his own.

The captor could not fight to advantage upon the swaying bough,
burdened as he was by a squirming, struggling captive, so he dropped
quickly to the ground beneath. The other followed him, and here they
fought, occasionally abandoning their duel to pursue and recapture the
girl who took every advantage of her captors' preoccupation in battle
to break away in attempted escape; but always they overtook her, and
first one and then the other possessed her as they struggled to tear
one another to pieces for the prize.

Often the girl came in for many blows that were intended for a hairy
foe, and once she was felled, lying unconscious while the apes,
relieved of the distraction of detaining her by force, tore into one
another in fierce and terrible combat.

Above them screamed the little monkeys, racing hither and thither in a
frenzy of hysterical excitement. Back and forth over the battle field
flew countless birds of gorgeous plumage, squawking their hoarse cries
of rage and defiance. In the distance a lion roared.

The larger bull was slowly tearing his antagonist to pieces. They
rolled upon the ground biting and striking. Again, erect upon their
hind legs they pulled and tugged like human wrestlers; but always the
giant fangs found their bloody part to play until both combatants and
the ground about them were red with gore.

Meriem, through it all, lay still and unconscious upon the ground. At
last one found a permanent hold upon the jugular of the other and thus
they went down for the last time. For several minutes they lay with
scarce a struggle. It was the larger bull who arose alone from the
last embrace. He shook himself. A deep growl rumbled from his hairy
throat. He waddled back and forth between the body of the girl and
that of his vanquished foe. Then he stood upon the latter and gave
tongue to his hideous challenge. The little monkeys broke, screaming,
in all directions as the terrifying noise broke upon their ears. The
gorgeous birds took wing and fled. Once again the lion roared, this
time at a greater distance.

The great ape waddled once more to the girl's side. He turned her over
upon her back, and stooping commenced to sniff and listen about her
face and breast. She lived. The monkeys were returning. They came in
swarms, and from above hurled down insults upon the victor.

The ape showed his displeasure by baring his teeth and growling up at
them. Then he stooped and l