The Prince George's enquirer and southern Maryland advertiser. (Upper Marlborough, Md.) 1882-1925, 1918-03-08
Copyright by
Frank A. Munsey Go.
CHAPTER xVI-Continued.

-18-
Meriem would have demurred, but
the Killer seized them both. by the
shoulders and hustled them through
the slit wall and out into the shadows
beyond.
snow run for it." he admOnlshed
and turned to meet and hold those who
were pouring into the tent from the
front.
The ape man fought well, fought as
he had never fought before, but the
odds were too great for victory, though
be won that which he most craved-
time for the Englishman to escape
with Meriem. Then he was over
whelmed by numbers, and few min
utes later, bound and guarded, he was
carried to the sheik'S tent.
The old man eyed him in silence for
b long time. He was trying to fix in
his own mind some form of torture
that would crafty his rage and hatred
toward this creature who twice had
been the means of his losing posses
sion of Meriem.
And as he sat there looking upon
Korak the silence was broken by the
trumpeting of an elephant in the jungle
beyond the palisade. A half smile
touched Korak's lips. He turned his
head a trifie in the direction from
which the sound had come, and then
there broke from his lips a low, weird
call.
One of the blacks guarding him
struck him across the mouth with the
haft of his spear, but none there knew
the significance of his cry.
In the jungle Tantor cooked his ears
as the sound of Korak's voice fell upon
them. He approached the palisade
and, lifting his trunk above it, shifted.
Then he placed his head against the
wooden logs and pushed, but the pali-
sade was strong and gave only little
to the pressure.
In the sheik's tent the sheik rose at
last and, pointing toward the bound
captive, turned to one of his lieu
tenants.
Burn him." he commanded, Eat
onceI The stake is set"
Meriem, dazed by the unexpected
sight of Korak, whom she had long
given up as dead, permitted herself to
be led away by Baynes. Among the
tents he guided her safely to the pail
sade, and there, following Korak's in
structions, the Englishman pitched
moose over the top of one of the up
right logs that formed the barrier.
With difficulty he reached the top and
then lowered his hand to assist Mer-
lem to his side.
'sCome," he whispered. "We must
hurry"
And then, as though she had awak-
ened from a sleep, Meriem came to
herself. Back there, fighting her enc
mics alone, was Korak-her Korak
Her place was by his side, fighting
with him and for him.
She glanced up at Baynes.
"Go!" she called. Make your way
back to Bwana and bring help. My
place is here. You can do no good re-
naming. Get away while you can and
bring the big Bwana back with you"
Silently the Hon. Morrison Baynes
slid to the ground inside the palisade
to Meriem's side.
ut was only for you that I left him."
he said. nodding toward the tents they
had just left. 'I knew that he could
hold them longer than and give you
a chance to escape that 1 might not
be able to have given you. 1t was 1,
though, who should have remained. I
heard you call him Korak, and so l
know who he is.'
As they stood there for the moment
Of their conversation the sounds of
tumult in the village subsided.
"They have killed himr' whispered
Merfem.
The statement brought Baynes to q
realization of the cause of their return.
"Wait here" he said 81 will go and
see. If he is dead we can do him no
good. If he lives I will do my best to
free him.
"We will go together" replied Mer-
lem. "Come!" And she led the way
back toward the tent in which they
last had seen Korak.
AS they went they were often forced
to throw themselves to the ground in
the shadow of a tent or hut, for people
were passing hurriedly to and fro now.
The whols village was aroused and
moving about. The return to the tent
Of the sheik took much longer than
had their swift flight to the palisade,
Cautiously they crept to the slit that
Korak's knife had made in the rear
wall. Meriem peered inside. The rear
apartment was empty. She crawled
through the aperture, Baynes at her
heels, and then silently crossed the
space to the rugs that partitioned the
tent into two rooms. Parting the
hangings, Meriem looked into the front
room. 1t, too, was deserted.
She crossed to the door of the tent
gasp of horror. Baynes at her shoulder
looked past her to t6e sight that had
startled her, and he, too, exclaimed
but his was an oath Of anger.
A hundred feet away they saw 10
rak bound to a stake, the brush piled
about him already alight. The Eng
lishman pushed Meriem to of7e side
and started on a run for the doomed
man. What he could do in the face of
scores of hostile blacks and Arabs he
did not stop to consider.
At the same instant TantOr broke
through the palisade and charged the
group. In tho face of the maddened
beast the crowd turned and fled, carry
ing Baynes backward with them.
Tantor wrapped his trunk about the
body Of korak and the stake to which