The Jasper news., 1918-03-14
CHAPTER XVIl-Continued.
Copyright by Frank A. Munsey Co.

hand, and then he broke forth, below
ing horribly, and charged down upon
the frail girl.
korak screamed commands to his
huge protector In an effort to halt him,
but all to no avail. Meriem raced to-
ward the bordering trees with oil the
speed that lay In her swift little feet,
but Tantor, for all his huge bulk, drove
down upon her with the rapidity Of an
express train.
What was that7 Korak's eyes start
ed from their sockets. A strange fig
ure had leapel from the tree the shade
of which Meriem already had reached
-leaped beyond the girl straight into
the path of the charging elephant.
1t was half naked white giant.
Across his shoulder coil Of rope was
Topped. In the band of his gee-string
was Il hunting knife.
a sharp command broke from the
strangers lips. The great beast halted
in his tracks, and Merlem swung her.
self upward into the tree to safety.
Korak breathed sigh Of relief, not
unnixed with wonder. He fastened
his eyes upon the face Of Meriem's de-
liverer, and as recognition slowly Al
tered into his understanding they went
wide in incredulity and surprise. Tan
tor. still rumbllng angrily, stood sway
ing to and fro before the giant white
man.
Then the latter stepped straight be-
meath the upralsed trunk and spoke
low word of command. The great
beast ceased his mutterlng. The saw
age light died from his eyes, and as
the stranger stepped forward toward
Korak, Tuntor trailed docilely at his
heels.
Meriem was watching, too, and won
dering. Suddenly the man turned to-
ward her.
Come, Meriem!" he called. And
then she recognized him with star
tied "Bwanal"
"Jack!" cried the white giant, kneel-
Ing at the ape mans side.
"Fatherv came chokingly from the
Killers lips. THANK God that 1t was
you! No one else in all the jungle
could have stopped Tantor."
Quickly the man cut the bonds that
held Korak, and as the youth strug-
gled weakly to his feet and threw his
arms about his father, the older man
turned toward Meriem.
II thought" he said, sternly, "that
] told you to return to the farm"
Korak was looking at them wonder
lngly. In his heart was a great yearn-
ing to take the girl in his arms, but
in time he remembered the other-the
dapper young English gentleman-and
that he was but savage ape man.
Meriem looked up pleadingly into
Bwana's eyes.
You told me-" she said In q very
small voice, that my place was be-
side the man l love-" And she turned
her eyes toward Korak, all filed with
the wonderful light that no other man
had yet seen in them and that none
other ever would.
The Killer started toward her with
outstretched arms, but suddenly he
fell upon one knee before her instead
and, lifting her hand to his lips, kissed
1t more reverently than he could have
kissed the hand of his country's queen.
A rumble from Tantor brought the
three, all jungle bred, to instant alert
ness. Tantor was looking toward the
trees behind them, and as their eyes
followed his gaze the head and shoul-
dors of great ape appeared amid the
foliage.
For moment the creature eyed
them, and then from his throat rose a
loud scream of recognition and of Joy,
and a moment later the beast had
leaped to the ground, followed by a
score Of bulls like himself, and was
waddling toward them, shouting In the
primordlal tongue of the anthropold :
"Tarzan has returned! Tarzan, lord
of the jungle!"
1t was Akut, and instantly he COM
menced leaping and bounding about
the trio, uttering hideous shrieks and
mouthings that to any other human
beings might have indicated the most
ferocious rage, but these three knew
that the king of the apes was doing
homage to a king greater than him.
self.
Korak laid his hand affectionateIy
upon his fathers shoulder.
'There is but one Tarzan," he said.
gGThara nou pauap ha