knew, was going into the Valley of
the Shadow, and something must be done to save him. But what?

And the great apes constituted a new menace, though they were making
no effort to molest the three in the tree. Apeman must be placed in a
shady place and some attention paid to his needs. But the human body
with the ape's brain could not tell how it hurt or where.

The first task was to get the two beings down from the tree, and much
depended upon chance. To the apes Bentley was another ape, one
moreover which had slain a number of them. But Apeman was a human
being, as was Ellen Estabrook. The whole thing constituted a fine
problem for the brain of Manape.

* * * * *

If Manape were to attempt first aid for Apeman, how would such a sight
react upon Ellen Estabrook? If Manape were to attempt to take Apeman
back to Caleb Barter, leading the way for Ellen, would she follow, and
what would his action tell her? She would think herself demented,
imagining things, because a great ape did things which only human
beings were supposedly capable of doing.

If she knew, of course, it would make a difference. But she did not,
and Bentley had no means by which to inform her. That was a problem
for the future. Ellen was sleeping the sleep of utter exhaustion and
he felt that he could safely leave her for the moment while he swung
Apeman down from the tree. He must work fast, and return for Ellen
before the great apes discovered the helpless Apeman at the foot of
the tree. He hoped to get Ellen down while she slept, knowing that she
would be in mortal fear of him if she wakened and found herself in his
power.

Bentley got Apeman down, and looked about him. No apes were close
enough, as far as he could tell, to molest Apeman before Bentley could
return with Ellen. He raced back into the tree, lifted Ellen so gently
that she scarcely altered the even motion of her breathing--and for a
moment he hesitated. So close to him were her tired lips. So
woe-begone and pathetic her appearance, a great well of pity for her
rose in the heart of Bentley--or what was the seat of this emotion
within him? Was the brain the seat of the emotions? Or the heart? But
Bentley's true heart was in Apeman's human body, so there must be some
other explanation for the feeling which grew and grew within Bentley
for Ellen.

He leaned forward with the intention of touching his lips to the tired
thin lips of Ellen Estabrook, then