r
intentness.

"I'd swear that beast can almost read our thoughts!" ejaculated
Bentley at last, after he had somewhat sated his appetite.

Barter smiled with those too-red lips of his.

"He can--almost. You'd be surprised to know how nearly human the great
apes are, and how nearly human this particular one is. Ah!"

"What do you mean, this particular one?" asked Bentley curiously. "He
doesn't look any different to me from the others I've seen except that
he is far and away the largest."

"I don't see why you should be so curious," said Barter testily. "It's
none of your business you know--yet."

"What do you mean?" demanded Bentley, nettled by Barter's tone.

"Lee, hush," said Ellen. "Professor Barter is not on trial for any
crime."

Bentley looked at her in hurt surprise, inclined to be angry with her
for the tone she was taking, but he saw such a look of appeal in her
eyes that he choked back the words that rushed to his lips for
utterance. He was decidedly on edge, more, he felt, than he should
have been despite what they had gone through. When their eyes met he
saw her glance quickly toward the ape, and noted a frown of worry
between her brows.

* * * * *

Bentley glanced at the ape. The brute now was staring at the girl in a
way that made Bentley's flesh crawl. It was preposterous of course,
but he had the feeling, something which seemed to flow out of that
mighty cage like some evil emanation from a dank tarn, that the ape
knew the girl's sex--and that he desired her! It was horrible in the
extreme to contemplate, yet Bentley knew when he glanced swiftly at
the girl that she had sensed the same thing and was fighting to keep
the natural horror she felt at such a ghastly thought from being
noticeable. It was absurd. The ape was a prisoner. But....

"Professor Barter," said Bentley, "you're accustomed to being with
this brute, but it isn't so nice for us, especially for Miss
Estabrook."

Barter now frowned angrily.

"My dear Bentley," he said with that odd testiness which he had
assumed toward Bentley before, "I refuse to have any interference with
my experiment. This is part of it."

"You mean--" began Bentley.

"I mean that I'm training that ape--I call him Manape--to behave like
human beings. How better can he learn than by watching our behavior?"

"Just the same," said Bentley, "I don't like it."

"It's all right, Lee," said Ellen quickly. "I don't mind."