e kissed her. After a fashion he did kiss her--though
the fume was clearing from his brain as haze lifts on the channel,
though he understood how abhorrent was this caress unknown to
Orientals--beginning to feel pretty much ashamed of himself.... But a
bit too late.

The same instant she broke away from his hold, spurning him, and as he
reeled a bunch of hairy great fingers closed on the back of his neck.

He screamed once and clutched a stout, hanging creeper and clung there
while his cry throttled down to a gasp. Behind him he could hear the
click of steel links; before him the sunlight swam. Helpless as a kitten
nipped by the scruff, he fought for life.

Because the chain was fastened high and because the beast was yoked
between the shoulders he had come within the grip of only one murderous
paw, which was mere luck. But through a long moment while his blood beat
thick and his eyeballs started from their sockets he knew the agony of
those that die by the garrote. A claw tough as a metal ring dug into his
flesh, working for a firmer span, gathering the cords and muscles,
tightening slowly. He could only stare at vacancy and dance upon the air
and clench the creeper that brought down around him a little snowstorm
of flower petals from the quaking branches overhead.

The creeper held. So did not his collar when the eager fingers shifted
and found a purchase whereby the half of his coat was stripped like a
husk of corn. At the sudden release he lost footing....

He was like one overtaken in a nightmare, too faint and clogged to will
an effective movement for escape. With safety a matter of inches he
floundered on the verge, entangled by vines and grasses, tugging madly
at his hip. And the nightmare was very close, a horror not to be faced,
a red fury with gigantic arms that came flailing and picking at him and
tearing his clothes to ribbons as he groveled!

It lasted until the ape took a trick from the man, swung up on a liana,
and from the vantage caught him about the body with his feet. Then
Tunstal's revolver came free. Crushed in that dreadful embrace, he began
to shoot!

When he stood up above the quivering heap and looked about him he was
alone. After the frenzy of his struggle the silence dropped in upon him
like a ram. The walks were empty, the thickets were quiet, the house at
the end of the inclosure seemed deserted. He turned to the spot where he
had seen the girl. She was gone. He turned toward the gat