The Morgan County press. (Wartburg, Tenn.) 1916-1926, 1918-02-08
CHAPTER ix-continued.
Copyright BY Frank A. Munsey Co.

tent opened silently and tall white
man stood In the aperture. Neither
Meriem or Malbihn saw the newcom-
er. The latter's back was toward him,
while his body hid the stranger from
Mertem's eye.
He crossed the tent quickly, STEP
ping over Jenssen's body. The hrst
intimation Malbihn had was heavy
hand upon his shoulder.
He wheeled, to face an utter stran-
ger, a tall, black haired, gray eyed
stranger, clad in khaki and pith nell
met. Malbihn reached for his gun
again, but another hand had been
quicker than his, and he saw the
weapon tossed to the ground at the
side of the tent-out Of reach.
"What is the meaning of this?" The
stranger addressed his question to
Meriem in tongue she did not under
stand. She shook her head and spoke
In Arabic. Instantly the man changed
his question to that language.
''These men are taking me away
from Korak," painted the girl. This
one would have harmed me. The 9TH
er, who he has just killed, tried to stop
him. They were both very bad men,
but this one is the worse. If my korak
were here he would kill him. sup
pose you are like them, so you Will not
kill him."
The stranger smiled. "He deserves
killing" he said. "There is no doubt
Of that. Once should have killed him,
but now not. will see, though, tnot
he does not bother you any more"
He was holding Malbihn in a grasp
the giant Swede could not break
though he struggled to do so, and he
was holding him as easily as Malblhn
might have held little child, yet NAL
bihn was a huge man, nightly theweu.
Elsa Swede hegan to rage and curse,
IRE strurK af his captor, only ITO be
twisted about anG held at arms length.
Then he shouted to his boys to come
and kill the stranger. I'll
In response Il dozen strange blacks
entered the tent. They, too, were pow
erful, clean limbed men, not at all
like the NANCY crew that followed the
Swedes.
1--WE have had enough foolishness,"
said the stranger to Malblhn. "You
deserve death, but I am not the law.
I know now who you are. ! have
heard of you before. You and your
friend bear a most unsavory reputa-
tion. We do not want you in our coun-
try. I shall let you go this time, but
should you ever return shall take the
law into my own hands. Now, get out,
and next time you see me remember
who I am" and he spoke name In
the Swede's cara name that more
effectually subdued the scoundrel than
many beatings. Then he gave him
push that carried him bodily through
the tent doorway, to sprawl upon the
turf beyond. ~
Nov" he said, turning toward Mer-
lem, "who has the key to this thing
about your neck?" ..
The girl pointed to Jenssen's body.
HE carried 1t always" she said.
The stranger searched the clothing
on the corpse until he came upon the
key. A moment more Meriem was
free.
"Will you let me go back to my Ko-
rak2' she asked.
II will see that you are returned to
your people," the stranger replied.
'Who are they, and where is their viii
lage?"
He had been cycling her strange, bar
barrie garmenture wonderingly. From
her speech she was evidently an Arab
girl, but he had never before seen one
thus clothed.
"Who are your people? Who is Ko-
rak?" he asked again.
"Korak Why, Korak' is an ape. /
have no other people. KOrak and 1
live in the jungle alone since Ait
went to be king of the apes" She had
always thus pronounced Akut's name,
for SO 1t had sounded to her when first
she came with Korak and the ape. ::
A questioning expression entered the
strangers eyes. He looked at the girl
closely.
$50 Korak is an apeT he said. "And
what, pray. are your"
81 am Meriem. l also am an ape
"M'm," was the strangers only oral
upon this startling announce
ment. But what he thought might
have been partially interpreted through
The plying light that entered his eyes.
he approached the girl and started to
ay his hand upon her forehead. She
rev back with q savage little growl |
4 smile touched his lips.
You need not fear me-" be said. Il
hall not harm you. I only wish to
Recover II yOu have feys---If you are