m, and with him Ellen Estabrook,
unless other apes discovered also her sex and took her, fighting over
her among themselves.

Bentley made good time across the jungle clearing. Behind him came the
voice of Barter in final exhortation.

"Your human cunning, hampered by your simian body, pitted against the
highly specialized body of your former self, in turn hampered by the
lack of reasoning of an ape--in a contest in primitive surrounding for
a female! A glorious experiment, and all depends now upon you! You
will save the girl who loves you and whom you love, but you must
return to me and be transferred before you can make your love known. I
shall wait for you!"

In Bentley's brain the shouted words of Barter rang as he hurried into
the jungle in pursuit of Apeman. Ellen Estabrook was crying: "Hurry,
Lee, hurry!"

* * * * *

Yet she was really yelling to Apeman, the man-beast which carried her,
bidding him race on to escape the pursuit of Manape, in whom she
would never recognize the man she loved. She must have thought that
Bentley had taken a desperate chance to escape the clutches of Barter,
and that Barter had set his trained ape to pursue them. What else
could she think? How could she know that she was actually in the power
of an ape, and that her loved one actually pursued to save her? With
every desire of her body she was urging Apeman to take her away from
Manape. But she must also have heard the challenges of the man apes in
the jungle ahead. She was looking back over Apeman's shoulder,
wondering perhaps if Barter would again come out to save them from the
anthropoids.

Bentley could guess at her thoughts as he raced on in pursuit of
Apeman.

Would he be in time? Even if he were, Apeman himself would turn
against him. If he were to try to aid Ellen she would fight against
him, believing him an ape. And how could he fight? Would his brain be
able to direct his mighty arms and his fighting fangs in a battle with
the apes of the jungle?

As he thought of coming to grips with the apes on equal terms,
something never in this world before vouchsafed to a human being, he
felt a fierce exaltation upon him. He felt a desire to take part in
mortal combat with them, to fight them fist and fang, and to destroy
them, one by one. He had their strength and more--he had the cunning
of a human being to match against the dim wits of the apes. He had a
chance.

But he must protect not o