan -
;ssnil her AS to the safety of Der
friend. Ii seemed unbelievable that
serious mishap could have overtaken
her wonderful Korak, who daily passed
unscathed through all the terrors of
the. jungle. let 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.
1t was or the fourth day hat Mer.
lem began definitely to give up hope.
Something had happened to korak.
She knew II. 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 were tired. Malbihn and Jensen
had gone from camp to hunt. takins
different directions.
They had been gone about an hour
when the door of Meriem's tent WA
lifted and Malbihn entered. His loo.
pOrtended no good to the girl.
Out In the jungle Jensen had
brought down two bucks. His hunting
had not carried him far afeld, nor
was he prone to permit 1t to do so. He
was suspicious Of Malbihn. 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.