Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1921-07-14
Copyright BY
frsnk A. Munsey Co
Confined from last week.
CHAPTER viii.
korak and Merlem.


unusual occurrences-at least without
any occurrences that seemed unusual
to the youth or the ape-but To the
little girl II was Il constant nightmare
of horrors for days and weeks until
she, too, became accustomed 10 gazing
into the eyeless sockets of death and
to the feel of the icy wind of his
shroudllke mantle.
Slowly she learned the rudments of
the only common medium OF thought
exchange which her companions pos
sessed-the language of the great apes.
More quickly she perfected herself in
jungle craft, SO that the time soon
came when she was an important fac
tor in the chase, watching while the
others slept or helping them TO trace
the spoor of whatever prey they might
be stalking.
Akut accepted her on footing
which bordered upon equality when II
was necessary for them 10 come into
close contact, but for the most part
he avoided her The youth always was
kind to her. and If there were many
occasions upon which he felt the bur
den of her presence he hid Ii from her.
Finding that the night damp and
chill caused her discomfort and even
suffering, Korak constructed tight
little shelter high among the swaying
branches of Il giant tree. Here little
Meriem slept In comparative warmth
and safety, while the Killer and the
ape perched upon nearby branches, the
former always before the entrance to
the lofty domlcile, where he best could
guard its inmate from the dangers OF
arboreal enemies.
After the construction of the shelter
the activities of the three became To-
Called. They ranged less widely, for
there was always the necessity OF re-
turning TO their own tree at nlghtfull.
A river flowed near by. Game and
fruit were plentiful. as were fish also.
Existence had settled down TO the daily
humdrum of the wIld-the search for
food and the sleeping upon full bellies
They looked no further ahead than
today.
If the youth thought of his past and
of those who longed for him In the
distant metropolis it was I'm Il de-
tached and impcrsonal sort of way, rs
though that other life belonged to an
other creature than himself. lie had
given up hope of returning to civillza-
ton for. since his various rebuffs at
the hands of those TO whom he had
looked for friendship, he had wan
dered so fur inland as TO realize that
he was completely lost In the mazes Of
the jungle.
Then. too. since the coming OF Me
riem he had found In her that one
thing which he had most missed be-
fore in his savage jungle life-human
companionShip.
Tie little girl idollzed him. as she
might have idolized an indulgent
brother had she had one. Love was a
thing unknown TO either But as the
youth neared manhood IL was inevl-
table that IL should come TO him, as X
did To every other savage jungle male.
As Meriem became proficient In their
common language the pleasures of
their companionship grew corresponds
ingly, for now they could converse,
and. aided by the mental powers OF
their human heritage, they amplified
the restricted vocabulary of the apes
until talking was transformed from a
task into an enjoyable pastime.
When Korak hunted Meriem usually
l. g.. h. Ino
the fine art of silence when silence
was desirable. she could pass through
the branches of the great trees now
with all the agility and stealth OF tho
Killer himself. Great heights no long
or appalled, her. She swung from limb
to limb, or she raced through the
mighty branches, sure footed. 1.-the and
fearless. Korak was very proud OF
her, and even old Akut grunted In APP
proval where before he had growled
ia contempt.
A distant village of blacks had fur
nished her with a mantle of fur and
feathers, with copper ornaments and
weapons, for Korak would not permit
her to go unarmed or IMMERSED in the
use of the weapons ne stole Tor her.
A light spear and n long knife were
her weapons of offensc or defense.
Her body. rounding into the fulness
of an early maturity. followed the
lines of Greek goddess, but there tho
similarity ceased, for her face was
beautiful.
AS she grew more accustomed to the
Jungle and the ways OF Its wild dent
zens fear left her. AS time wore on
she even hunted alone when Korak
and Akut were prowllng at great
distance, as they were sometimes
forced TO do when game was scarce In
their immediate vicinity. Upon these
occasions she usually confined her en-
deavors TO the smaller animals, though
sometimes she brought down deer
and once even Horta, the boar. great
tusker that might have made even
Sheeta think. twice before attacking
him.
After Korak had left the village OF
the blacks following his last thieYing
cxnedifIon the screams of women and